Protecting the rights of Tennesseans living with disabilities and/or mental illness.

Disability Rights Tennessee, Sanford Heisler Sharp, and the Youth Law Center File Lawsuit Against Tennessee for Illegal and Unconstitutional Neglect and Mistreatment of Vulnerable Youth

PDF Version of Press Release PDF Version of Complaint NASHVILLE, Tenn., June 26, 2024 — Attorneys from Disability Rights Tennessee, Sanford Heisler Sharp, and the Youth Law Center filed a class action complaint today challenging illegal and unconstitutional conditions in Tennessee’s juvenile justice facilities. The complaint alleges that the State of Tennessee, among other Defendants, […]

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Client Story – Joan Kite, TBI Survivor

Joan Kite, a two time Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) survivor shared her story with DRT’s Lee Sherwood and discussed her recovery journey and what it means to be an advocate.

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March 5, 2025

Settlement Reached in Tennessee Deaf Prisoner Case

Settlement Reached in Tennessee Deaf Prisoner Case: Tennessee Department of Correction commits to provide necessary technology and services to ensure equal access. View press release in PDF – ENGLISH Media Contacts: Disability Rights Tennessee: Lee Sherwood, 615-490-3844, LeeS@DisabilityRightsTN.org Fox & Robertson: Amy Robertson, 303-917-1870, arob@foxrob.com Disability Rights Advocates: Madeleine J. Reichman, 332-217-2318, mreichman@dralegal.org Disability Law […]

December 18, 2024

Update on Class Action Lawsuit Against the State of Tennessee

As we close out the year, we wanted to bring you up to date on recent activity in the Disability Rights Tennessee lawsuit which is pending in Federal Court in the Middle District of Tennessee against the State of Tennessee, Tennessee Department of Children’s Services (“DCS”), the Tennessee Dept. of Education (“TDOE”) and others. The […]

December 18, 2024

New Protections Announced for Airline Passengers with Disabilities

Visit the site with the press release here. Newly released final rule is the biggest expansion of rights for passengers with disabilities in a generation Earlier this year, DOT issued a record-breaking penalty against American Airlines for unsafe and undignified treatment of passengers with disabilities WASHINGTON – U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg today announced that the U.S. Department […]

December 12, 2024

DEAL 2024 Recap: The Best Bits

On October 11, Disability Rights Tennessee gathered once again with friends, advocates, colleagues, and new faces at the Music City Center in Nashville to celebrate a significant milestone: 10 years of the Disability Employment Awareness Luncheon (DEAL). This annual event is a way for the community to come together and hear personal stories and best […]

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