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RSA-227 for FY-2025: Submission #31

Rhode Island
09/30/2025
General Information
Designated Agency Identification
Disability Rights Rhode Island
220 Toll Gate Road
Suite A
Warwick
RI
02886
http://www.drri.org
401-831-3150
1-800-733-5332
401-272-5568
Operating Agency (if different from Designated Agency)
Additional Information
Morna A. Murray
Morna A. Murray
401-831-3150
mmurray@drri.org
Part I. Non-case Services
A. Information and Referral Services (I&R)
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
B. Training Activities
1
5
Disability Rights Rhode Island’s (DRRI) training activities are often funded by more than one funding source, including the Client Assistance Program (CAP). This provides us the opportunity to present agency trainings across overlapping constituencies that include clients, families, youth, and providers. We also promote CAP and all other areas of DRRI assistance to the public at large when agency staff do outreach using other funding sources.

DRRI collaborated with the newly formed Accessibility in the Law Student Society at Roger Williams University School of Law to provide a presentation on disability rights. This law student group is made up of students who have disabilities, those who are interested in disability rights as a career focus, and those who want to ensure such rights are components of their practice. The presentation provided an in-depth understanding of disability rights, accessibility issues in education and employment, and an introduction to the work of DRRI, including the CAP. We trained the students on building awareness and self-advocacy skills, as well as identifying resources for issues their future clients may face.
C. Agency Outreach
A member of DRRI staff continues to attend the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation (MPTN) Tribal VR quarterly meetings and regularly interfaces with the Tribal VR staff. We asked MPTN Tribal VR staff to notify us of any training opportunities to increase our reach to the tribal members who may need our services. As a result, our Legal Advocate attended a training presented by MPTN Tribal VR and the Tomaquag Museum. The training focused on working effectively with Native and Indigenous people, with emphasis on understanding their cultural values, historical context, and community-centered approach to serve delivery. We hope this opportunity will help us become a trusted ally of the Tribal community in Rhode Island.

The DRRI Intake department has continued to use the Language Line service for translation. This on-demand resource allows us to handle calls to DRRI that are in Spanish, as well as other languages that are prevalent in RI such as Portuguese. The service is working well for our needs. In addition, the Intake department and staff use Video Relay to connect with Deaf callers. In-person appointments with interpreters are also available.

The DRRI Intake department describes all agency services to callers and directs them to the DRRI website, which had 15,912 unique visitors this year. The DRRI website contains our CAP flyer, CAP Guide, and Tribal VR Guide for downloading. It also houses updated fact sheets regarding a variety of employment-related topics.
D. Information Disseminated To The Public By Your Agency
0
0
0
546
6
0
N/A
E. Information Disseminated About Your Agency By External Media Coverage
A number of government agency and community organization websites include a hyperlink to DRRI’s site and/or our contact information. These organizations include, but are not limited to, the Official State of Rhode Island website; the state vocational rehabilitation agency (the Office of Rehabilitation Services); the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal National Tribal VR agency; the Ocean State Center for Independent Living (OSCIL); the Sherlock Center on Disabilities; and the Rhode Island Parent Information Network (RIPIN).

DRRI continues to grow its social media presence and followers. We have 1,443 followers combined across our Facebook, X, and LinkedIn accounts.

DRRI used the Constant Contact platform for six email campaigns this year to a subscribed list of 355 people.

