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"Would I get an attorney who would take such claim seriously? Would a judge believe that I'd done nothing wrong? Would they believe someone who was just like me but happened not to be a lawyer? Someone like me who was unemployed or had a prior criminal record?" (Stevenson pg. 44)

Stevenson expresses how someone put in the same position he was in might be treated differently due to the lack of education they might have.

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"I hadn't ever experienced anything like this before In my life. I was around all these murderers, and yet it felt like sometimes they were the only ones trying to help me. I prayed, I read the Bible, and I'd be lying if I didn't tell you that I was scared, terrified just about every day." (Stevenson 57)

Walter speaks about the fear he had to speak up and to take action, he wasn't educated enough to know his rights. He felt as if his voice wasn't heard.

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"You know they'll try to kill you if you actually get to the bottom of everything." ( Stevenson pg.136)

Many of the people in this book were afraid to speak up , they were not able to advocate for themselves.

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"I may be old, i may be poor. I may be black, but I'm here. Im here because I've got this vision of justice that compels me to be a witness I'm here because I'm supposed to be here, I'm here because you cant keep me away."(Stevenson pg.181)
This particular person was not afraid to show the courtroom that she was a human and she deserved to have her voice heard despite her economic status .

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The Amplifying Voices of Inmates with Disabilities (AVID) project helps protect the rights of inmates with disabilities and mental illnesses. Protection and advocacy agencies (P&As) try to help inmates by using non-litigation and litigation advocacy. Non-litigation advocacy can include monitoring inmates with mental illness over the phone and working with politicians to create legislative reform efforts that will protect the rights of inmates. Litigation advocacy uses the 8th Amendment, ADA, and the Rehab act to represent inmates in class action lawsuits. This article represents advocacy on the behalf of mentally ill inmates as well as the disabled ones.

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​Definitions of the terms "solitary confinement," "isolation," and "segregation" vary between jurisdictions and facilities. This report uses the term "segregation" to describe the general practice, described in more detail below, of isolating an inmate for 22 to 24 hours a day in a small cell. Our nation's prison systems have been housing people in solitary confinement, or segregation, for decades. As inmate populations increased throughout the 1980s and 1990s, prisons turned to segregation, claiming it was a necessary intervention to curb institutional violence. As a result, between 80,000 to 100,000 inmates are currently placed in small single person cells for 22 to 24 hours per day, for days, if not months or years at a time. Notably, many of those housed in segregation found their way there due to behaviors associated with a mental illness, or they developed symptoms of mental illness due to their prolonged isolation. Many inmates with mental illness are not only locked up and serving a sentence, they are disproportionately locked down in segregation, where they remain isolated in their cells and experience severely restricted access to programs and activities, including mental health treatment.

​ In discussing mental illness, this report uses the broad definition of "individual with a mental illness" from the Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness (PAIMI) Act. Under this act, an "individual with a mental illness" is an individual "who has a significant mental illness or emotional impairment, as determined by a mental health professional qualified under the laws and regulations of the State...." Courts have generally interpreted the terms "significant mental illness" and "emotional impairment" broadly.

Research suggests that segregation does not in fact decrease violence or make prisons safer. Moreover, experts have found that the crushing isolation of segregation has a debilitating effect on inmates, especially inmates with mental illness. Even the president of the United States has recognized that a person's mental illness can worsen in segregation, and inmates with mental illness are more likely to commit suicide. In response to these findings, advocates have argued that the imposition of such restrictive conditions on inmates with mental illness violates the Eighth Amendment prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment as well as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Rehab Act), and have fought for an overhaul of the use of segregation in the nation's prison systems.

Very few outsiders are allowed into prisons, and the public rarely gets to witness the conditions in which many inmates are confined. In recent years, protection and advocacy agencies (P&As), organizations granted with the special federal authority to enter facilities that serve people with disabilities, have been going to the most segregated areas of prisons to identify issues facing people with disabilities. P&As have received countless reports of abuse and neglect of inmates in segregation, including prolonged isolation, deplorable conditions, inadequate care, increased self-harm and suicide attempts, and even death.

​ This report focuses on the segregation of individuals with mental illness. However, some of the same concepts apply to people with developmental and intellectual disabilities, and people with brain injuries. Therefore, much of the analysis applied throughout this report to individuals with mental illness holds for people with other cognitive disabilities as well.

Anna Guy, AVID Prison Project 12 in 2012, Disability Rights Washington, the P&A for Washington State, began focusing more attention on the state's prisons, investigating the conditions of these correctional settings and working on creative solutions to some of the most serious problems faced by inmates with mental illness, brain injuries, and physical and intellectual disabilities. In early 2014, with increased funding through a private Full Transcript grant, Disability Rights Washington created Amplifying Voices of Inmates with Disabilities (AVID), a project with the sole purpose of protecting and advancing the rights of inmates with disabilities and assisting those who are reentering society. 13 In September 2014, AVID brought together staff from the P&As in New York, South Carolina, Arizona, Colorado, Louisiana, and Texas, as well as from the National Disability Rights Network, to strategize about ways to increase national attention on the issues faced by inmates with disabilities.

