Services

Education and Consulting

The ERC is deeply committed to educating the general public as well as private companies and government entities about discriminatory practices and civil rights responsibilities under the law. Within the general public the ERC is especially interested in reaching out to minority populations, immigrants, and people with disabilities. As an individual or as a member of a group, organization, business or government activity who would like to learn more about civil rights protections and how to uphold them please contact us at info@equalrightscenter.org.

The ERC provides necessary services for individuals, companies and government. The award-winning Civil Rights Compliance Program is one of the most effective and comprehensive available to ensure compliance with the law. It makes all of us less vulnerable. Its core components consist of civil rights training; corporate policy review and revision, evaluation of protocols and practices,compliance self testing, marketing strategy assessment,compliance surveys; and general civil rights consulting. The ERC has successfully completed short and long-term projects for local and national corporate, nonprofit, and government organizations. For more information on contracts, please contact Rabbi Bruce Kahn at bkahn@equalrightscenter.org or (202) 234-3062 ext. 1101.

Research

In collaboration with public and private groups, the ERC engages in a great deal of research that serves a variety of purposes: training materials, prevalence of discriminatory practices, investigation reconnaissance, networking assistance, publication preparation, civil rights manual updates and advocacy awareness.

Publications

The ERC publishes The Point, its official newsletter as well as numerous brochures about the agency and its work, civil rights reports for public consumption, grant reports, and manuals and other materials for ERC clients. Click here to view previous issues of The Point and click here to view other ERC publications.

Testing

Testing is a controlled process designed to identify differences in treatment accorded to individuals who are similar in every significant respect except the variable being tested (i.e. race, national origin, disability). Testing allows the ERC to measure and document differences in the quality, content, and quantity of information and services provided. It is a legal process by which the nature and extent of illegal discrimination can be ascertained. This process is also referred to as "secret auditing" or "secret shopping." When it is done as part of a compliance program under contract, the contracting authority often, but not always, participates in the development of the testing project.

Testers are individuals who take on very specific roles for the purpose of gathering information without any entrapment whatsoever and to provide that information to a testing coordinator who will evaluate the tester's report to determine if illegal discrimination occurred in the judgment of the ERC. Whether testing under contract, for research or as an investigation that might lead to an enforcement action, ERC testers are vital to the success of the ERC mission. Each tester is highly trained and closely supervised to provide the most reliable results. Please click here to learn more about testing or becoming a tester.

Counseling, Advice and Advocacy

Individuals, nonprofit agencies, academic, corporate and government entities frequently approach the ERC for counseling, advice and advocacy. Hundreds of times a year ERC staff will provide such assistance in a wide range of forums.

Investigations

ERC investigations are pure. Whether they are prompted by a complaint, a contract, settlement monitoring, a research question, or reports from any of a wide range of sources, the ERC’s investigative methods from conception to conclusion adhere to exacting standards.

Enforcement

When an ERC project coordinator believes an investigation reveals the presence of illegal discrimination and that further action is warranted, the case file may be submitted to the Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs for its legal evaluation. The Lawyers' Committee serves as counsel to the Equal Rights Center. Through the Lawyers' Committee special relationship with law firms in the Washington metropolitan area, outstanding additional legal support for ERC cases is found whenever it is required to pursue legal remedies to the violations of the law uncovered by the ERC.

Servicios en Español

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