Information about DRRI was also disseminated by multiple media outlets throughout the year, including The Boston Globe, The Providence Journal, The Rhode Island Current, and the local ABC and PBS affiliates.
Part II. Individual Case Services
A. Individuals served
5
5
10
0
3
B. Problem areas
1
0
0
5
0
1
0
0
0
3
C. Intervention Strategies for closed cases
6
0
0
0
1
0
0
7
D. Reasons for closing individuals' case files
2
0
1
2
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
The individual received the necessary resources to apply for vocational rehabilitation services. These resources included DRRI’s CAP Guide and relevant employment-related factsheets. DRRI also provided the individual with the application for VR services; she declined direct assistance with completing the application.
E. Results achieved for individuals
1
1
0
1
0
1
0
2
0
1
The individual received the necessary resources to apply for vocational rehabilitation services. These resources included DRRI’s CAP Guide and relevant employment-related factsheets. DRRI also provided the individual with the application for VR services; she declined direct assistance with completing the application.
Part III. Program Data
A. Age
0
3
4
3
0
10
B. Gender
6
4
0
0
10
C. Race/ethnicity of Individuals Served
1
1
0
0
0
8
0
0
D. Primary disabling condition of individuals served
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
3
1
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
10
E. Types of Individuals Served
5
1
3
0
0
1
Part IV. Systemic Activities and Litigation
A. Non-Litigation Systemic Activities
1
DRRI contracted with the Disability Rights Center of Kansas to produce a web-based module and application for Apple and Android. The app guides transition-aged youth through a questionnaire to help identify their employment, education, and independent living goals after high school, as well as the skills and training they might need to reach those goals. The youth develop their own transition component of their Individualized Education Program (IEP) through the app. Multiple DRRI staff developed the substantive content of the app to cover a broad range of transition-related topics, including employment, education and training, alternatives to guardianship, independent living, and voting. Staff ensured the questions are written at a reading level that is accessible to most teenagers and adults. DRRI has provided information to a lot of organizations and families about the forthcoming app and have been asked repeatedly for demonstrations and training once the app is available for use. As a result, DRRI is creating a video to demonstrate the app for both youth and their family and supporting professionals. That project will continue into FY 2026. The project is funded through CAP in combination with other funding sources.

For more than a decade, Rhode Island has been under a Consent Decree with the U.S. Department of Justice regarding its use of segregated, sheltered workshops for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Rhode Island has since eliminated all sheltered workshops. Complaints about the lack of sufficient supports for competitive, integrated employment are still plentiful. DRRI has been involved in meetings with the Court Monitor, and continues to follow the development and implementation of employment services. Beginning in FY25, DRRI initiated a monitoring project at provider agencies that offer supported employment. Each provider contracts with ORS to prepare people for employment. The providers also work with community partners to find and support their clients in community-based integrated jobs. DRRI staff are able to learn about the services available in both the center-based supported employment location and observe clients at work in the community (with their permission). In turn, we educate the clients and the providers about the CAP program. We have already identified several individuals who would like to work with DRRI to address concerns with their employment and/or ORS services.
B. Litigation
0
0
0
not applicable
Part V. Agency Information
A. Designated Agency
External-Protection and Advocacy agency
Disability Rights Rhode Island
No
n/a
B. Staff Employed
Due to the relatively small size of our P&A, staff attorneys are not assigned to one specific grant but generally represent individuals on several grants. Attorneys are also assigned responsibility for systemic activities, which are funded by specific P&A programs. Under the current system, attorneys track their time spent serving CAP eligible clients, and these costs are billed to CAP.

DRRI has three full-time attorneys, a full-time legal advocate, and a part-time legal advocate who regularly work on the CAP. These staff provide legal representation to CAP clients in a variety of formal and informal settings. They also provide advocacy, outreach, education, and other services related to disability issues, including employment and other CAP-related matters.

DRRI’s Legal Director coordinates intake operations and legal advocacy, engages in litigation, and supervises attorneys across several grants, including the CAP. She also represents CAP clients. This is a full-time position.

As discussed above, DRRI utilizes our investigations and monitoring staff to monitor supported employment training providers and work sites. Each of the providers contracts with ORS to prepare people for employment. Part of our monitoring involves going to community businesses where CAP clients are employed.

DRRI employs two full-time intake staff, who also work on a cross-program basis. Intake staff screen callers to determine whether their problems fall within our office-wide priorities, collect demographic and case data, and provide information and referrals. They conduct intake interviews for all matters, including employment, and identify which cases would be eligible for CAP funding.


