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ULS April 2026 Newsletter
This April, ULS is highlighting Assistive Technology Awareness Day (April 22) and the great work of the DC Assistive Technology Program.
The DCATP team works around the clock to connect DC residents with assistive technology. Read more about them below!
DC Assistive Technology Program
Making Independence Possible!
The DC Assistive Technology Program (DCATP) has been working for decades to expand access, independence, and opportunity for DC residents with disabilities. Assistive technology plays a critical role in helping people live, work, and participate fully in their communities. At DCATP, we are making independence possible!
DCATP connects residents around the District with AT devices and training. The device loan program allows individuals to try out assistive technology before making a commitment, ensuring they find the tools that truly meet their needs. DC Shares provides free durable medical equipment to residents with limited income, removing financial barriers to essential supports. Through Get Connected, DCATP offers hands-on training to help participants confidently use smartphones, tablets, and computers with built-in accessibility features.
This National AT Awareness Day, we celebrate not only the innovation behind assistive technology, but also the individuals and communities who use it to navigate daily life on their own terms. DCATP remains committed to ensuring that all DC residents—regardless of income or ability—have access to the tools and knowledge they need to thrive.
Join us in recognizing the transformative power of assistive technology and the impact of programs like DCATP in building a more accessible and inclusive DC. Leave a message showing your support for DCATP on our Instagram!
Support our work, make a donation today!
Disability Rights DC
April Testimony Highlights
Department on Disability Services, Budget Hearing
Sandy Bernstein, Legal Director
On April 23, 2026, Disability Rights DC (DRDC) Legal Director Sandy Bernstein testified before the DC Council, raising serious concerns about the Department on Disability Services' (DDS) plan to institute a waiting list for services for D.C. residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities. DRDC expressed alarm not only at the prospect of a waiting list for services from the Home and Community-Based Waiver for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD Waiver) as soon as October 2026, but also at DDS's lack of transparency.
As Sandy stated in her testimony, "DRDC is not only troubled by the thought of an impending waiting list but also by the lack of transparency about how DDS is determining if and when there will be a waiting list."
DRDC’s testimony questioned the need for a waiting list at this time. The Mayor’s proposed budget for DDS includes a $2 million budget increase to the Developmental Disabilities Administration and there are 80 available slots in the I/DD Waiver and 74 available slots in the Individual and Family Support Waiver. When pressed at DDS’ April 17th budget forum on how much funding would be needed to avoid a waiting list altogether, DDS Director Andy Reese failed to provide an answer. DDS also did not provide an answer when asked for this information at the April 23rd budget hearing.
DRDC continues to urge DDS to be transparent with the Council, consumers, and the public about the true scope of any funding gap and to make responsible, targeted decisions rather than revoking all available waiver slots at once.
Department of Health Care Finance, Budget Hearing
Lyndsay Niles, Managing Attorney
Jaclyn Verner, Supervising Attorney
On April 27, 2026, Attorneys Lyndsay Niles and Jaclyn Verner submitted written testimony and Ms.Verner testified before the DC Council's Committee on Health, raising urgent concerns about the FY27 budget for the Department of Health Care Finance.
DRDC warned that the proposed budget cut of $2 million through a bundled provider payment structure for long-term care services could lead to across-the-board service reductions for people who rely on personal care aide services, and that the budget’s failure to address the ongoing direct care workforce staffing crisis is leaving tens of thousands of DC residents without adequate long-term care support. The numbers tell a story: "as of June 2024, the District had about 11,500 direct care employees, yet 36,000 District residents with disabilities needed their care."
DRDC also stressed that the budget fails to address longstanding gaps in the system. People with disabilities who want to work are still waiting on the Medicaid Buy-In program to be enacted and funded, and people with traumatic brain injuries continue toface a near-total absence of targeted services in DC.
DRDC urged the Council to take meaningful action this budget cycle to ensure that all DC residents with disabilities receive the support they need to live safely in their communities.
DRDC is Hiring: Disability Rights Attorney
DRDC is seeking a full-time staff attorney for advocacy and investigations. Start date no later than July 20, 2026.
JOB RESPONSIBILITIES will include:
- Monitor conditions in residential and institutional settings and conduct investigations of alleged abuse and neglect by the District government or District-funded providers and pursue individual and systemic resolutions.
- File grievances and advocate on behalf of adults with mental illness and traumatic brain injuries to address rights violations by the District government or District-funded providers.
- Educate the community about District resources that serve people with traumatic brain injury and advocate for the development of community-based services and accommodations that meet the unique needs of individuals with traumatic brain injury.
Qualified candidates with at least one year of legal experience preferred and excellent writing, analytic, research and communication skills required. Candidates must have demonstrated commitment to public interest work and to disability rights. Current DC Bar admission or the ability to waive into the DC Bar is required.
Housing Counseling Program
Check Out Our Housing Webinars!
Every month, the Housing Counseling Program (HCP) holds webinars to help residents navigate DC’s housing programs. Our webinars cover the Home Purchase Assistance Program (HPAP), the Inclusionary Zoning (IZ) Program, and the Single Family Residential Rehabilitation Program (SFRRP). We also offer select webinars in Spanish. Learn more and register below!
Jail and Prison Advocacy Program
The Future of Safety and Justice in DC
This year brings big changes for Washington, DC, with elections for a new Mayor and Congressional Delegate, and open seats in the city council.
JPAP has joined The Council for Court Excellence, alongside dozens of community partners, in hosting two critical Candidate Forums on for Mayoral and Congressional candidates. These nonpartisan, accessible forums posed an opportunity to hear directly from candidates, welcome questions, and offer a better understand of their visions for safety, justice, and the future of DC.
Client Feature: A New Apartment for Mr. L
This month, JPAP Client Mr. L celebrated moving into his new apartment in Southeast DC. For the past three years, Mr. L had been living without stable housing or a place to call his own. Having grown up in DC, he was eager to put down roots in the city that he loved.
Mr. L first connected with JPAP in 2009, when a team member reached out to him in the DC Jail. The program supported him upon his release- helping obtain vital documents and connect with housing resources. The years since then have seen Mr. L in and out of the system, and ULS was there every time he returned to help him get his foot back in the door. This time, after working with JPAP counselor Nico, Mr. L connected with Pathways to Housing to help him find a one-bedroom apartment that met his needs and budget.
Mr. L is still settling into his home- he only picked up his keys on April 14- but he is happy to have a place of his own. Right when he moved in, JPAP took him on a shopping trip to get essentials like a shower curtain and paper plates. Next month, Mr. L has a date with a moving truck to pick up living room furniture from A Wider Circle.
Mr. L’s journey highlights the long-term commitment required in reentry work and the impact of consistent support over time.
Tenant Purchase Assistance Program
Our Tenant Purchase Assistance Program supports members of tenant associations, cooperatives, and condominiums who are interested in preserving and expanding affordable housing options in DC. Our primary focus is to provide asset management assistance to residents of cooperatives who previously purchased their buildings, but we occasionally offer tenant purchase technical assistance to new tenant groups. Visit our site to learn more!
