Disability Rights Mississippi

Limited spots are still available for our FREE Medicaid Clinic with The Alignment Project next week! Join us October 14 at 10:30 a.m. at the Hilton Garden Inn in Madison for a workshop on navigating Medicaid for families and caregivers led by a state Medicaid expert and DRMS attorney. The clinic is free and lunch will be provided; reserve your spot by emailing [email protected].

This program is financially assisted by the Mississippi Bar Foundation, Inc. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of the Mississippi Bar Foundation, Inc.

Help shape independent living services in Mississippi!

The Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC), in collaboration with LIFE of Mississippi and MDRS, invites you to share feedback on proposed changes to the State Plan for Independent Living, which guides independent living services for Mississippians with disabilities.

Review the plan: mdrs.ms.gov/SILC

Submit written comments by October 16, 2026:
📧 [email protected]
📬 Attn: Krystle Friedel, MDRS, P.O. Box 1698, Jackson, MS 39215

Your experiences and ideas matter. Make your voice heard!

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM)!

Throughout the month, we’re recognizing the many contributions of people with disabilities in the workplace and highlighting the value, skills, experience and unique perspectives they bring to their jobs and communities. NDEAM is also an opportunity to learn more about employment rights, workplace accessibility and the importance of removing barriers to employment.

Stay tuned throughout October as we share information about employment rights, resources and how Disability Rights Mississippi works to protect the rights of people with disabilities in the workplace.

We hope to see you at Disability Friendly Day at the Mississippi State Fair! Register for your free ticket here: https://joniandfriends.org/event/disability-friendly-day-at-the-mississippi-state-fair/

The deadline to register to vote in November of this year is October 5! Not registered yet? Here's what to do:
1. Get a voter registration form. You can get one from your Circuit Clerk’s Office, Municipal Clerk’s Office, or Department of Public Safety, or download one from the Mississippi Secretary of State.
2. Fill it out and sign it.
3. Return it. You can submit your completed form to your Circuit Clerk or mail it to your Circuit Clerk.
4. Don’t wait! Remember, the deadline is October 5 if you want to vote on November 3, 2026.

Find the registration form and more voter information: Mississippi Secretary of State: yallvote.sos.ms.gov

Our FREE Medicaid Legal Clinic with Disability Rights Mississippi and The Alignment Project is just a few weeks away! Join us October 14 at 10:30 a.m. at the Hilton Garden Inn in Madison for a workshop on navigating Medicaid for families and caregivers led by a state Medicaid expert and DRMS attorney. The clinic is free and lunch will be provided; reserve your spot by emailing [email protected].

This program is financially assisted by the Mississippi Bar Foundation, Inc. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of the Mississippi Bar Foundation, Inc.

Disability Rights Mississippi (DRMS) expresses concern regarding the recent federal court decision in Texas v. Kennedy removing community integration provisions from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Section 504 regulations.

For people with disabilities, the ability to live, work, learn, and receive services in their own communities is about having choices and control over their own lives. Community-based services allow people to remain connected to their families, jobs, schools, neighborhoods, and communities.

For decades, disability rights protections have helped people with disabilities move out of unnecessary institutional settings and receive services in their own communities. Removing these provisions from the Section 504 regulations creates uncertainty around important protections for people who rely on community-based services and supports.

People with disabilities should not have to choose between receiving the services they need and remaining in their own homes and communities.

This decision does not repeal Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, or the U.S. Supreme Court’s Olmstead decision. Those protections remain in place. However, the removal of these regulatory protections is concerning because of what it could mean for people with disabilities who rely on Medicaid and other publicly funded services to live safely and independently in their communities.

Community integration is not about politics. It is about people. It is about whether a person with a disability can choose where to live, access the services they need, remain connected to family and community, and have the same opportunity to participate in everyday life as anyone else.

Our on-demand library gives vocational rehabilitation and other professionals access to recorded webinars, Lunch & Learns, and Community of Practice sessions focused on Long COVID and employment, available to watch anytime.

Whether you missed a live session or want to revisit a topic, these resources are available on demand to support continued learning and practice.

🔗 Explore the On-Demand Learning Library: https://www.careerhorizonsproject.msstate.edu/resources/demand-learning-library



Funded by U.S. Department of Education, Grant Number H421F240107.