​What Are State Protection & Advocacy Agencies? - Reeve Foundation

People with disabilities deserve to be treated equally, with dignity and respect. To protect basic human rights for people with disabilities, Congress created a system of federally mandated Protection & Advocacy agencies, also known as P&As, which exist in all 57 U.S. states and territories, as well as one serving the Native American population in the Four Corners region.

Although P&As go by different names in each state, they share the same mission to protect and advocate for the rights of people of all ages with all types of disabilities. Together, the P&As form the National Disability Rights Network, a nonprofit membership organization and the largest provider of legally-based advocacy services to people with disabilities in the nation.

In addition to providing legal representation, P&A agencies monitor, investigate, and attempt to remedy adverse conditions in any setting, public and private, where services for people with disabilities are provided, including schools, healthcare facilities and prisons. No other organizations have the sweeping access authority that P&As do to address issues affecting people with all kinds of disabilities.

History of P&As
Throughout most of the 20th century, people with disabilities were isolated and segregated from society, with little to no access to services. Often, they were abused and neglected. In 1972, a series of local news broadcasts by Geraldo Rivera for the New York City ABC News affiliate exposed the unthinkable living conditions and neglect inside Willowbrook, a state institution for people with intellectual and other disabilities on Staten Island.

Public outrage eventually led to a federal mandate to create an official Protection & Advocacy agency in every state and territory. Although initially focused on individuals with developmental disabilities, the scope of P&A work has broadened to include support for people with all types of disabilities wherever they reside. The Developmental Disabilities Assistance and the Bill of Rights Act of 2000 (DD Act) states that each P&A must have the authority to “pursue legal, administrative, and other appropriate remedies or approaches to ensure the protection of, and advocacy for, the rights of such individuals within the State." 42 U.S.C. 15043.

P&A Services
Designated by each state’s governor and funded by federal grants, P&A agencies focus on helping people expand and defend their rights. In addition to monitoring conditions and listening to concerns, agencies have the authority to fight against abuse, neglect and discrimination in services and employment and for equal treatment in the education and criminal justice systems. They also help with access to voting, disability services, assistive technology, and other issues.

While their focus is most often legal support, P&As also engage in a range of other efforts to promote the rights of individuals with disabilities. In general, P&A work can fall into four broad categories:

• Information and referral services
• Individual legal representation
• Investigation of allegations of abuse and neglect
• Outreach and community education
• Information and referral services
• Individual legal representation
• Investigation of allegations of abuse and neglect
• Outreach and community education

Access to P&A
All P&A services are free of charge. As P&A statutes continue to expand, agencies have additional authority to support access to inclusive educational programs, financial entitlements, healthcare, accessible housing, transportation, productive employment opportunities and more.

“These resources can be a lifeline at a really difficult time,” says Cindy Kolbe, a Reeve Foundation Peer & Family Support Program mentor. She has been a lifelong disability advocate, even before her daughter sustained a C6-C7 spinal cord injury in a 2000 car accident. “If you need legal resources, P&As are the best place to start. They can help you prioritize your next steps, and their support is easily accessible and free. These agencies offer a broad range of knowledge and can give referrals for other needs.”