Segregation does not in fact decrease violence or make prisons safer.

This report, which has grown out of that collaborative national effort, examines issues related to the segregation of inmates with mental illness in our state prison systems, including the harmful effects of prolonged isolation on that population, the excessive use of force that often precedes or accompanies placement in segregation, and the restricted access to programs and services in segregation. P&As from across the country provided examples of either past or ongoing advocacy, demonstrating the crucial role that P&As have played in fighting against the excessive use of segregation of people with mental illness in our nation's prisons. This advocacy is multi-modal, ranging from routine monitoring, to informal and individual advocacy, to systemic litigation.

This report begins with a brief overview of the P&A system, explains the different types of advocacy P&As use, describes the effect of segregation on people with mental illness, and outlines legal protections related to segregation of inmates with mental illness. Next, this report details the work P&As across the country have done to advance the rights of inmates with mental illness in segregation, dividing the advocacy into non-litigation and litigation strategies. Finally, the report concludes with a number of federal and state recommendations to build on the momentum gained by the P&As and their partners, including:

​ ​

1. Increased federal funding to the P&A network for corrections-based monitoring and advocacy;

2. Creation of independent corrections ombuds offices at the state level in order to address inmate concerns before they rise to the level of litigation;

3. Increased data collection by the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Statistics regarding the prevalence of people with mental illness in U.S. prisons and jails;

4. Increased monitoring and outreach in prisons by P&As across the country; and

5. Fostering of collaborative relationships between state prison systems and P&As.

Ultimately, this report is a call to action and is meant to encourage partnerships among the P&A network, prison advocacy groups, and interested stakeholders to increase focus on what has become an international conversation on the use of segregation in America's prisons.

​ While many P&As engage in advocacy relating to conditions in city jails, county jails, and immigration detention or holding facilities, this report primarily focuses on the work P&As have done in state prisons, with one example from a federal correctional facility .

The Voices from Segregation

Overview of the Protection and Advocacy System

news reports exposed the horrific institutional conditions in which people with developmental disabilities were housed. 16 This news coverage prompted federal legislation to create a national network of P&As to advocate on behalf of people with developmental disabilities. Since that time, additional legislation has been passed, expanding the scope of P&As to include advocacy on behalf of all people with disabilities, in any setting, from

This legislation also grants P&As the authority to monitor settings in which people with disabilities live, work, or receive services, as well as the power to investigate allegations of abuse and neglect of people with disabilities. This unique authority allows P&As to monitor and investigate in even the most segregated settings, and gives P&As access to individuals and records as they seek to enforce and defend the rights of people with

disabilities. As increasing numbers of people with disabilities have become incarcerated, the P&A network

has used its access authority to conduct monitoring and advocacy in the nation's prisons.

​ Most inmates and advocates begin with advocacy via the prison's internal grievance system, moving onto other forms of advocacy, particularly litigation, only after exhausting the avenues of redress available within the prison, due to the requirements of the Prison Litigation Reform Act.

Methods of P&A Advocacy

In challenging the segregation of inmates with mental illness, there are numerous methods of advocacy that may be employed by the P&A network. Given the statutory requirements in many of the authorizing statutes for P&As, agencies generally begin with the lowest level of intervention required, employing higher levels of advocacy as needed. This advocacy may range from information and assistance to individual inmates, to systemic monitoring or large scale litigation. For the purposes of this report, these levels of advocacy, described below, are separated into two categories: non-litigation and litigation.

Non-Litigation

Non-litigation advocacy encompasses informal advocacy within a prison, systemic advocacy with corrections officials, and coordination with community stakeholders and policy makers. These advocacy strategies are described briefly below.

Informal Advocacy Within a Prison

P&As routinely provide information and assistance to inmates with mental illness over the phone or by letter. By providing prison policies, complaint forms, resources, and practical suggestions, P&As assist inmates with mental illness in navigating the prison system to access appropriate programs and services and support them in becoming effective self-advocates. This service also allows P&As to monitor common issues occurring in the prisons, and identify any potential systemic concerns as they arise.

P&As also undertake individual representation of inmates in segregation, often beginning any such case by advocating with prison mental health staff and following through with prison administrative staff. Through working with staff within the prison, P&As have been able to secure less restrictive conditions for inmates.

