THE BAZELON CENTER IS COMMITTED TO

ACCESS TO
EDUCATION FOR
ALL CHILDREN

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We believe that all people deserve equal care and protection under the law. Our work in education is mostly based around protecting the rights of students in public schools under the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) and IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act). Under these laws, all students — regardless of mental illness or ability — should be able to receive accommodation and education while being integrated into the classroom.

THE BAZELON CENTER IS COMMITTED TO

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYMENT

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Having a job, perhaps more than any other factor, enables people with mental illness to lead full lives in their communities. We will continue to strive for workplace and employment equality, so that individuals with disabilities will not be discriminated against while seeking employment and/or once hired.

THE BAZELON CENTER IS COMMITTED TO

ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES

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Individuals with mental illness and intellectual disabilities deserve to be treated with respect and dignity, which is why the Bazelon Center works to ensure that individuals at all income levels have access to community-mental health services that will enable them to live and work independently in the community.

THE BAZELON CENTER IS COMMITTED TO

CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM

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While nearly 18% of the general population have mental illness of some kind, that percentage is disproportionately higher in the prison population. Like people of color, people with disabilities are much more likely to be incarcerated. They are often non-violent offenders, which is why we at the Bazelon Center believe in criminal justice reform to change the way we punish non-violent and first-time offenders. Even people who break the law deserve to be treated fairly by it.

THE BAZELON CENTER FORUM DISCUSSION

OLMSTEAD AT 20

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On Monday, June 24, 2019 the Bazelon Center hosted a forum to discuss and reflect upon 20 years since the landmark court case of Olmstead v. L.C..

Panelists included Eve Hill, Jennifer Matis, Martha Knisely, Vietress Bacon, and Katie Hemmings.

Special thanks to our sponsoring host: BakerHostetler LLP.

See and read about the event here.

Implementing Endrew

ENDREW AMICUS WORK

We filed an amicus brief in Renee J. v. Houston Independent School District, urging the Fifth Circuit to properly apply the “markedly more demanding” standard for free and appropriate public education announced by the Supreme Court in Endrew F.
read more »

Gun Violence

LEADERS AND ALLIES OF THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY UNITE IN JOINT STATEMENT ON GUN VIOLENCE

Updated November 8, 2019: A coalition of 110 organizations including leaders and allies in disability rights, civil rights, education, and privacy communities issued a joint statement affirming that mental health disabilities are not predictors of gun violence and that people with mental health disabilities must not be scapegoated for the acts of mass gun violence in this country.
read more »

ADA Guidance

AMICUS BRIEF IN 5th CIRCUIT ACA APPEAL

On April 1, 2019, The Judge David L. Bazelon Center, together with the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF) and 13 other national disability rights organizations, filed an amicus brief with the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in the Texas v. United States case challenging the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). read more »

THE BAZELON CENTER FOR MENTAL HEALTH LAW: DIVERSION TO WHAT? EVIDENCE-BASED MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES THAT PREVENT NEEDLESS INCARCERATION

October 1, 2019 – The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law has released a report describing the essential community mental health services that must be expanded to divert people with significant psychiatric disabilities from the criminal justice system: Diversion to What? Evidence-Based Mental Health Services That Prevent Needless Incarceration.

Diversion to What? is designed to provide guidance to stakeholders engaged in efforts to reduce incarceration of people with psychiatric disabilities, laying out the types of services that should be the focus of such efforts. The report describes what those services do and how they are structured, and identifies the evidence demonstrating their success in reducing incarceration.

The report is available to download here. The Bazelon Center gratefully acknowledges essential support for this report provided by the MacArthur Foundation’s Safety and Justice Challenge and the Ford Foundation.

BAZELON CENTER AND PARTNERS REACH GROUND-BREAKING SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT WITH STATE OF OHIO IN SPECIAL EDUCATION CLASS-ACTION LAWSUIT

A settlement agreement reached in the longstanding Doe v. State of Ohio special education class action lawsuit will improve the academic achievement of students with disabilities, in part by supporting their inclusion in regular classrooms. The settlement is expected over the next five years to improve the state’s support for special education throughout Ohio, as well as create measurable improvements in student performance and inclusion for children with disabilities in 11 of Ohio’s large urban school districts. Disability Rights Ohio (DRO), the Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, and the law firm Steptoe & Johnson celebrate this agreement and thank Ohio Governor John Kasich, the Ohio Department of Education and the State School Board for their efforts to arrive at this important outcome. Read more about this case here.

ACCESS TO EDUCATION FOR ALL CHILDREN

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYMENT

ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES

CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM

OLMSTEAD AT 20

FEATURED WORK

ENDREW AMICUS WORK

LEADERS AND ALLIES OF THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY UNITE IN JOINT STATEMENT ON GUN VIOLENCE

AMICUS BRIEF IN 5th CIRCUIT ACA APPEAL

THE BAZELON CENTER FOR MENTAL HEALTH LAW: DIVERSION TO WHAT? EVIDENCE-BASED MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES THAT PREVENT NEEDLESS INCARCERATION

BAZELON CENTER AND PARTNERS REACH GROUND-BREAKING SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT WITH STATE OF OHIO IN SPECIAL EDUCATION CLASS-ACTION LAWSUIT

ACCESS TO
EDUCATION FOR
ALL CHILDREN