ADAP's Mission, Programming & Services
Mission
The Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program (ADAP) is part of the nationwide federally mandated protection and advocacy (P&A) system.
ADAP's mission is to provide quality, legally-based advocacy services to Alabamians with disabilities in order to protect, promote and expand their rights.
ADAP's vision is one of a society where persons with disabilities are valued and exercise self-determination through meaningful choices, and have equality of opportunity.
ADAP's advocacy efforts are governed by these values:
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Persons with disabilities should have the same opportunity to participate in the community as persons without disabilities.
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Persons with disabilities have the right to reasonable accommodations that are needed for full participation.
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Persons with disabilities have the right to be afforded meaningful choices and to make informed decisions.
Programming
ADAP has seven program components:
- Protection and Advocacy for Persons with Developmental Disabilities (PADD) The PADD program was created by the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights (DD) Act of 1975. PADD was established to protect the legal and civil rights of individuals with developmental disabilities.
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Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness (PAIMI)
The PAIMI program was established by Congress in 1986 and receives funding from the National Center for Mental Health Services. The purpose of the PAIMI program is to protect and advocate for the rights of persons with mental illness and investigate reports of abuse and neglect.
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Protection and Advocacy for Individual Rights (PAIR)
The PAIR program was established by Congress as a national program under the Rehabilitation Act as amended in 1993. PAIR programs were established to protect and advocate for the legal and human rights of persons with disabilities who are not eligible to be served in the CAP, PAIMI, or PADD programs.
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Protection and Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social Security (PABSS)
The PABSS Program is a federally funded program authorized by the Ticket to Work and Work Incentive Improvement Act of 1999. The Act authorizes the Social Security Administration (SSA) to fund ADAP to provide work incentive assistance to SSDI and SSI beneficiaries seeking vocational rehabilitation, employment and other support services or seeking to secure or regain employment.
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Traumatic Brain Injury Protection and Advocacy (PATBI) PATBI is a federally funded program authorized by the Traumatic Brain Injury Act of 1996 and its reauthorization as part of the Children's Health Act of 2000. The
PATBI program ensures that individuals with TBI and their families have access to: information, referrals and advice; individual and family advocacy; legal representation; and specific assistance in self-advocacy.
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Protection and Advocacy for Assistive Technology (PAAT)
The PAAT program provides legal and non-legal advocacy services for individuals with disabilities who are denied access to assistive technology devices and/or assistive technology services.
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Protection and Advocacy for Voter Accessibility (PAVA)
The PAVA program ensures that every qualified person with a disability has the opportunity to vote.
Services
ADAP provides information and referral services, public education programs, and individual case advocacy services.
Information and Referral
Anyone may call ADAP for information and referrals relating to disability issues. See also ADAP's Resource Database for self-advocacy and resource information.
Education and Training
Any individual or group may request training in the area of disability rights. Requests are considered
based on ADAP's annual priorities and its
limited resources for the provision of education/training.
Individual Case Advocacy
To be eligible for individual case advocacy services all four of the following statements must be true with regard to the individual's situation:
- The individual with a disability must be eligible under one of ADAP's nine programs--PADD, PAIMI, PAIR, PAAT, PABSS, PAVA,
PATBI.
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The individual's situation must involve the abuse or neglect of a person with disability, a violation of a right granted to a person because that person has a disability, or discrimination based on disability.
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Accepting the individual's case for advocacy services will further one of ADAP's annual priorities.
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The individual's situation meets other case selection criteria, which includes such considerations as the availability of other competent resources to advocate on behalf of the individual (including the individual's ability to pay for other legal services, or the individual's ability to advocate on his/her own behalf); whether there is a realistic prospect of success if the case is selected; the extent to which the potential client will benefit from satisfactory resolution of his/her case; and the likelihood of a favorable impact on the legal rights of other individuals with disabilities.
Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program
Box 870395
Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0395
205-348-4928 (V/TDD)
205-348-9484 (TTY/local)
800-826-1675 (V/TTY) (in-state only)
205-348-3909 (fax)
adap@adap.ua.edu