• Disability Rights Florida Inc., is a non-profit organization providing protection and advocacy services in the State of Florida. The organization’s mission is to advance the quality of life, dignity, equality, self-determination, and freedom of choice of persons with disabilities through collaboration, education, advocacy, as well as legal and legislative strategies. The organization promotes, expands, protects and seeks to assure the human and legal rights of people through the provision of information and advocacy. Disability Rights Florida is committed to assuring community inclusion with adequate supports for all individuals with disabilities and will be at the forefront of protecting this right. The organization also monitors the quality of residential and support services to individuals with disabilities. The monitoring may be on-site, talking with individuals receiving services and/or reviewing information from other agencies. The information gathered is used to advocate for individuals and push systemic reform to assure their civil and legal rights are protected.

Disability Rights Florida provides protection and advocacy programs to assist persons with disabilities. A self-advocacy document leads you through the steps each advocate uses when assisting someone. These steps include believing in yourself, gathering information, knowing your rights and following up. It also includes tips for writing letters, using the telephone, setting up meetings and where to find additional information you may need. The organization provides services under eight federally-funded programs: • Protection and Advocacy System for Persons with Developmental Disabilities Program (PADD) • Client Assistance Program (CAP) • Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness (PAIMI) • Protection and Advocacy of Individual Rights Program (PAIR) • Technology Assistance Program (TAP) • Protection and Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social Security (PABSS) • Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Traumatic Brain Injuries (PATBI) • Protection and Advocacy for Voter Access (PAVA)