Video Gallery

Fair Housing Act

• Seven Days Documentary – 50th Anniversary of the Fair Housing Act

  The Seven Days documentary by the National Fair Housing Alliance explores the historic passage of the 1968 Fair Housing Act following the tragic assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., highlighting its legacy and current housing equity challenges.

Disability Discrimination in Housing

• Fair Housing Act: Live-In Aide Denial and Disability Accommodation Failure

  A NBC6 Orlando story about how disability accommodations are critical to personal safety, the denial of a first-floor apartment and a live-in aide by housing authorities ultimately led to the preventable death of Samuel Rosario. Learn more about the legal fight for housing rights and accountability in the blog article: Litigation: When the denial of a reasonable accommodation leads to tragedy.

• Help me Howard: Can an Association Evict a Caretaker?

  When a South Florida mobile home community threatened to evict a disabled resident’s granddaughter for helping care for her family,WSVN Help Me Howard and disability rights attorney Matthew Dietz stepped in. Watch how Dietz and his law students used the Fair Housing Act to stop the eviction and keep a family together.

  Fair Housing Act Explained: Are Condos Required to Provide Accessible Transit?

  When a South Florida retirement community purchased a new courtesy bus without a wheelchair lift, resident Lou Schleicher was left behind—forced to navigate busy highway traffic in his electric wheelchair just to buy groceries. In this investigative report by WPLG Local 10 reporter Jeff Weinsier, attorney Matthew Dietz breaks down why denying accessible transit to disabled residents violates federal and state Fair Housing laws, and how they are taking the fight to state investigators.
• Are Marinas Required to Install Wheelchair Ramps?

  When a World War II veteran asked his marina for permission to build a wheelchair ramp to access his houseboat, the owner refused and served him an eviction notice instead. In this investigative report by WPLG Problem Solver Kelly Butler, attorney Matthew Dietz explains how the Fair Housing Act protects residents’ rights to reasonable modifications—and why firing back with an eviction notice violates federal law.

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  Condo Won’t Accommodate Renovation of Elevator for Resident in Wheelchair
  

  When a condominium association planned to shut down its building’s only elevator for months-long renovations, a wheelchair-bound resident faced losing complete access to his home. In this Help Me Howard report on WSVN 7 News, disability rights attorney Matthew Dietz steps in to explain how the Fair Housing Act requires associations to provide reasonable accommodations to keep disabled residents from being trapped or displaced.

• Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed After Autistic Man Dies in Group Home Restraint

  When 27-year-old Caleb Walker, a young man with autism, tragically died after being improperly restrained at a Florida group home, his parents turned to civil rights advocates to seek accountability. Represented by attorneys Benjamin Crump, Matthew Dietz, and Aaron Karger, the family filed a wrongful death lawsuit challenging dangerous physical restraint protocols and demanding systemic changes to protect vulnerable individuals in residential care facilities.

Deaf and Hard of Hearing

• Deaf Patient Denied Interpreter: Hospital Fined After Legal Battle
  

  In this NBC 6 Investigators report by Willard Shepard, retired Palm Beach County teacher Rose Adams shares her terrifying six-day experience at a South Florida hospital after being repeatedly denied a qualified American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter. Left unable to communicate with medical staff or understand her treatments, Rose describes the deeply humiliating ordeal, expressing that she was made to feel “like a dog—more like a rat” and told to be quiet when asking for assistance. Civil rights attorney Matthew Dietz brought federal lawsuit action under the ADA, ultimately securing a court order and sanctions against the facility after it failed to properly train staff to provide sign language interpreters for deaf patients.

• Deaf Trucker Discrimination: State Denies Commercial Driver’s Test

  When Florida licensing officials refused to allow a deaf driver to take his commercial driver’s license exam, WPLG Local 10 investigative reporter Jeff Weinsier stepped in to uncover the story. Featuring insights from civil rights attorney Matthew Dietz, see how advocates are challenging state barriers to ensure equal employment access and testing accommodations for deaf and hard-of-hearing drivers under federal law.

  • Playlist – Fair Housing Rights Video Series in English and ASL

    Funded by a Department of Housing and Urban Development grant, this twelve-part educational video series produced by the National Fair Housing Alliance and the Disability Independence Group explains critical Fair Housing rights, available in both English and American Sign Language to ensure broad accessibility.

  Fair Housing Act – Assistance Animal Discrimination

  • • The Cost of Denying Accommodations: The Ray Bishop Story

      Trigger Warning: Suicide and gunfire.

      In this moving WPLG Local 10 investigative report by Amy Viteri, a housing provider’s relentless threats to evict Ray Bishop over his emotional support dogs, Ranger and Roxie, triggered a severe mental health crisis that ended in a tragic police-involved shooting. Featuring insights from civil rights attorney Matthew Dietz, this segment underscores the severe human toll when housing providers refuse to grant reasonable assistance animal accommodations. Read the full commentary in our blog article: When Losing Your Emotional Support Animal is Too Much to Bear.

    • A Six-Year-Old’s Fight to Have His Seizure Service Dog in School

      When a Broward County elementary school barred six-year-old Anthony Merchante from bringing his seizure service dog, Stevie, to class without paying for an additional handler, his mother filed a federal lawsuit under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504. Civil rights attorney Matthew Dietz successfully defended Anthony’s right to full inclusion and equal access in school. Read the full commentary in our blog articles: A Six-Year-Old’s Fight to Have His Seizure Dog at School and Litigation Update: Anthony Gets to Keep Stevie in School.