Systemic Advocacy with Corrections Officials

P&As may also develop relationships with officials within a state's department of corrections. Through meeting and sharing information with prison administrations at both individual facilities and headquarters, prisons are able to take proactive steps to address issues P&As identify. P&As also often use their federal authority to monitor the conditions in prison, meeting with inmates in segregation during such visits to discuss their concerns regarding conditions in segregation and access to mental health care in those units. When P&As raise issues to prison officials that are identified during these monitoring visits, prisons are able to resolve many problems and avoid litigation.

Coordination with Community Stakeholders and Policy Makers

P&As have also worked to create and expand the network of advocates and community stakeholders dedicated to prison-related issues. Through working with families and friends of inmates with disabilities, as well as other community organizations, P&As have built coalitions to advocate within the prison administration as well as with state and local government officials on behalf of inmates with mental illness. This work has ranged from providing training on disability-related issues to community groups and governmental agencies, to participating in workgroups and taskforces related to criminal justice and prison issues.

Similarly, P&As have worked to educate policy makers about prison-related issues, including commenting on proposed state legislation regarding prison programs, and offering information and insight related to policy and legislative reform efforts aimed at protecting the rights of inmates with mental illness in prison.

Litigation

When litigation has been required, P&As have raised claims based on the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution as well as the ADA and the Rehab Act. While P&As have engaged in litigation in both state and federal courts on behalf of individual inmates, these cases are most often brought as class actions. In the last decade P&As have increasingly served as organizational plaintiffs in such cases, representing the interests of their constituents in challenging systemic conditions and practices that impact inmates with disabilities.

Overall, this powerful range of advocacy tools makes the P&A network uniquely positioned to achieve a broad range of positive individual and systemic outcomes for people with mental illness in prisons and can attract partnerships with other advocacy groups and law firms to combine resources and expertise to reach common goals on behalf of the network's constituents.

The Effect of Segregation on Inmates with Mental Illness

Segregation is generally recognized as the isolated confinement of an inmate for 22 to 24 hours a day in a small cell, typically about six by eight feet, containing only a bed, a sink, and a toilet, and enclosed by a metal door with a small window and cuff port. While inmates may be placed in segregation for a number of reasons, segregation can last for days, months, years, and even decades, regardless of its purpose.

little access to programming, services, or treatment during the course of their confinement. 24 For inmates with mental illness, these conditions are devastating as contact with mental health clinicians typically consists of brief assessments conducted at cell-front. 25 Mental health interventions such as therapy and structured activities are not usually available in these settings, and prison rules commonly preclude segregated inmates from leaving their cells; thus, the only mental health treatment for inmates in segregation is often psychotropic medication. 26 Furthermore, meaningful interaction with staff and the outside world is also restricted; food and other items are usually passed through a slot in the cell's steel door, and visitation and telephone communication may be limited or banned altogether. 27 Access to fresh air and sunlight is also limited; recreation time is spent in a cage-like enclosure up to one hour per day, three to five times a week. 28 Moreover, lights in segregation are often illuminated 24 hours per day. 29

Research reveals that inmates placed in these harsh conditions often experience intense mental and physical distress; for inmates with mental illness, these conditions can have a catastrophic impact. Inmates in segregation routinely report extreme sensory deprivation, sleep deprivation, psychiatric decompensation, hallucinations, and behaviors relating to self-harm and even suicide. Because prison staff that work on these units often have little to no training related to working with inmates with mental illness, reports have found it is not unusual for prisons to employ chemical agents such as pepper spray or physical restraints to curtail or control the behaviors of inmates with mental illness in segregation.

It is not unusual for prisons to employ chemical agents such as pepper spray or physical restraints to control the behaviors of inmates with mental illness in segregation.

require that inmates in solitary confinement be escorted in restraints by two or more officers. 32 This and other security restrictions often result in limited access to programs such as skill building, education, vocational training, group therapy, socialization, or other activities. These activities are important tools for helping inmates learn skills for daily living and medication compliance, including how to take care of their most basic personal hygiene and everyday needs. Thus, limiting access to programs hinders the ability of inmates to live and cope with the symptoms of their mental illnesses over time. 33

Moreover, when the symptoms of a segregated inmate's mental illness escalate, the inmate may be sent to suicide watch, an even more restrictive form of segregation. While many inmates are transferred to suicide watch from another segregated setting after inflicting self-harm or attempting suicide, rather than receive therapeutic services necessary to alleviate symptoms of mental illness, inmates on suicide watch are placed under even more extreme conditions of segregation. Here, inmates are watched 24 hours a day and are generally stripped of their personal belongings, clothed in a suicide smock, and forced to urinate and defecate through a grate in the floor.

In the aggregate, while segregation is difficult for all inmates, it is particularly difficult for inmates with mental illness. While these inmates often have unique needs for specialized housing, programming, and treatment, such services are generally not available or provided. Furthermore, inmates with mental illness are often placed in the most restrictive forms of segregated housing where they receive even less mental health care and are treated more harshly than other inmates in segregation. As a result, inmates with mental illness in segregation are often subject to the most extreme conditions of confinement.

