Equality. Inclusion. Justice.

• Freedom from Harm
• Freedom to Participate in the Community
• Freedom from Discrimination

• January 14, 2022

Lawsuit Alleges Discrimination Of Deaf And Hard Of Hearing Tennesseans Under Care Of State Of Tennessee

Five plaintiffs with counsel from Disability Rights Tennessee (DRT) and Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC allege that the State of Tennessee, Tennessee Department of Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities (DIDD), and Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (DMHSAS) discriminate against service recipients who are Deaf and use American Sign Language (ASL) to communicate.

• January 14, 2022

Disability Rights Tennessee’s eighteen month investigation of Wilder Youth Development Center Reveals DCS Failure of Care and Active Endangerment

Disability Rights Tennessee (DRT) has been monitoring Wilder Youth Development Center (Wilder), a Department of Children's Services (DCS) facility in Fayette County, Tennessee, for eighteen months. Media has been reporting on escape attempts and other disturbances at Wilder since September of 2019, but no one has stopped to ask, "Why?" Our investigations reveal abuses of youth in custody at Wilder to be at the root of these issues.

• December 7, 2021

COVID-19 & Vaccine Information & Resources

Information and resources about COVID-19 and the COVID-19 Vaccine for people with disabilities. 

• December 3, 2021

2021: Year in Review

The COVID-19 pandemic has adjusted the context of DRT’s work but not our core mission. Throughout 2021 our commitment to protecting the rights of Tennesseans has not wavered. Read about how DRT’s programs worked to advance our vision to keep Tennesseans free from harm, free to participate in the community, and free from discrimination in 2021.

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