Disability Rights Laws

Explore essential information on disability rights laws that safeguard and promote the rights of older DeafBlind individuals.

Disability Rights – Civil Rights Division, United States Department of Justice
www.justice.gov/crt/disability-rights-section
This link directs to the Disability Rights Section within the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice. The Disability Rights Section enforces laws protecting the rights of individuals with disabilities, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act. The section provides information, guidance, and resources related to disability rights and legal protections.  

The National Center on Law and Elder Rights (NCLER)
https://ncler.acl.gov/home#gsc.tab=0
This link leads to the homepage of the National Center on Law & Elder Rights (NCLER), a resource center supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL). The NCLER provides legal assistance and resources to professionals serving older adults on a wide range of legal issues, including elder abuse, financial exploitation, healthcare, housing, and more.

Elder Law

Elder law is an area of legal practice that specializes on issues that affect the aging population. The purpose of elder law planning is to prepare the elderly person for financial freedom and autonomy through proper financial planning and long-term care options.   

Advance Directives – CaringInfo
www.caringinfo.org/planning/advance-directives/
This link leads to a resource provided by CaringInfo, a program of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO). It offers advance directive forms tailored to each state and territory in the United States, allowing individuals to create legal documents expressing their healthcare preferences and wishes.

The Best Online Will Makers – Investopedia
www.investopedia.com/best-online-will-makers-4843732
This link leads to an article on Investopedia’s website listing and reviewing the six best online will makers. These online platforms offer services for creating legal wills, allowing individuals to draft and customize their wills without the need for an attorney. The article likely evaluates factors such as ease of use, cost, features, and legal validity.

Five Wishes
www.fivewishes.org
This link directs to the homepage of Five Wishes, an advance care planning document created by Aging with Dignity. Five Wishes allows individuals to specify their preferences for medical treatment, comfort measures, and end-of-life care, and address spiritual and emotional needs. It is legally valid in most states and widely recognized as an advance directive. 

How to Find a Lawyer – American Bar Association
www.americanbar.org/groups/public_education/resources/public-information/how-do-i-find-a-lawyer-/
This link directs to the page of the “How Do I Need Legal Help | LSC – Legal Services Corporation: America’s Partner for Equal Justice,” resources provided by the Legal Services Corporation (LSC), a government-funded organization that provides legal aid to low-income individuals.

Life Care Planning Law Firm Association
www.lcplfa.org
Life Care Planning Life Care Planning Law Firms Association is a national network of holistic law practices that offer legal services, care coordination and advocacy support to help older adult clients and their families respond to the challenges of aging, long-term illness and disability. 

National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys
www.naela.org
This link directs to the homepage of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA). NAELA is a professional association of attorneys who specialize in legal issues affecting older adults and people with disabilities. The website likely offers resources, educational materials, and information about finding an elder law attorney.

List updated in August 2024.

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