Relevant Laws

In recent years, inmates and advocates have brought lawsuits challenging these excessively harsh conditions and limited access to treatment and programs, alleging that segregation violates the Eight Amendment prohibition of "cruel and unusual punishments," particularly with respect to inmates with mental illness. While the U.S. Supreme Court has held that this Eighth Amendment prohibition applies in segregation cases, inmates must prove that prison staff acted with "deliberate indifference to a substantial risk of serious harm to a prisoner" to demonstrate an Eighth Amendment violation. Courts have found that this "deliberate indifference" standard is equivalent to "recklessly disregarding that risk." Mere negligence is not sufficient to demonstrate deliberate indifference.

40 Under this two pronged test, the prison official must be shown to be subjectively indifferent, in that he "disregards a risk of harm of which he is aware." 41 Whether the prison official had knowledge of the risk can be demonstrated "in the usual ways, including inference from circumstantial evidence, ... and a factfinder may conclude that a prison official knew of a substantial risk from the very fact that the risk was obvious." 42 The second prong, the objective test, requires that the inmate show that the prison official's acts violated "contemporary standards of decency." 43 Such objective indifference can be manifested by prison officials in a number of ways, including intentionally delaying or denying an inmate's access to medical care, including mental health care, interfering with prescribed treatment, or in the systemic delivery of medical care. 44

Various courts have applied the two-prong deliberate indifference test to segregation claims brought by inmates with mental illness and found that segregation of this population violates the constitutional prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment. For instance, in Madrid v. Gomez , a California district court found that housing inmates with mental illness and inmates "at a particularly high risk" of experiencing mental illness in segregation violated the Eighth Amendment. However, the court also held that conditions in segregation did not violate the Eighth Amendment for those inmates with "normal resilience." In Ruiz v. Johnson , a Texas district court went further and held that the conditions of Texas' administrative segregation units violated the Eighth Amendment "through extreme deprivations which cause profound and obvious psychological pain and suffering." With respect to inmates with mental illness, the court further reasoned that "the severe and psychologically harmful deprivations of [the] administrative segregation units are, by our evolving and maturing society's standards of humanity and decency, found to be cruel and unusual punishment." The court in Jones' El v. Berge took the extraordinary step of removing inmates with mental illness from a super-max prison after finding the mental health screening and monitoring tools grossly inadequate and ineffective, holding deliberate indifference existed because the tools "serve as little more than band-aids to the potentially detrimental conditions to which defendants are subjecting mentally ill inmates."

"The severe and psychologically harmful deprivations of [the] administrative segregation units are... found to be cruel and unusual punishment."

- Honorable John Cornyn, former Attorney General of Texas

Along with the Eighth Amendment, advocates have argued that Title II of the ADA and Section 504 of the Rehab Act preclude prisons from discriminating against inmates with mental illness. While the ADA protects inmates in state-run prisons, the Rehab Act applies to prisons that receive federal funding. Together, these statutes provide non-constitutional causes of action to challenge placement in segregation on the basis of mental illness, prolonged stays in segregation due to symptoms of mental illness, and the limitation and denial of access to services and programs to inmates in segregation with mental illness.

For more information about the ADA and prison, see Rachael Seevers, Disability Rights Washington, Amplifying Voices of Inmates with Disabilities Prison Project, Making Hard Time Harder: Programmatic Accommodations for Inmates with Disabilities Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (2016).

See also, Margo Schlanger, Memorandum Re: The ADA/Rehab Act and solitary confinement (2015)

Prison Advocacy by the Protection and Advocacy System

P&As and their partners have successfully advocated to limit or end the segregation of inmates with mental illness in various state and federal systems, employing advocacy methods ranging from basic information and assistance to individual inmates to large-scale systemic litigation. These examples, separated into non-litigation and litigation, demonstrate the critical role P&As have played in providing independent external monitoring and advocacy in our nation's prisons while also making clear that much still needs to be done to advance and protect the rights of inmates with mental illness in segregation:

​

Conclusion

For over thirty years, the P&A network has zealously advocated on behalf of individuals with mental illness in facilities nationwide. As the number of inmates with mental illness in prisons continues to grow, the P&A outreach and advocacy effort in prisons has grown in response. However, much more work needs to be done to help those inmates with mental illness who are locked up and locked down in segregation. Although prison advocates are employing a multitude of tactics to pressure departments of corrections to effect reform, it remains difficult for inmates in segregation to navigate the complex grievance and judicial process, and reach resources and organizations on the outside to assist with legal claims. This lack of access to advocates results in the continuation of inmates in segregation facing prolonged isolation in harmful conditions. Thus, this report concludes with a call to action and a series of recommendations. These recommendations encompass steps that can be taken at the local, state, and federal levels and are intended to spur action by P&As, as well as correctional systems and local lawmakers. They are also intended to add a disability perspective to the ongoing conversation about prison conditions, and inform national policymakers about the unique issues faced by inmates with mental illness.

