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Deaf Equality Sues SSA, DOGE, and Elon Musk

Deaf Equality and national disability rights organizations have filed a federal lawsuit to halt disruptions to Social Security services that are harming people with disabilities and older adults.

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The video opens with a title card featuring a solid blue background. White, bold text appears across five centered lines reading, “ALERT! Deaf Equality sues SSA, DOGE, and Elon Musk for Civil Rights Violations.” The screen transitions to Anna Bitencourt, Chief Litigation Officer, a white Latina female with long, dark, slightly wavy hair. She is wearing a white blouse with a black suit jacket and stands against a solid blue background. A white lower-third graphic appears at the bottom of the screen displaying her name and title. The video concludes with an animated Deaf Equality logo.

Deaf Equality along with other disability rights organizations and individual plaintiffs filed a federal lawsuit against the Social Security Administration (SSA) and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led by Elon Musk. The other disability rights organizations are The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), The National Federation of the Blind (NFB), The National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, and The Massachusetts Senior Action Council (MSAC). The lawsuit was filed by the law firm of Brown Goldstein & Levy and a legal nonprofit, Justice in Aging.
We filed this lawsuit because the SSA and DOGE actions DISRUPTED the usual operation of Social Security services resulting in harm to many people with disabilities and older adults who rely on those services. For example, SSA and DOGE laid off thousands of SSA employees, reducing the number of staff, making it harder and longer for people to get services. SSA and DOGE shut down important parts of the SSA, including the Office of Civil Rights and Equal Opportunity (OCREO). One of the responsibilities of this office was to make sure that SSA services were accessible for people with disabilities including Deaf, DeafBlind, Deaf Disabled, Hard of Hearing, and Late Deafened people.
Currently, there are more than 1.1 million disability claims on hold, waiting for a decision or approval. Each year thousands of people die or go bankrupt while waiting for the SSA to decide. And millions of people with disabilities and older adults try to contact SSA for updates or help with their benefits, but often those calls take hours or never get through to SSA staff.
This disruption to Social Security services is not just illegal but life-threatening to many people. The actions of SSA and DOGE are a violation of the U.S. Constitution and several federal laws such as the Rehabilitation Act and the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for DC and asks the court to stop the disruption of the Social Security system.

FULL UPDATE

Deaf Equality, together with national disability rights organizations and individual plaintiffs, has filed a federal lawsuit against the Social Security Administration (SSA), the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and Elon Musk in response to actions that have significantly disrupted access to Social Security services.

Organizational partners in the lawsuit include the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), the National Federation of the Blind (NFB), the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, and the Massachusetts Senior Action Council (MSAC). The case was filed with legal representation from Brown Goldstein & Levy and Justice in Aging.

The lawsuit challenges recent actions that have altered the operation of the Social Security system, including mass layoffs of SSA employees and the closure of key offices. Among those affected was the Office of Civil Rights and Equal Opportunity (OCREO), which played a critical role in ensuring that Social Security services were accessible to people with disabilities, including Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, Hard of Hearing, and Late Deafened individuals.

These disruptions come at a time when more than 1.1 million disability claims are already pending. Each year, thousands of individuals die or face severe financial hardship while waiting for decisions on their benefits. Millions more attempt to contact SSA for updates or assistance but encounter long wait times or are unable to reach staff at all.

For many people with disabilities and older adults, Social Security is not optional. It provides income stability, access to healthcare, and essential support for daily living. Interruptions in service can have immediate and life-threatening consequences.

The complaint argues that the actions taken violate the U.S. Constitution as well as federal statutes including the Rehabilitation Act and the Administrative Procedure Act. The case was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and seeks court intervention to stop the disruptions and restore lawful operation of the Social Security system.

Deaf Equality remains committed to ensuring that disability rights protections are upheld and that essential public services remain accessible to those who depend on them.

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    ANNA BITENCOURT, ESQ.

    CHIEF LITIGATION OFFICER

    Anna Bitencourt serves as the Chief Litigation Officer at Deaf Equality, where she leads the organization’s litigation and legal advocacy efforts for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, and Late Deafened communities.

    Before joining Deaf Equality, Anna served as a litigator and Director of Legal Services at the National Association of the Deaf Law and Advocacy Center.

    In her current role, she oversees Deaf Equality’s strategic litigation efforts, focusing on impact cases and systemic changes to ensure greater accessibility and equity for the communities it serves. She also manages Deaf Equality’s intake and referral system to ensure every individual from our communities have full access to appropriate legal representation when we are unable to take on their case.

    Anna holds a B.S. from the University of Maryland, College Park, and a J.D. from the Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law. She has also taught disability law at the University of Maryland Carey School of Law, Gallaudet University, and the Rochester Institute of Technology – National Technical Institute for the Deaf. She is admitted to the bar in Maryland and the U.S. Supreme Court.

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    ZAINAB ALKEBSI, ESQ.

    CHIEF POLICY OFFICER

    Zainab Alkebsi serves as the Chief Policy Officer at Deaf Equality, where she leads the organization’s policy efforts for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, and Late Deafened communities.

    Before joining Deaf Equality, Zainab served as Policy Counsel and Director of the Policy Institute at the National Association of the Deaf.

    In her current role, she oversees Deaf Equality’s strategic policy efforts, focusing on systemic changes to ensure greater accessibility and equity for the communities it serves. She regularly interfaces with government agencies, Congress, coalitions, and businesses on behalf of Deaf Equality. She also consults with corporations to ensure their policies, products, and services effectively address the needs of our communities. In addition, Zainab represents Deaf Equality at conferences, on advisory committees and panels, and through presentations. In an effort towards collaboration, she serves as President of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Bar Association and Chair of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Consumer Advocacy Network.