Number of person-years:

In total, during the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, the Agency employed 12.8 full-time equivalents: 1.0 clerical and 11.8 professional. One of these positions was part-time. During the year, there were three short-term vacancies which were reflected in the calculation of full-time equivalents.

Of the Agency’s 12.8 full-time equivalents, 10.2% of their program time or 1.31 person-years was spent supporting the CAP program. The support was largely from the professional staff with 92% or 1.20 person-years of professional staff effort and 8% or .11 person-years of clerical staff effort.
Part VI. Case Examples
Case Examples
A gentleman with autism contacted DRRI to get the state’s VR agency, ORS, to reopen his case. The man explained that he previously worked with ORS to find a job. CVS was the first employer that responded, and the man took a job with that company. When ORS determined the man did not need any further services to keep the job, it closed his file. However, the man had applied for ORS services anew, as he wanted an Individual Plan for Employment (IPE) that would allow him to pursue a career in horticulture. ORS told the man that he would have to quit his job at CVS to get new ORS services. The man wanted to continue working part-time at CVS while pursuing his new career goals. DRRI contacted ORS on the man’s behalf and explained his right to receive services from ORS to advance employment through an IPE focused on his specific interests while remaining at his current job. ORS agreed to reopen the man’s file and support him in pursuing the new goal, without forcing him to quit his current job. Of particular interest, this case revealed that ORS frequently places its clients in jobs at CVS, as they are a friendly and responsive employer to ORS’s outreach. We have reason to believe some ORS clients are pushed into jobs at CVS (or one or two other businesses) regardless of the clients’ interests and career goals. We are examining the prevalence of certain businesses hiring ORS clients, to ensure that clients are not taking jobs for the convenience of ORS at the expense of their individual goals and interests.


A woman with cerebral palsy alleged that ORS demanded she submit to an IQ test or have her VR file closed. The woman reported a variety of other grievances with ORS’s services, including delays in employment referrals. DRRI learned the woman was a long-time client of ORS and her complaints spanned several years of services. We reviewed her ORS file and found that she changed career paths multiple times. The suggestion for further testing arose when the client sought to change career paths yet again. ORS believed a neuropsychological evaluation would help the client and ORS better identify career and education goals that would ultimately be successful. Once DRRI became involved, ORS withdrew its threat to close the client’s file. We coached the client on how to present her desired career path to ORS. We also provided information to the client so she could make an informed decision about the testing request, which was appropriate and not duplicative of any prior evaluations. The client ultimately agreed to the testing; she found a job in a local mayor’s office while the results were pending.


DRRI provided self-advocacy assistance to a woman seeking work in a local casino. The woman had been an employee in a number of casinos. She worked in a casino in Rhode Island which initially did not permit smoking. When Rhode Island changed its law to permit smoking in casinos, she began to experience significant symptoms from a respiratory disorder. This forced the woman to take a period of medical leave. When she was able to return to work, she asked for a transfer to a non-smoking section in the casino. The woman did not frame her request as a reasonable accommodation; she asked for the transfer as part of the casino’s broader policy permitting staff to seek assignment to only non-smoking sections. The transfer request was denied, and the casino put her on a waiting list for a transfer. DRRI provided information about the woman’s right to request a reasonable accommodation, and advice about how to frame her request as a reasonable accommodation.
Certification
Reports are to be submitted to RSA within 90 days after the end of the fiscal year covered by this report. Please be reminded that you can enter data directly into the RSA website via the internet. Information on transmittal of the form is found on pages 19 and 20 of the reporting instructions.
Name and Title of Authorized Certifying Official
I agree to submit this form by electronic means. By signing this form electronically, I certify under penalty of perjury that my answers are correct and complete to the best of my knowledge. I understand that an electronic signature has the same legal meaning and can be enforced in the same way as a written signature.
Morna A. Murray
Chief Executive Officer
Yes
2025-12-17
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