    • Uber Driver Denied My Service Dog

      In this investigative report, a blind and deaf woman shares her experience after an Uber driver allegedly refused her service dog. The segment highlights ongoing legal advocacy and the strict public accommodation protections guaranteed under disability rights laws.

    Fair Housing Act – Familial Status Discrimination

     

    • Can an Apartment Ban Brothers from Sharing a Bedroom? | Fair Housing & Familial Status

      When a subsidized apartment complex turned away single mothers by claiming children are legally prohibited from sharing a bedroom, WPLG Local 10 Problem Solver Jeff Weinsier investigated. Watch attorney Matthew Dietz expose the complex’s illegal policy and take the fight to federal court to stop familial status discrimination under the Fair Housing Act.

    • Fair Housing Act: Familial Status Discrimination at Wynkin, Blynkin & Nod Mobile Home Park

      When a Hialeah mobile home park denied residency to a 9-year-old boy because of a single bad conduct grade on his report card, WPLG Local 10 Problem Solver Jeff Weinsier stepped in to investigate. Featuring insights from HOPE, Inc. President Keenya Robertson and attorney Matthew Dietz, see how civil rights advocates exposed this illegal familial status discrimination—forcing management to reverse their decision and keep the family housed.

    Fair Housing Act – Pregnancy and Sex Discrimination

     

    • • • Bizarre Rules or Civil Rights Violations?

          When an affordable housing complex attempted to evict an expecting mother after demanding a doctor’s letter and an ultrasound photo of her womb, WPLG Local 10 Problem Solver Jeff Weinsier stepped in to investigate. Featuring commentary from HOPE, Inc. President Keenya Robertson and civil rights attorney Matthew Dietz, see how advocates took the property to federal court to challenge intrusive, illegal policies that violate pregnancy and sex discrimination protections under the Fair Housing Act.

      Americans with Disabilities Act

      • • • • Woman Says Disabled Placard Not Enough for ADA Parking

              A woman contacted NBC 6 Responds after attempting to park in an ADA parking space at Hard Rock Stadium. The report examines stadium parking policies for people with disabilities and includes comments from Matthew Dietz regarding accessible parking requirements.

            • Florida’s Pregnancy Parking Law Faces Federal ADA Challenge

              In this CBS 12 News report by Katie Benty, disability rights advocate Olivia Keller challenges a new Florida law allowing pregnant drivers to use designated accessible parking spaces with temporary red placards. Born without arms and relying on a 300-pound power wheelchair and van ramp, Olivia describes how losing access to wide handicap spaces prevents her from attending medical appointments and work. Featuring commentary from attorney Matthew Dietz, the federal lawsuit argues that granting accessible spots for convenience rather than medical need violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which was designed to prevent the isolation of individuals with severe disabilities.

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              Elderly Can’t Get COVID-19 Vaccine
              

              In this Help Me Howard report on WSVN 7 News with Patrick Fraser, 95-year-old Georgia Rogers—who is immunocompromised and suffers from severe edema—struggles to access a COVID-19 vaccine due to long lines, lack of online access, and missing accommodations. Disability rights attorney Matthew Dietz steps in to explain why vaccine distribution systems must legally provide reasonable accommodations under the law, and highlights how the lack of accessible options and fast-pass options leaves seniors with disabilities behind.

         

        Care of Medically Fragile Children

         

        • Florida’s Medically Fragile Children Deserve to Grow Up at Home

          For years, civil rights attorney Matthew Dietz fought on the front lines to protect medically complex children from being unnecessarily institutionalized in adult nursing homes. In the landmark federal class action lawsuit A.R. v. Dudek, Dietz and his co-counsel sued the State of Florida under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Medicaid Act, securing a pivotal ruling that established children’s rights to receive medically necessary in-home nursing care and grow up safely alongside their families. Read the full article: Institutionalization of Medically Complex Children.

        • Medically Fragile Children

          Legal battles and advocacy ensuring medically fragile children have the right to grow up safely at home rather than in institutions.

        Civil Rights and Disability Rights History

      • City of Tampa Sues Landlord for Race and Sex Discrimination

        When a landlord launched a campaign of harassment against a female tenant—going so far as to make false police reports to strip her of custody of her children—the City of Tampa took the rare step of filing a federal housing discrimination lawsuit. Featuring commentary from civil rights attorney Matthew Dietz, see how local authorities and fair housing laws act to protect tenants against severe harassment and illegal retaliation. Read the full legal analysis in our blog article: City of Tampa Files Race and Gender Discrimination in Housing Case.

      • 30 Years of the ADA: A Civil Rights Reflection with Ben Crump, Esq.

        Marking the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, renowned civil rights attorney Ben Crump joins attorney Matthew Dietz for a powerful reflection on the intersection of disability rights and social justice. Together, they examine the legacy of the landmark 1990 law, highlighting why equal access, inclusion, and civil rights protections remain a vital, ongoing movement for all Americans.

      • The Pathologization of Disability: Institutionalization and Dehumanizing of People with Disabilities

        This archival YouTube playlist illustrates the prevailing 20th-century medical model of disability, where individuals with intellectual, developmental, and neurological disabilities were viewed through clinical diagnostic lenses, categorizations, and societal burdens. By labeling humans as  “cretan,” “moron,” “imbecile,” and “idiot, ” society systematically stripped individuals of autonomy, personhood, and fundamental civil rights. The resulting societal attitudes fueled widespread institutionalization and segregation under the guise of care and public management, demonstrating the historical dehumanization that disability rights advocates attempt to dismantle.