DRI's Priscila Rodríguez speaks at UN Side Event on Strategic Litigation to Protect People with Disabilities

Watch the recording of the UN side event "The Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Strategic Litigation" featuring a presentation from Priscila Rodríguez on how DRI's recent work will have a profound impact on litigating the rights of persons with disabilities.

Joint Position on Large Foster Care

The Global Coalition on Deinstitutionalization adopts a Joint Position on the use of large foster care as a form of institutionalization of children. This position concerns the use of large foster care on a broad scale as a matter of public policy and aims to promote an understanding of the right to family life for children that is in line with the UN CRPD and the UN Guidelines on Deinstitutionalization, Including in Emergencies.

Support of the International Children with Disabilities Protection Act

This bill represents everything we’ve been working on for over two decades. All children — especially children with disabilities — need our support to live and grow up in a loving family. And they need protection against being placed in orphanages or other institutions.

—   Laurie Ahern, President, Disability Rights International

DRI Litigation Docket 2023 (Public)

DRI conducts litigation at the national and international level to enforce and expand the right of children and adults to live in the community with choices equal to others. Our cases seek immediate protections from neglect, denial of basic care, violence and trafficking and systemic changes in law and policies to address the root causes of segregation and abuse. See DRI's global docket of cases here.

Bipartisan Senators Introduce International Children with Disabilities Protection Act in US Congress

This bill represents everything we’ve been working on for over two decades. All children — especially children with disabilities — need our support to live and grow up in a loving family. And they need protection against being placed in orphanages or other institutions.

—   Laurie Ahern, President, Disability Rights International

International Children with Disabilities Protection Act ; S.4982 — 117th Congress (2021-2022)

WASHINGTON – Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) today were joined by ten of their Senate colleagues in introducing the International Children with Disabilities Protection Act, new legislation to bolster U.S. support for children with disabilities, helping improve the capacity of local disabilities rights organizations and families of children with disabilities around the world to advocate for necessary reforms.

UN CRPD Committee Approves New Guidelines on Deinstitutionalization, including times of emergency.

Dragana Ciric Milovanovic, DRI European Program Director, addressed the UN CRPD Committee on September 9th, on the release of the new UN Guidelines on Deinstitutionalization. Dragana led DRI's collaboration with the CRPD Committee to draft the guidelines, which provide a roadmap to governments, disability activists, and donors about the immediate steps needed to end the practice of institutionalization and residential treatment or care for people with disabilities.