2024 Goals, Priorities & Strategic Objectives

Your Input Matters

Disability Rights Florida sincerely appreciates all feedback and other input received from respondents who participated in this survey and looks forward to the opportunity to continue to refine its service delivery and other agency operations next summer in advance of the 2024-2025 Fiscal Year. This input is combined with other analyses to help our organization structure the goals, priorities, and objectives that Disability Rights Florida performs its individual and systemic advocacy under in an upcoming Fiscal Year. Each year, these surveying and policy-setting efforts help to ensure that Disability Rights Florida receives vital public feedback regarding the range of activities and intervention strategies that are prioritized within the framework of the organization’s various federal grants.

Equal Opportunity and Community Inclusion

Goal 1: Challenge Barriers to Equal Opportunity and Community Inclusion

Priorities

• 1.1: Free and appropriate public education. Intervene on behalf of students with disabilities to secure Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment, and appropriate early intervention services.
• 1.2: Inappropriate discipline and restraint in public education. Intervene on behalf of students with disabilities who are inappropriately disciplined, restrained, secluded, suspended, expelled, arrested, or involuntarily committed under the Baker Act.
• 1.3: Vocational training and work-related barriers. Intervene on behalf of people with disabilities, including transition-aged students with disabilities, who face barriers to securing appropriate vocational services, barriers to reasonable accommodations from employers, and other work-related barriers.
• 1.4: Fair housing and housing-related accommodations. Intervene on behalf of people with disabilities who face barriers accessing fair housing and housing-related accommodations.
• 1.5: Funding for housing. Advocate for increased funding for housing for people with disabilities that is safe, accessible, integrated, and affordable.
• 1.6: Rights education for families and professionals. Provide education on the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the Rehabilitation Act for families, personnel in school districts, and personnel at the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation and Division of Blind Services.

Strategic Objectives

• Increase outreach on FAPE issues to students with disabilities in underserved populations. [1.1.1]
• Intervene for young offenders with disabilities confined in Florida corrections facilities who had an individualized education plan before their incarceration to secure FAPE in the least restrictive environment. [1.1.2]
• Increase access to vocational services for people with disabilities in underserved populations. [1.3.1]
• Intervene for people with disabilities who were displaced by Hurricane Ian to shelters or other temporary housing to ensure appropriate accommodations and services for transition back to permanent housing. [1.4.1]

Self-Determination and Transition to Independence/Community Living

Goal 2: Support the Right of Self-Determination and Transition to Independence/Community Living

Priorities

• 2.1: Transition to adulthood. Intervene on behalf of transition-aged students with disabilities to obtain appropriate transition services from their school district, and to secure reasonable accommodations in post-secondary settings.
• 2.2: Supported Decision Making. Advocate for the statewide implementation of Supported Decision Making (SDM) as an alternative to guardianship and provide education on the use of SDM as an alternative to guardianship.
• 2.3: Education on self-determination and transition-to-independence. Provide education on self-determination and the transition-to-independence process for families, personnel in school districts and post-secondary settings, and personnel at the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation and Division of Blind Services.
• 2.4: Transition from institutions to community. Advocate for people with disabilities to transition from institutions to the community.

Strategic Objective

• Increase outreach and education on the transition-to-independence process to transition-aged students with disabilities and families from underserved populations. [2.1.1]

Access to Community-Based Supports and Services

Goal 3: Improve Access to Community-Based Supports and Services

Priorities

• 3.1: Healthcare and community-based services. Intervene on behalf of people with disabilities for access to medically necessary healthcare and other appropriate community-based services.
• 3.2: Funding for community-based services. Advocate for increased funding for community-based services to support people with disabilities living in the community.
• 3.3: Alternatives to institutionalization. Advocate for state policies that provide alternatives to institutionalization.
• 3.4: Education on availability of community supports. Educate policy makers on the impact of proposed legislation, rules, or policies that would decrease the availability of community supports and increase the risk of institutionalization for people with disabilities.

Strategic Objective

• Expand community-based services for children with a dual diagnosis of IDD and mental health conditions, particularly those with intense behaviors, unnecessarily housed in institutional settings. [3.2.1]
   

Access to Public Programs/Services

Goal 4: Improve Access to Public Programs/Services

Priorities

• 4.1: Accessible public accommodations and services. Intervene on behalf of people with disabilities for access to public accommodations and services, including medical providers and services.
• 4.2: Accessible government services/programs. Intervene on behalf of people with disabilities for access to government services and programs.
• 4.3: Accessible disaster planning and recovery services. Intervene on behalf of people with disabilities for access to disaster planning and recovery services that are appropriate, accessible, and equivalent to services received by others.
• 4.4: Accessible voting. Advocate for the expansion of accessible voting and polling places for people with disabilities.
• 4.5: Accessible public and private transportation. Advocate for people with disabilities to have full access to safe, reliable, and accessible public and private transportation systems consistent with federal and state anti-discrimination laws and policies.

Strategic Objective

• Identify website accessibility barriers to voters with disabilities and advocate with local Supervisors of Elections to eliminate those barriers before the 2024 election cycle. [4.4.1]

Abuse, Neglect and Rights Violations

Goal 5: Protect People with Disabilities in the Community, Institutions, and other Facilities from Abuse, Neglect, and Rights Violations

Priorities

• 5.1: Abuse/neglect or rights violations (claims). Investigate claims of abuse/neglect or rights violations of people with disabilities residing in or receiving services/support or other treatment from institutions or facilities.
• 5.2: Abuse/neglect or rights violations (monitoring). Prevent abuse neglect or rights violations of people with disabilities through periodic monitoring of institutions or facilities.
• 5.3: Abuse/neglect or rights violations (institutional intake). Maintain dedicated intake systems for people in institutional settings.
• 5.4: Education on abuse/neglect or rights violations. Conduct education, training and outreach to people with disabilities residing in institutions or facilities to educate them about their rights and self-advocacy.

Strategic Objective

• Complete Court-ordered monitoring of the state prison system’s obligation to provide adequate care and treatment to inmates housed in prison inpatient mental health units. [5.2.1]

Public Awareness and Policy Change

Goal 6: Build Awareness of Rights of People with Disabilities & Educate Policy Makers

Priorities

• 6.1: Outreach/education on rights. Expand outreach and education, especially to underserved populations, to increase understanding of the rights of people with disabilities.
• 6.2: Public awareness of DRF services. Expand public awareness, especially to underserved populations, of DRF services and advocacy efforts.
• 6.3: Information and referral. Educate people with disabilities on the availability of community resources by providing information and referral through DRF’s intake process. 
• 6.4: Self-advocacy. Educate people with disabilities on effective self-advocacy skills.
• 6.5: Evolving issues. Implement a public policy agenda in response to critical and evolving issues using input and participation from people with disabilities and other stakeholders. 
• 6.6: Education for policymakers on rights. Educate policymakers, organizations, and advocates on legislation and regulations that impact the rights of people with disabilities.

Strategic Objectives

• Increase use of DRF services by people with disabilities in underserved populations, especially those in rural areas. [6.1.1]
• Increase promotion of DRF self-advocacy materials to underserved populations. [6.4.1]