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​Definitions of the terms "solitary confinement," "isolation," and "segregation" vary between jurisdictions and facilities. This report uses the term "segregation" to describe the general practice, described in more detail below, of isolating an inmate for 22 to 24 hours a day in a small cell.

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"I thought about how certain it was that hundreds, maybe thousands of other people were just as innocent as Walter but would never get the help they need. I knew this wasn't the place or time to make a speech or complain, but I couldn't stop myself from making one final comment" (Stevenson 225)

Stevenson recognizes that there are other people who are in the same situation as Walter was. Although he knows it's not the time or place to say something, he proceeds to make a comment about how the system needs to do a better job. Here he is standing up and advocating for those that are in a similar situation that Walter was in.

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"His story was a counter narrative to rhetoric of fairness and reliability offered by politicians and law enforcement who wanted more and fast executions. Walters's case complicated the debate in graphic ways" (Stevenson 243)

Walter's cases allowed change, it was a stepping stone it allowed for pull when push came to shove.

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The International Women’s Health Coalition is an organization that helps women and girls around the globe. They advocate for international and US policies that advances the reproductive health of women as well as supporting feminist leaders and movements primarily in the Global South. The IWHC works to build trust, diversity, and inclusion so the women they work with feel safe. This organization advocates for women’s health and they most certainly would advocate for Marsha Colbey who was charged for capital murder when she gave birth to her stillborn son.

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The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) filed a lawsuit against Harvard University over inadequate accommodations for deaf students. Harvard failed to provide adequate closed captions for their videos, so they had $1.5 million dollars in compensation. From then on, deaf students had access to closed captions for Harvard’s online videos, audio content, and university events.  It’s apparent that the NAD and the ADA strongly advocate for not only deaf people, but for people with vision impairments and mobility impairments.

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When the settlement was reached, Harvard was ordered to take steps to improve the accessibility of content posted to its official website and associated media platforms. The university agreed to caption content it produced on or after Dec. 1, 2019, to websites and associated video websites. For selections of earlier material, the college now provides captions within five business days of a request for captions for that material. Harvard also offers captions to live streams of university events.

In addition to its closed captioning efforts, Harvard was required to pay attorneys' fees for the plaintiffs in the case, which totaled more than $1.5 million. A spokesperson for the NAD said that closed captioning is a vital component of making sure that learning is accessible for the deaf and hard of hearing. They went on to add that through this lawsuit, universities around the country would be put on notice in making all aspects of their campuses, including the web, accessible to the deaf and hard of hearing.

A spokesperson for Harvard said that the settlement aligned with other digital accessibility initiatives at the university, precisely, captioning that was provided before for HarvardX online courses and the school's Digital Accessibility Policy that was introduced in April of 2019. The Digital Accessibility Policy addressed captioning specifically for content posted to Harvard websites.

Harvard said that they were pleased to confirm the amicable resolution of the lawsuit brought by NAD regarding online captioning for video and audio content. They added that the settlement was grounded in the university's commitment to diversity, inclusion, and belonging. "Our websites provide a wealth of opportunities for our community members to communicate and to share ideas, and we want these websites to be available to everyone who wishes to access them," Harvard's spokesperson said.

Legal Justice Advocates

Legal Justice Advocates is a law firm that focuses on national issues, ensuring that its clients' others similarly situated are not being discriminated against. The law firm states that they regularly receive phone calls from frustrated defendants who need answers to their questions asking if they are being discriminated against and that they have a team of lawyers ready to answer those questions.

The complicated answer is, it depends. Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) provides for equal access for persons with disabilities in places of public accommodation. It has made the country far more accessible. The ADA protects individuals with a wide range of disabilities, defining disability as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a significant life activity. The law also covers health impairments that require special education or related services.
Who Is Protected Under the ADA?
The ADA protects individuals with a wide range of disabilities, defining disability as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a significant life activity. The law also covers health impairments that require special education or related services. Some of the most common disabilities and impairments include:

Hearing impairments - A hearing impairment is any hearing loss that keeps someone from ultimately receiving sounds through their ears. When a hearing impairment limits your ability to perform a significant life activity, you are protected under ADA.

Vision impairments - Vision impairment may be defined as a loss of visual acuity or a loss of visual field. For people with vision impairments, small objects and standard written materials may be difficult to see.

Mobility impairments - Many types of conditions can impact mobility, including paralysis, stroke, muscular dystrophy, and spinal cord injury. Mobility impairments may require the use of walkers, wheelchairs, or canes, or limit the use of hands and upper extremities.

