As a Virginia resident with a disability, I qualified to receive pro bono legal help for two separate discrimination issues from the Disability Law Center of Virginia (DLCV)— a quasi-government agency that helps disabled residents with issues related to discrimination, abuse, and neglect.
Every state has a Protection and Advocacy organization like DLCV available to residents that face disability-related barriers that connect to accessing education, employment, housing, government services, and safety within adult institutions, though not a lot of people are aware that these services are available to them or that they are free of charge. I hadn’t heard of them until shortly before I needed them, and they helped me with two situations that took place while I was in college as an undergraduate student.
Here is an overview of my personal experience with the Disability Law Center of Virginia, along with other general information about designated Protection and Advocacy organizations in the United States.
HOW TO FIND YOUR STATE’S PROTECTION AND ADVOCACY ORGANIZATION
Disability Law Center of Virginia only serves residents of Virginia, but there are Protection and Advocacy organizations for each US state and US territory. While I don’t have any personal experience with organizations outside of Virginia, I’ve linked a list of organizations below as well as the DLCV website for Virginia residents. While each organization generally has the same strategic goals and focus areas that relate to accessing education, government services, employment, and accessible housing for people with disabilities, individual states or organizations may place goals on hold or provide alternative resources if funding is limited or unavailable.
RELATED LINKS
- NDRN Member Agencies – P&A – CAP | NDRN
- disAbility Law Center of Virginia (dLCV) | Protecting Your Rights
How much does it cost to work with a Protection and Advocacy organization?
State-designated Protection and Advocacy organizations like the Disability Law Center of Virginia provide their services pro bono/at no cost for cases that are accepted for services. Individuals cannot pay staff members to work on a case that is not accepted, and will have to seek services from alternative organizations or outside legal help that may require payment.
What to expect when meeting with the Disability Law Center of Virginia
The exact timeline for getting a case accepted varies depending on the time-sensitive nature of the situation, strategic goals for the organization, and other factors. My two cases were fairly straightforward and not expected to require court appearances, so I was accepted within an hour of my first phone call. However, individuals should allow 3-5 business days for their case to be reviewed before receiving an intake phone call.
Staff members at DLCV and other Protection and Advocacy organizations are licensed lawyers/attorneys that are part of the state bar, or are professional advocates and staff members that can share state resources and other information. They generally work full-time with the Protection and Advocacy organization and do not have an outside practice. In the two instances I have interacted with DLCV, a lawyer was assigned to my case.
Depending on the nature of the case, individuals may meet with staff members in-person or have meetings conducted exclusively over the phone or teleconferencing platforms. Paperwork was generally sent over email with secure/encrypted digital signature tools, and I would communicate with someone from DLCV at least once a day— both of my cases were resolved within two weeks, and I never met with anyone in-person.
Related links
- Filling Out Medical Forms With Low Vision
- How I Organize Emails In College With Low Vision
- Learning to Self-Advocate
Examples of how DLCV cases may be resolved
When I first wrote this post in 2017, I didn’t include many details about what had happened for me to need DLCV services to begin with— I wasn’t required to sign an NDA or anything like that, but I was concerned about potentially getting in trouble regardless. Since several years have now passed and the situations were fully resolved, I have updated this post to add some additional details.
In the first instance where I worked with Disability Law Center of Virginia, I was experiencing discrimination related to accessible housing for a then-undiagnosed but well-documented neurological condition (later diagnosed as Chiari Malformation). After learning about DLCV from my state unit for visual impairment, I contacted their office to request assistance with getting approved for accessible housing from the housing organization that had originally denied my accommodations request. I signed a form allowing the lawyer to make phone calls on my behalf, and they wrote a letter to the housing organization appealing their decision. The situation was resolved within a week, and I was able to move into the accessible housing in a timely manner.
In the second instance, I could not access important safety notifications and received inaccessible information repeatedly from a state organization, which led to me almost being terminated from receiving services from said organization. Again, I digitally signed a release that would allow the lawyer assigned to my case to contact people involved, and I notified the organization that a lawyer from the DLCV would be contacting them to discuss the matter further. The situation was resolved within three days and a change was made for all individuals to receive notifications and information in a digital accessible format.
Neither of these cases were connected in any way, and I had a different lawyer for each instance. Each organization took action to adjust their policies based on feedback from DLCV to minimize the risk of others facing the same discrimination in the future.
Related links
- How I Explain My Brain With Chiari Malformation
- Dorm Room Disability Hacks For Chronically Ill Students
- Bedding Hacks For Chiari Malformation
- Disability and Classroom Accommodations For Chiari Malformation
- How To Create Accessible Workspaces For Chiari Malformation
What I wish I knew about Protection and Advocacy organization sooner
My experiences with Disability Law Center of Virginia have been positive as a client with low vision and an additional neurological condition, and my family and I were profoundly grateful to have access to help in these time-sensitive situations. While every state varies in the exact services they offer, some examples of services offered by Protection and Advocacy organizations that my family wish they knew about sooner include:
- Attending 504 Plan and IEP meetings, which can include sending an advocate to meetings as well as assistance with navigating IEP and 504 plan violations. I wish I knew about this in high school!
- Issues with state departments/state units for visual impairment, vocational rehabilitation, or rehabilitation services.
- Employment discrimination on the basis of disability, including situations related to under-employment
While I have no personal experience with these topics, I have known people who also benefitted from services related to issues with adult institutions/nursing homes/group homes and difficulties with accessing Social Security Disability benefits. Before contacting Disability Law Center of Virginia or similar organizations, review the list of strategic goals and services that the organization cannot provide direct assistance with prior to submitting a request.
Related links
- Introduction To Low Vision IEPs: Post Round Up
- Common Classroom Accommodations For Low Vision
- Vocational Rehabilitation for College Students
- Ten Things I Wish My TVI Taught Me About Transition
More information about my experience with Disability Law Center of Virginia
- Users do not need to be registered with the state unit for visual impairment or similar departments, though priority may be given to people who are registered for services in certain states. I share more about this in Services Provided By State Department/State Unit for Visual Impairment
- Even if someone isn’t looking for legal services, Disability Law Center of Virginia and several other organizations provide great state-specific resources that can be used for self-advocacy and education. I’ve linked the Virginia-specific page at Resources – Disability Law Center of Virginia
- Want to learn more about government-funded resources for people with disabilities? Check out US Government Programs For Blind/Low Vision Residents
Published August 21, 2017. Updated January 2025