Systemic Failures Caused Sexual Abuse of Females at York Correctional Institution; Investigative Report by Disability Rights Connecticut Reveals Continued Abuse, Multiple Violations of Federal and State Law and Department of Correction Policy
Detailed 4-Year Investigation Calls for Immediate Legislative and Department action to Prevent Sexual Abuse, End Violations of Policy and Law
Health Advocacy and Disability Groups Urge Governor and Legislative Leaders to Call Special Session to Address Federal Cuts to Medicaid/ACA Subsidies and Dysfunctional DSS Call Center in Time to Meet Increasing Processing Burdens
DRCT and the CT Council on Developmental Disabilities commend Governor Lamont for protecting access to and insurance coverage for COVID-19 vaccines.
Disability Rights Groups Urge Governor to Join Neighboring States in Ensuring Connecticut Adopts Broader Guidelines Permitting COVID Vaccinations, Following Action by U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Narrowing Access
Tobey Partch-Davies, Ph.D, Executive Director
Tobey Partch-Davies Named as Disability Rights Connecticut’s (DRCT) New Executive Director
Dr. Partch-Davies is a nationally recognized expert in progressive disability policy and practice, a leader in systems change, and an applied researcher and program evaluator focused on the social determinants of health. She has led and participated in a wide variety of interagency collaborations alongside people with disabilities to improve systems of support aligned with principles of self-determination. During her career she successfully competed for a multitude of federally funded awards from a wide variety of agencies, private philanthropy, and private fee for service contracts in partnership with local, state, national organizations, and universities.
Prior to joining Disability Rights Connecticut Dr. Partch-Davies served as Principal Investigator or Co-Principal Investigator for a variety of model demonstration projects and research and evaluation efforts ranging from maternal and child health, inclusive postsecondary education, workforce development and economic mobility. Her work is informed by lived experience as the mother of a young adult with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Dr. Partch-Davies earned her Ph.D. in Community Economic Development and Policy from Southern New Hampshire University’s School of Community Economic Development. She maintains a residence in the Hartford area, and a home in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire. Tobey is the proud parent of four children and a new dog, Ollie, her beloved Golden Retriever.
“After dedicating twenty-five years of my career improving policies, practices, and systems changes to support the freedom and self- determination of people with disabilities, at this stage of my life there is no more important work I could do. I look forward to working collaboratively with the board, staff, community organizations, and individuals with disabilities and their families in the months and years to come in pursuit of our mission. The mission of DRCT is to advocate, educate, investigate, and pursue legal, administrative, and other appropriate remedies to advance and protect the civil rights of individuals with disabilities to participate equally and fully in all facets of community life in Connecticut.” -Dr. Partch-Davies
DRCT Welcomes New Executive Director
The Board of Directors has approved the hiring of Tobey Partch-Davies, Ph.D., as the Executive Director of DRCT, effective July 7, 2025. Dr. Partch-Davies is a nationally recognized expert in disability studies and systems change and a parent of an adult with a disability. She has led and participated in a wide variety of inter-agency and stakeholder collaborations.
Kathryn du Pree
DRCT Board President
DRCT advocates to expand opportunities for
Competitive Integrated Employment for people with IDD
In April 2025, the Connecticut Department of Developmental Services (DDS) and the Connecticut Bureau of Rehabilitation (BRS) published a CT Employment Systems Transformation Plan to expand Competitive Integrated Employment (CIE) for youth ages 14-26 and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in Connecticut. The plan sets forth agency action steps to provide individuals with opportunities to learn about, secure, and maintain CIE and includes a timeline and benchmarks for implementation. The plan was developed based on an August 2024 agreement between the agencies and Disability Rights Connecticut (DRCT) and the Center for Public Representation (CPR).
If you are interested in learning more about CIE or have questions about the plan, please contact us.
Connecticut’s Disparate Medicaid Eligibility Criteria Violates State Constitution, Discriminating Against Individuals with Disabilities;
Lawsuit Filed to End Discriminatory Income Eligibility Rules Reinstated at Governor’s Urging
Inmate with ALS and Opiate Withdrawal Died within 24 Hours of Arrival at Bridgeport Correction Center; Investigative Report Reveals Multiple Systemic Failures, Numerous Violations of Federal, State Law and Dept. of Correction Policy
Disability Rights Connecticut Report Substantiates Failure to Provide Adequate Medical Care and Lifesaving Measures; Urges Legislature, State Agencies to Take Action to Prevent Deaths
PLEASE HELP DISABILITY RIGHTS CT ACHIEVE OUR GOAL OF RAISING $50,000
PROTECTION AND ADVOCACY SYSTEMS, LIKE DRCT, ARE FACING POSSIBLE FUNDING CUTS AND EVEN ELIMINATION. PLEASE HELP SUPPORT DISABILITY RIGHTS CONNECTICUT to CONTINUE ADVOCATING ON BEHALF OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES!
DRCT, together with other state Protection & Advocacy agencies (P&As), make up the nation’s largest provider of legally based advocacy services for people with disabilities; it has the legal authority, including the unique “access authority” to enter facilities unannounced.
DRCT protects individuals by empowering them and advocating on their behalf so that they can exercise their rights to make choices, contribute to society, and live independently.
Please read the letter to learn more about how our work has impacted residents of Connecticut.
You can open the Recite Me toolbar by clicking on the “Accessibility & Translations” button at the top center of the homepage or by clicking the accessibility icon, which now appears in the bottom right corner of every page on our website.
The toolbar will then open and display a range of different options for customizing the way our site looks and the ways in which you can interact with its content.
How does Recite Me help me access DRCT’s website?
Again, Recite Me helps people access our site and customize their UX with the content. The toolbar has a unique range of functions. You can use it to:
Read website text aloud (including PDFs)
Download the text as an MP3 file to play it where and when it suits you
Change font sizes and colors
Customize background-color
Translate text into more than 100 different languages
Access a fully integrated dictionary and thesaurus
You can find out more about how Recite Me works from their user guide (https://reciteme.com/user-guide) and/or video tutorial (https://drive.google.com/file/d/13ULlgfGn_zIISX0CPMsZymz4SKzGGYWS/view).
Where can you find additional support for Recite Me?
If you have any questions about using Recite Me, you can contact them by email at info@reciteme.com or by calling (571) 946-4068.
Or as always, please do not hesitate to reach out directly to our team with UX feedback, suggestions, etc.
And though video remote interpreting (VRI) services are widely available at Connecticut hospitals, patients have reported mixed experiences with the technology.
The issues persist more than 30 years after passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which requires interpretation for patients and family members under the “effective communication” section of the law. In the last three years, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has negotiated four settlements with medical facilities in Connecticut for complaints related to communication with deaf patients.
“At one point, ADA and accessibility seemed to be very good,” said Marissa Rivera, an advocate with Disability Rights Connecticut (DRCT). “And now, in 2022, it has completely collapsed.”
