About

Nevada Disability Advocacy & Law Center (NDALC) is a private, statewide, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that serves asNevada’s federally-mandated protection and advocacy system for human, legal, and service rights for individuals with disabilities. NDALC was designated as Nevada’s protection and advocacy system by the Governor in March, 1995.

Services provided by NDALC include, but are not limited to: information and referral services, education, training, negotiation, mediation, investigation of reported or suspected abuse/neglect, legal counsel, technical assistance, and public policy work.

NDALC has offices in Las Vegas and Reno with services provided statewide. All services are offered at no cost to eligible individuals in accordance with NDALC’s available resources and service priorities.

What is a P&A System?

Mission Statement

Protect and advocate for human and legal rights, interests, and welfare of Nevadans with disabilities.

Promote, support, and assist Nevadans with disabilities in understanding and controlling those systems and processes which directly affect their lives.

Foster the development, availability, and accessibility of services which increase the opportunities available to Nevadans with disabilities to live their lives as fully, independently, and productively as possible.

Protection & Advocacy (P&A) Systems

P&A systems throughout the United States were established as a result of public concern and outcry regarding abuse, neglect, and denial of rights of individuals with disabilities.

Since 1978, Congress has established several protection and advocacy programs to address the needs of different populations of individuals with disabilities. Under these programs P&A systems are authorized to:

• Pursue legal, administrative, and other appropriate remedies in order to enforce and uphold the rights of eligible individuals with disabilities.
• Investigate reported or suspected incidents of abuse and neglect of eligible individuals with disabilities.

Eligibility

NDALC may assist individuals who meet the statutory eligibility criteria for its protection and advocacy programs and whose complaints or problems fall under NDALC’s current service priorities.

NDALC does not have the resources to handle every meritorious complaint. Therefore, NDALC sets annual service priorities based on input from individuals with disabilities.

Case Selection Criteria

• The applicant must meet the program eligibility guidelines and the legal problems must fall within an objective or priority for services.
• Services will be provided only to persons whose legal problems are related to their status as an individual with a disability, whose legal problems are susceptible to resolution by NDALC staff and whose claims have legal merit.
• Services will generally only be provided to individuals whose problems cannot be solved through self-advocacy or by other individuals, agencies, attorneys or organizations.
• While NDALC will provide direct legal representation to individual clients, legal issues that are systemic in nature will receive priority.
• The demand for NDALC services exceeds the available resources, and the agency must plan its activities in a strategic manner to effectively utilize its limited resources. Therefore, NDALC may decline to provide direct advocacy assistance even in situations where a case may be within the priorities and meet case acceptance criteria.
• NDALC resolves disputes whenever possible through non-adversarial means such as negotiation, mediation, conciliation, and exhaustion of administrative remedies, where appropriate, prior to initiating legal action in a Federal or State court.

Grievance Procedure

NDALC has a grievance procedure for individuals who are dissatisfied with NDALC’s decision to deny, reduce, or terminate services or with the quality or amount of services received. The grievance procedure and submission form can be obtained through any NDALC office.

Equal Employment Opportunity Policy Statement

NDALC provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, marital status, citizenship, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state and local laws. NDALC prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type and affords equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, marital status, citizenship, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

NDALC conforms to the spirit as well as the letter of all applicable laws and regulations. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including: recruitment, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, working conditions, application of policies, compensation, and training.