Special Topics in Civil Rights

Child Welfare Services including Adoption and Foster Care – Agencies and entities that receive federal financial assistance may not discriminate in the delivery of child welfare services.

Community Living and Olmstead – Serving people with disabilities in the most integrated setting is an important part of the ADA.

Effective Communication in Hospitals – Gives hospitals tools, information, and other technical assistance to meet communication challenges.

Emergency Preparedness and Response – Nondiscrimination is essential in all emergency preparedness activities.

Health Disparities – Differences in rates of disease and health outcomes, which can negatively affect certain racial or ethnic groups.

HIV/AIDS – OCR enforces federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination by health care and human service providers against people with HIV/AIDS.

National Origin Discrimination – Prohibited under federal civil rights laws.

Opioids and Civil Rights – Federal nondiscrimination laws apply to opioid use disorder treatment and recovery services.

Reproductive Health Care - Among its civil rights enforcement responsibilities, OCR is responsible for protecting the rights of women in their ability to access care free from discrimination. This includes their ability to access reproductive health care free from discrimination.

Sex-Based Harassment – Title IX of the Education Amendments and Section 1557 of the ACA prohibit sex-based harassment, which includes sexual harassment, sexual orientation-based harassment and sexual violence.

Shared Ancestry or Ethnic Characteristics Discrimination – Protections for individuals who are or are perceived to be Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Sikh, Hindu, Buddhist, or of another religious group. 

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) – Provides time-limited assistance and work opportunities to needy families to promote self-sufficiency.