Places of public accommodation may not discriminate against people with disabilities and may not deny full and equal enjoyment of the goods and services they offer. A substantial number of businesses still do not comply with the ADA. Because of this non-compliance, the legislature added a provision to the Civil Rights Act stating that any violation of the ADA shall constitute a violation of state law.

A Plaintiff may now recover damages plus attorney's fees for a successful lawsuit under the Act. Legal Justice Advocates specializes in disability access lawsuits. They assert that they will fight to ensure that businesses no longer discriminate against the disabled. Attorneys at Legal Justice Advocates declare that they are committed to letting justice prevail.

Given U.S. Congress' admirable efforts to provide equal protection to disabled persons, this country must remain vigilant in ensuring that these protections are afforded in the marketplace. Every government agency does not enforce these laws. As such, private law firms like Legal Justice Advocates are available so their clients can have equal access to the public accommodations and information that is afforded to non-disabled citizens, as Congress intended when drafting these complicated and specific laws.

Federal courts in the United States are divided on the topic of whether Title III of the ADA's definition of "public discrimination" applies to websites or if it is limited to physical spaces. Courts in the First, Second, and Seventh Federal Circuit Courts of Appeals have issued rulings stating that a website can be a place of public accommodation regardless of any connection to a public space.

However, the Third, Sixth, Ninth, and Eleventh Federal Circuit Courts of Appeals have issued rulings that places of public accommodation must be physical spaces. This would come with the caveat that goods and services are provided by a public accommodation (which could be included through a website) might fall within the law if they have a sufficient link to a physical location. Then, a website owner would be subject to liability.

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines are a set of technical standards developed through an open, collaborative process involving both individuals and organizations around the world. Its goal is to provide a single, shared standard for web content accessibility that meets the needs of individuals, organizations, and governments internationally. The WCAG 2.0 AA standards also have been incorporated into an ISO standard by the International Organization for Standardization. However, the ISO standard is not law at this time.

Legal Justice Advocates says that they have a simple solution to website owners everywhere, which is to make their websites compliant to the standards of the ADA. Attorneys at Legal Justice Advocates maintain that they are committed to helping the disabled access the internet!

Jerome Ramarsan has joined the firm in a recent announcement to partner up with the other attorneys at Legal Justice Advocates are advocating for the rights of the blind, deaf, and disabled throughout the United States with offices in South Florida, New York, and Washington, D.C. If you know of a way that they can make a difference, they urge you to drop them a line and let them know.

SOURCE Legal Justice Advocates

Related Links

http://www.legaljusticeadvocates.com

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Legal Justice Advocates is Making Education and the Web Accessible

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When the settlement was reached, Harvard was ordered to take steps to improve the accessibility of content posted to its official website and associated media platforms. The university agreed to caption content it produced on or after Dec. 1, 2019, to websites and associated video websites.

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I chose this hashtag because spreading awareness is a part of advocacy. When you bring attention to an issue, you are advocating for that issue.
A couple posts that appear from this hashtag a speak about issues such as mental health, black lives matter, climate change. These are all focused on the theme of advocating for issues.

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I chose this hashtag because the main reason why we advocate is for change. We want to bring more attention.
Posts that appear from this hashtag are lawyers, posts explaining why advocating is good, quotes that bring up advocacy.

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Speaking up is another important element of advocacy. This is what forms advocacy.
While searching up #speakup, posts that show up are posts urging others to vote, standing up for the LGBTQ+ community, and information regarding issues.

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I chose this hashtag because throughout Just Mercy, there are multiple times in which he speaks about how much advocating matters.
Posts that appear from this are quotes that demonstrate the importance of advocating, how you can advocate for others, it also has pictures of what can be done if we all advocate.

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This hashtag was relevant to what Bryan Stevenson mentions all throughout his book. Equality for all is what he advocates for.
A couple posts that show up from this are issues relevant right now, immigration, human decency, justice, abortion. A common theme of these posts are about advocacy and speaking up about these issues.

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This article is essential for those who want to learn more about the homeless crisis in America and provides advice for those who wish to advocate for them. They discuss policymaking processes, building congressional relationships, and how to engage in social media. These aspects will help readers advocate for not only the homeless, but for any cause they wish.

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Advocacy can be one of the most powerful ways to impact public policy. However, advocacy can seem overwhelming, and there is a lot of confusion about what advocacy is and how to do it. This toolkit is designed to dispel any myths or confusion you may have about advocacy and to provide you with all of the tools that you need to advocate to make preventing and ending homelessness a federal priority. Through advocacy, we can work with policymakers to provide new and increased resources so that no man, woman, or child in the United States experiences homelessness.

Why Should YOU Do Advocacy?