    Zainab holds a B.A. from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and a J.D. from the University of Baltimore School of Law. She is admitted to the bar in Maryland and the U.S. Supreme Court.

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    JACOB S. SALEM, MPA

    SENIOR POLICY OFFICER & MARKETING

    Jacob Salem serves as the Senior Policy Manager at Deaf Equality, where he leads the organization’s state-level policy efforts for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, and Late Deafened communities.

    Before joining Deaf Equality, Jacob served as the State Legislation Manager at the National Association of the Deaf. His legislative training contributed to significant achievements across the country, including the re-establishment of state commissions for the Deaf and the passage of laws for open-captioned movies and interpreter licensure, among other key successes.

    In his current role, Jacob oversees Deaf Equality’s state level policy research and advocacy strategy, focusing on creating systemic changes that promote greater accessibility and equity for the communities it serves. He regularly collaborates with advocacy groups, policymakers, and state legislators to influence policy development, particularly in areas such as healthcare access, services for older adults, technology accessibility, and mental health resources. Jacob also represents Deaf Equality at conferences, on advisory committees, and through presentations, consulting with stakeholders to advance the organization’s mission.

    Jacob holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Central Florida and an MPA from Gallaudet University.

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    HOWARD A. ROSENBLUM, ESQ.

    CHAIR & CEO

    Howard Rosenblum is the founder and Chair of Deaf Equality, which he established to achieve true equality for all Deaf, Hard of Hearing, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, and Late Deafened people in the USA and worldwide. The goal of this effort is to emphasize system change through litigation, policy and regulatory changes, and consulting.

    Licensed in Illinois as a lawyer for 32 years and adept as a computer engineer for 36 years, Howard has extensive experience in strategizing and directing successful precedential cases such as NAD v. Netflix, NAD v. Harvard, NAD v. MIT, Campbell v. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Perez v. Sturgis Public Schools, and NAD v. Donald Trump. In addition, he has guided significant policy changes including convincing the US Department of Transportation to provide exemptions which led to over 1,500 Deaf individuals to obtain Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDLs) and drive trucks as well as getting the Federal Communications Commission to require texting and support the provision of an ASL option for the 988 suicide hotline.

    Howard has a B.S. in Computer Engineering from the University of Arizona, and a J.D. from the Illinois Institute of Technology/Chicago-Kent College of Law. He also serves as the legal advisor to the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD).

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    HON. AZEEMA AKRAM

    TREASURER

    Azeema Akram is the Deputy Chief Administrative Law Judge at the Illinois Human Rights Commission (IHRC). She is passionate about accessibility in legal proceedings and presents regularly to attorneys and judges on accommodating people with disabilities in legal proceedings and employment. Azeema also serves as a Community Representative on the Regional Transportation Authority’s Paratransit Certification Formal Appeals Program Eligibility Review Board and is a member of Disability Lead’s executive board. Azeema has been recognized by various professional and civic organizations for her significant contributions to the advancement of diversity within the Illinois legal community and its judiciary. She earned her B.A. from the University of Missouri-Columbia and her J.D. from DePaul University College of Law.

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    DR. OPEOLUWA SOTONWA

    SECRETARY

    Dr. Opeoluwa Sotonwa is the Commissioner for the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. He previously served as the Executive Director of the Missouri Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. An accomplished international thought leader, he has been involved with disability rights issues since becoming a lawyer in Nigeria. He was instrumental in the drafting and passing of Nigerian disability rights law and over twenty pieces of legislation.

    Dr. Sotonwa has dedicated his career to partnering with purposeful organizations, community leaders, and government agencies to improve the quality of life for the Deaf, Hard-of-Hearing, and Late-Deafened individuals. He was a Vice President of National Black Deaf Advocates and serves on several think-tank organizations around the world on disability rights advocacy.

    He founded the Opeoluwa Sotonwa Foundation, which provides annual scholarships to economically disadvantaged Deaf and hard-of-hearing college students in Nigeria.

    Dr. Sotonwa graduated with a Law degree from the University of Ilorin and a Master of Laws from Howard University School of Law. He also received a Doctor of Law and Policy degree from Northeastern University. He is a CSG’s Henry Toll Fellow and the recipient of the Judge Krekel Trailblazer Award for Human Rights.

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    HON. RICHARD S. BROWN

    VICE CHAIR

    Richard S. Brown retired as the Chief Judge of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals on August 1, 2015, after 37 years on the bench. Prior to his service on the bench, he was an Assistant District Attorney and, later, a partner in a law firm where he specialized in commercial litigation. He served on the ABA Commission on Disability Law from 1992-98 (serving as chair from 1995-98) and served another term from 2008-2011. He was also a member of the ABA Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs from 2012 to 2015 and co-chair of the ABA IR&R Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Along with Professor Alex Hurder, he founded the National Association of Law Students with Disabilities.

    Judge Brown holds a B.A. from Miami University, a J.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and an L.L.M. from the University of Virginia. He served with the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division and taught at the National Judicial College for 15 years. A guest lecturer in 40 states on ADA and disability law, he has published five articles in legal journals. He lost his hearing at ages 5 and 36, and later served as President of the Association of Late Deafened Adults (ALDA) from 2020-2022.

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