Disability Rights
Striving for an America free of discrimination against people with disabilities, where they are valued, integrated members of society with full access to education, homes, health care, jobs, voting, and beyond.
What you need to know
70%
Seventy percent of public school students who are physically restrained or secluded have disabilities.
60%
Sixty percent of people in local jails have some form of mental disability.
$15,000 or less
Forty-eight percent of people with disabilities have a personal income of $15,000 or less.
The ACLU of Maine and its partners are now fighting to ensure that a settlement to protect Maine children with disabilities remains in place and that protections are upheld.
The ACLU of Maine works in courthouses, the legislature, and local communities to defend and advance the rights of people with disabilities.
We are committed to creating a Maine where people with disabilities are valued and fully integrated into their communities, with equal access to education, housing, health care, employment, family life, voting, and civic engagement. We also work to end the segregation and overrepresentation of people with disabilities in institutions such as nursing homes, psychiatric hospitals, jails, and prisons.
Our work includes challenging the “school-to-prison pipeline” by promoting an education system free from school policing and punitive disciplinary practices, which disproportionately affect students with disabilities; reducing the use of jails and prisons to house people with mental and physical disabilities; and dismantling systems of health care, housing, and employment that segregate people with disabilities.
Featured Cases
Court Preserves Landmark Victory for Disability Rights in Maine
The Latest
Maine Lawsuit on Hotel Accessibility Reaches the Supreme Court
Civil Rights Organizations Urge Students, Parents, Teachers, and Staff to Know Their Rights as the Academic Year Begins
Cases, Campaigns & Legislation
United States v. Maine – Youth Disability Rights
Stay Informed
Sign up to be the first to hear about how to take action.
By completing this form, I agree to receive occasional emails per the terms of the ACLU’s privacy statement.
By completing this form, I agree to receive occasional emails per the terms of the ACLU’s privacy statement.