Not only is advocacy an important part of the nation's collective effort to prevent and end homelessness, it also represents an important aspect of the work you do to accomplish those goals. As a constituent, your voice matters; it is the job of elected officials to listen to their constituents and work to address their needs. Members of Congress are most interested in what their own constituents have to say, so try to focus your advocacy efforts on your own representatives and senators. If constituents do not tell federal policymakers why it is important to make ending homelessness a federal priority, policymakers may never know they need to do so. Just as it is their job to listen to you, it is your job to tell them what your community needs.

As someone who is involved in the homelessness assistance world, you are a critical part of advocacy efforts to secure new and increased resources for ending homelessness. If you work in this field on a daily basis, you are well aware of the challenges that your community is facing and what it could do with additional resources or new or improved programs. It is up to you to communicate those needs to policymakers. They rely on constituents to understand which issues represent a priority for their community.

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Using Advocacy to End Homelessness - National Alliance to End Homelessness

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Advocacy can be one of the most powerful ways to impact public policy. However, advocacy can seem overwhelming, and there is a lot of confusion about what advocacy is and how to do it.

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"When these basic deficits that burden all children are combined with the environment that poor children experience - environments marked by abuse, violence, dysfunction, neglect, and the absence of loving caretakers - adolescent can leave kids vulnerable to the sort of extremely poor decision making that the results in tragic violence" (Stevenson 269)

Stevenson expresses how children are suffering from the environment they are being born and raised in affects them. He advocates fro change for the next generation because he knows where they could end up.

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"Well, I have a project called the Equal Justice Initiative, and we're trying to help people on death row. We're trying to stop the death penalty actually. We're trying to do something about prison conditions and excessive punishment ... we're trying to educate people about racial history and the need for racial justice" (Stevenson 293)

In this part the chapter, Stevenson explains his project to Rosa Parks, Virginia Durr, and Johnnie Carr. He acknowledges that the main focus of his project is to advocate. He was to help better the conditions of people. His project also focuses on educating people. He advocates for those who can not help themselves.

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This article provides the best resources for those who want to advocate for Native Americans. For example, these organizations are trying to fund college tuitions, advocate for natives in STEM studies, and also help them obtain professions in law. Although I can’t list them all, they’re definitely something to look into if your Native American.

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Diversity Best Practices has curated a list of key organizations serving the Native American community.

Information about additional organizations is available in our WOW! Facts.

In addition, Diversity Best Practices members can access our Native American Heritage Month Resource Hub.

Here are the organizations:
American Indigenous Business Leaders (AIBL)
American Indigenous Business Leaders is a nonprofit organization designed to support and promote the education and development of future Native American leaders, while maintaining and incorporating cultural values.
American Indian College Fund
The American Indian College Fund provides scholarships and other support for American Indian students. The Fund disburses approximately 6,000 scholarships each year for American Indian students seeking to better their lives through higher education. The Fund also provides support for tribal college needs ranging from capital support to cultural preservation activities.
American Indian Higher Education Consortium
The American Indian Higher Education Consortium is the collective spirit and unifying voice of our nation's 37 Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs)-a unique community of tribally and federally chartered institutions working to strengthen tribal nations and make a lasting difference in the lives of American Indians and Alaska Natives.
American Indian Policy Center
Its mission is to provide government leaders, policy makers and the public with accurate information about the legal and political history of American Indian nations, and the contemporary situation for American Indians.
American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES)
Founded in 1977, the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) is a national, nonprofit organization focused on substantially increasing the representation of American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, First Nations and other indigenous peoples of North America in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) studies and careers.

