News
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September 6, 2024Governor Bill Lee Proclaims September 9-13, 2024 as Disability Voting Rights Awareness Week in Tennessee
View PDF of Press Release. NASHVILLE, TN Sept. 6, 2024 – Governor Bill Lee has proclaimed September 9-13, 2024, as Disability Voting Rights Awareness Week in Tennessee in recognition of National Disability Voting Rights Week. There are over 1.6 million Tennesseans living with disabilities and nearly 1 million are eligible voters. Disability Voting Rights Week […]
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August 27, 2024Disability Rights Tennessee Announces Retirement of Executive Director, Lisa Primm
View Press Release in PDF – English FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NASHVILLE, TN. – James DiMarco, Board of Directors President, announces that after 12 years of bold leadership, Disability Rights Tennessee’s (DRT’s) Executive Director, Lisa Primm, plans to retire in March 2025. The DRT Board of Directors has started the process to replace Primm by assembling […]
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July 11, 2024Federal Judge Finds Tennessee Department of Correction in Violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act for Failing to Provide Sign Language Interpreters and Videophones to Deaf Prisoners
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contacts:Madeleine Reichman, Disability Rights Advocates, MReichman@DRALegal.org, 332-217-2318Lee Sherwood, Disability Rights Tennessee, LeeS@DisabilityRightsTN.org, 615-490-3488Al Elia, Disability Law United, AElia@DLUnited.org, 303-757-7901 FEDERAL JUDGE FINDS TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION IN VIOLATION OF THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT FOR FAILING TO PROVIDE SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETERS AND VIDEOPHONES TO DEAF PRISONERS NASHVILLE, Tenn., July 11, 2024 […]
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June 26, 2024Disability 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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February 15, 2024A Call to Action: Advancing Tennessee’s Juvenile Justice System to Strengthen Families, Communities, and Oversight
About the Report: What would it look like if Tennessee’s juvenile justice system prioritized strengthening families, connecting youth to their home communities, and creating safe environments that promote healing, growth, and being held accountable for one’s actions? Instead, Tennessee’s youth continue to suffer, primarily Black youth with disabilities. Disability Rights Tennessee (DRT) and Youth Law […]
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January 23, 2024Client 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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January 9, 2024Tennessee Lookout | “New Nashville program provides eligible jail inmates pathway to voter registration, restoration”
View original article here. Published by Kathy Carlson, January 8, 2024 People in county jails often are eligible to vote, and a new program in Nashville aims to guide potential voters through the process. “The requirement to serve jail inmates has been around for a long time,” Davidson County Administrator of Elections Jeff Roberts said […]
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January 8, 2024
Massive sign on letter rejects cuts to non-defense discretionary funding in FY 2024 deal
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Massive sign on letter rejects cuts to non-defense discretionary funding in FY 2024 deal Contact: Lee Sherwood, Director of Community Relations – Email: LeeS@DisabilityRightsTN.org; Phone/Text: 409-771-0098 NASHVILLE, TN.— Disability Rights Tennessee (DRT) issues the following statement announcing an 1,098-organization sign-on letter urging Congress to reject any full-year continuing resolution that would result […]
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December 4, 2023Land a job without a scare in the world – DEAL 2023 Recap
The 9th Disability Employment Awareness Luncheon (DEAL) at Nashville’s Music City Center on October 30th was another powerful moment of connection. DEAL is a time for employers and employees alike to share a meal together and listen to speakers from the disability community share best practices and personal experiences. This year’s luncheon marked a special […]