Support the Advocacy Center
Make a donation today and help us continue to provide these great services.
Intake is how the Advocacy Center for Persons with Disabilities, Inc. (Advocacy Center) gathers general information about an individual’s reason for contacting us, along with some personal information (age, race, disability, etc.) to meet our federal reporting requirements. This helps us determine what type of information and referral (I & R) or assistance we may be able to provide.
Although anyone may contact us for general information on disability related issues, our mandate and agency mission require that we provide services to individuals with disabilities. Our contact is with the individual with a disability unless the parent of a minor child or legal guardian contacts us. If an individual is already being represented by an attorney, we refer the individual back to his/her legal counsel, and may provide general technical assistance to the attorney.
We base our services on goals and priorities developed with public input and adopted by our Board of Directors. In determining which cases to accept, we must also follow our case selection criteria and other policies and procedures.
Intake serves individuals without disabilities or individuals with disabilities seeking only information and referral about various disability issues. The following examples may be helpful.
Intake also receives a large volume of calls from individuals with disabilities who report a disability rights dispute or problem that is within the Advocacy Center’s goals and priorities. If there is no attorney involved, we request specific details of the disability rights concern. This helps us understand: the date of the incident, what happened, the individuals involved, and what steps the individual has taken to resolve the matter. Intake would refer the dispute for additional evaluation within the Advocacy Center to determine if more information and referral is required, or whether investigation, short-term or technical assistance, mediation or possibly litigation services are needed. The following examples may be helpful.
To begin the intake process, please visit our Contact Us page to get our phone numbers, or to submit your information online, visit our Online Contact Forms page and select the Online Service Intake option.
The information provided herein does not constitute legal representation or advice. Legal representation is solely determined by the Advocacy Center and a written agreement is required.
Florida’s Advocacy Center for Persons with Disabilities, Inc., only provides services to individuals with disabilities who live in Florida. We will try to help with general disability information but please contact the Protection and Advocacy (P & A) system in the state where the individual with disabilities is currently living if you wish to request services. Visit the Find the Protection and Advocacy system for your state section of our Links page for assistance.
The Advocacy Center for Persons with Disabilities, Inc., does not assist all individuals with disabilities. For example, the Advocacy Center does not provide assistance in personal injury, criminal defense, family law, issues not related to the disability of an individual, attempts to obtain guardianship, property and probate issues, Social Security disability determinations, malpractice or direct cash assistance. Individuals requiring legal assistance may contact the Florida Bar Lawyer Referral Service 1-800-342-8011, your local county bar association or a Legal Aid office in your area. You may also find listings for attorneys and their specialties in the yellow pages.
Latest News
Division of Vocational Rehabilitation at the Florida Department of Education has Announced Six Rule Development Workshops
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Get Involved! You Can Participate in the Department of Education’s “Student Self-Administration of Medication” Rulemaking
Friday, September 10, 2010
Follow the Advocacy Center
Find us on Twitter