AISES has awarded over $11 million in academic scholarships to American Indian STEM students.
Association of American Indian Affairs
The AAIA has played an integral part in drafting a number of important laws, including the Indian Child Welfare Act, the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, and the Tribal Governmental Tax Status Act.
Indian Country Media Network
Indian Country Media Network is an online media hub that focuses primarily on youth/education, cultural preservation and sovereignty.
National Alaska Native American Indian Nurses Association (NANAINA)
The National Alaska Native American Indian Nurses Association's mission is to promote a continuum of health among Native Americans; to serve the professional needs of Native American nurses; to cooperate with other professional associations, health care organizations and governmental entities in matters affecting the purposes of NANAINA; and to recommend culturally appropriate health-service delivery solutions where barriers to Native American consumers exist.
National Indian Child Care Association
The National Indian Child Care Association is a representative American Indian and Alaska Native organization serving the 266 tribal CCDF grantees that represent Tribal communities across the nation. Tribal child care and early childhood programs work hard to provide children, families, and communities with high quality child care services all across Indian Country.
National Indian Council on Aging
The mission of NICOA is to advocate for improved comprehensive health, social services and economic well-being for American Indian and Alaska Native Elders. In addition to providing service through several grants from agencies within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, NICOA operates as a National Sponsor of the federal Senior Community Service Employment program (SCSEP) in fourteen states through a grant from the Department of Labor.
Native American Art Council
The Redhawk Native American Arts Council is a small grassroots not-for-profit organization founded in 1994 and maintained by Native American artists and educators who reside in and around New York City. It is dedicated to educating the general public and breaking stereotypes by presenting the traditions and societal contributions of Native Americans through song, dance, art, crafts and other forms of expression.
Native American Capital (NAC)
Native American Capital fosters and promotes business and economic development in Indian Country through investment of private equity capital in promising new and developing high growth businesses in Native American and Alaskan Native communities. NAC also provides the technical assistance necessary to ensure the growth, development and profitability of these enterprises.
Native American Disability Law Center
The Law Center's mission is to advocate for the rights of Native Americans with disabilities in the Four Corners area and ensure they are enforced, strengthened and brought in harmony with their communities. This private, non-profit works to ensure that Native Americans with disabilities have access to justice and are empowered and equal members of their communities and nations.
Native American Financial Official Association (NAFOA)
The Native American Financial Official Association's mission is to improve the quality of financial and business management of tribal governments, their entities and their businesses.
Native American Journalists Association
The Native American Journalists Association serves and empowers Native American journalists through programs and actions designed to enrich journalism and promote Native cultures.
Native American Rights Fund
The mission of the Native American Rights Fund is to preserve tribal existence, protect tribal natural resources and promote Native American human rights.
Native America Today
The mission of the news magazine and public service website is to bring forward thought-provoking journalism, while bringing people closer together by broadening perspectives of Native American peoples, marginalized by traditional stereotypical images.
Native America on the Web
Native America on the Web is an online art and business directory.
National Native American AIDS Prevention Center
The NNAPC's mission statement is to eliminate HIV/AIDS and confront related health and social determinants that negatively impact American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian and Indigenous peoples. The Center has programs, resources and publications dedicated to supporting prevention efforts and fostering healthy attitudes toward sexuality.
National Native American Bar Association (NNABA)
The National Native American Bar Association serves as the national association for Native American attorneys, judges, law professors and law students. Founded in 1973 as the American Indian Lawyers Association, NNABA works to promote issues important to the Native American community and works to improve professional opportunities for Native American lawyers.
National Native American Law Enforcement Association (NNALEA)
The mission of the National Native American Law Enforcement Association is to promote and foster mutual cooperation between Native American law enforcement officers, agents and personnel, their agencies, tribes, private industry and public.
Partnership with Native Americans (PWNA)
PWNA has been serving Native Americans for more than 25 years. It is a nonprofit organization committed to championing hope for a brighter future for Native Americans living on remote, isolated and impoverished reservations. PWNA provides aid and services for Native Americans with the highest need in the U.S.
SACNAS - Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science
SACNAS is an inclusive organization of 6,000+ members dedicated to fostering the success of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans, from college students to professionals, in attaining advanced degrees, careers, and positions of leadership in STEM.
Vision Maker Media
The goal of Vision Maker Media (formerly known as Native American Public Telecommunications) is to produce, support the creation, promotion and distribution of Native media, including public television and public radio, and to encourage Native People to share their story. It is a highly regarded source for informative Native American and Pacific Islander educational and home videos. In partnership with public television and radio, all aspects of their programs encourage young people to learn more about careers in the media and to be the next generation of storytellers.
Women Empowering Women for Indigenous Nations
Women Empowering Women for Indigenous Nations (WEWIN) exists to provide Native women with the knowledge, support, and resources necessary to achieve success in their personal and professional lives. The WEWIN Annual Conference is an opportunity for Native women to engage in professional renewal, inspire others and network.

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Top Native American Organizations to Know

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Diversity Best Practices has curated a list of key organizations serving the Native American community. Information about additional organizations is available in our WOW! Facts. In addition, Diversity Best Practices members can access our Native American Heritage Month Resource Hub.

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"Well 'opportunity' isn't necessarily the first word people think of when they think about doing work with us. We live kind of simply, and the hours are pretty intense" (Stevenson 6)

Steve Bright, the director of the SPDC, is excited that Stevenson wants to work for him. However, he warns that it's a job with intense work with little payout. Most aspiring lawyers appear to pick different agencies to work with as Bright states that working with the SPDC isn't really the best internship.

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"And in the end, it was just mercy toward others that allowed him to recover life worth celebrating, a life that rediscovered the love and freedom that all humans desire, a life that overcame death and condemnation until it was time to die on God's schedule" (Stevenson 314)

Stevenson is referring to the mercy Walter showed to others even though they were the ones that wrongly convicted him. His ability to forgive allowed him to live a blissful and peaceful life until he passed away.

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Ashley Wong