Services Provided

Community Engagement and Education

The Community Engagement and Education Division (CEED) is primarily focused on education and community engagement to help prevent discrimination. We accomplish this goal by offering training on General Civil Rights Law, Discriminatory Harassment, Building Cultural Competency, Hate Crimes 101 and other topics.

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The Division also works to prevent discrimination through community-centered initiatives including Advocates and Leaders for Police and Community Trust (ALPACT), Michigan Alliance Against Hate Crimes (MIAAHC), Youth Civil Rights Academy, and engagement in migrant and seasonal farmworker concerns.

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Development, Innovation, and Access

The Development, Innovation and Access division develops educational training sessions and resources designed to increase awareness regarding the various customer perspectives in the work we do and the people we serve, including creating tools and resources to strategically operationalize community and organizational development.

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Disability Rights and Compliance

The Disability Rights and Compliance Division (DRACD) contains four distinct areas: ADA Compliance; the Division on Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing; Freedom of Information Act (FOIA); and Contract Compliance.

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Division on Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing

The Division of Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing (DODDBHH) concentrates on helping to improve the lives of Michigan's Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing citizens. Our mission is affirming the indisputable right of persons who are Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing to secure effective communication.

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Enforcement and Investigation

MDCR is an administrative agency with investigative and enforcement authority. The Enforcement Process includes all of the tasks performed when a customer interacts with MDCR about a civil rights-related need or concern, including investigation and resolution of complaints of discrimination, outreach and education, and community engagement.

More information about Michigan civil rights laws, areas and bases protected by these laws, and the time limits to file a complaint can be found at MDCR Enforcement Jurisdiction.

 To learn more about filing a complaint of discrimination, click Visit Enforcement below.

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Freedom of Information Act

Michigan’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 1976 PA 442, MCL 15.231, et seq., provides all persons (except persons incarcerated in correctional facilities) may receive copies or make inspections of public records (except those otherwise exempted from disclosure under FOIA or another statute) of public bodies upon written request. Requests to receive or inspect such records must sufficiently describe the records they seek to enable the public body to identify and locate the requested records. A public body may charge a fee to cover the cost of processing a FOIA request.

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Service Animals

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), public entities and places of public accommodation such as state and local governments, businesses, and non-profit organizations cannot discriminate against persons with disabilities in their programs, services, or activities. Generally, this means that they must allow service animals to accompany persons with disabilities into areas and locations where the public is allowed to go.

In compliance with MCL § 37.303, the Michigan Department of Civil Rights (MDCR) has created and provides voluntary service animal identification to qualifying applicants with disabilities and their trained service animals.

Voluntary registration through this program is free of charge and may not be required as a barrier to entry for a trained service animal or their handler. Registering an animal with MDCR does not entitle accepted applicants to any benefits other than free service animal identification in the form of a patch and ID card.

Service Animal Frequently Asked Questions

For more information about Service Animals in Michigan and the Michigan Service Animal Registry, click “Visit Service Animals” below.

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Frequently Asked Questions

MDCR and Available Resources

MDCR partners with community and faith-based organizations, advocates and law enforcement agencies to address civil rights issues and build partnerships to promote voluntary compliance with civil rights laws and prevent discrimination before it occurs. MDCR offers trainings and programs on a range of topics including cultural competency, hate incidents, housing discrimination, disability, sexual harassment and civil rights law.

A fair housing resource tool is available at MDCR Fair Housing Resources for searching fair housing resources based on your location.

Information about the Voluntary Service Animal Identification program and application can be found at MDCR Service Animals.

Visit our Division on Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing page MDCR DODDBHH for interpreter information and links to valuable resources.

MDCR brochures and posters can be found online at MDCR News and Publications.

Visit MDCR Training to see a list of available trainings through MDCR.

Videos are available on the Michigan Department of Civil Rights YouTube channel at MDCR YouTube Videos.

Hate Crime Information

A hate/bias incident refers to an action, behavior or speech that expresses prejudice, bias or hostility against a person or group based on their protected characteristics. Hate incidents may involve offensive comments, gestures or other non-criminal behaviors.

Example: A person makes derogatory and offensive comments about someone's perceived sexual orientation in a private conversation. While hurtful and offensive, it doesn't involve a criminal act. This is a hate/bias incident.

A hate crime is a criminal act committed against a person, group or their property, motivated by prejudice or bias against protected characteristics. What distinguishes a hate crime from other crimes is the underlying bias or prejudice that motivates the perpetrator. A crime committed that is motivated by prejudice, hate or bias is a hate crime.

Example: The same person physically assaults someone on the street while using homophobic slurs. In this case, the assault is not only offensive but also constitutes a criminal act due to the violent nature and the motivation behind it being the victim's sexual orientation.

Visit MDCR Hate Crimes for reporting guidelines.

Civil Rights Protections in Michigan

Laws are in place to help protect people from discrimination. The Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act (ELCRA), the Persons with Disabilities Civil Rights Act, the Fair Housing Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other provisions in state and federal law provide protection against discrimination for people in Michigan.

Michigan law prohibits discrimination in: Employment, Education, Housing, Public Accommodation (such as restaurants, hotels, theaters, doctors' offices, retail stores and more) Public Service (such as government agencies, public libraries and parks, utilities and more) and Law Enforcement.

Discrimination occurs when you are treated differently than others because of your race (including hair texture or protective hairstyles), religion, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, genetic information, marital status, familial status, height, weight or arrest record.

MDCR is authorized by law to investigate complaints of discrimination.

A store clerk will not serve you and tells you to “go back where you came from.”

Your boss allows co-workers to harass or intimidate you based on your race or national origin.

A real estate agent or rental property owner will not show or sell you the same property they are making available to others.

If you believe you have been the victim of discrimination, you can file a complaint online or call 1-800-482-3604.

If you are a victim of discrimination, you have a right to seek justice. If you were discriminated against, it is very possible others will be as well if we cannot act now. We cannot stop discrimination if we do not know about it.

If our investigation shows that discrimination has taken place, we will attempt to reach a resolution between the parties. A successful resolution may result in financial and other forms of compensation for the person who filed the complaint.

Filing a Complaint of Discrimination with MDCR

While investigating a complaint, we are impartial and do not act as an advocate or representative for either party.

Yes. If you contact us, we use a service that will allow us to add an interpreter to the call. We will then work with you to determine how to proceed.

No, you do not need to be a U.S. citizen to file a complaint with MDCR. Civil rights laws protect anyone who has been a victim of discrimination while in the state of Michigan.

During an investigation, the claimant and respondent both have the opportunity to present evidence. The investigation may also include a site visit, interviews with witnesses and analysis of documents.

MDCR may schedule a mediation conference for the parties to discuss possible resolutions. MDCR attempts to resolve complaints at all stages of the investigation. If both parties agree to a settlement, MDCR will close the investigation. If no settlement is reached, MDCR will complete the investigation and report on its findings.

More information can be found at MDCR Complaint Investigation.

No, but it is a violation of civil rights law if you are retaliated against because you filed a complaint. If you file a complaint with MDCR, we will investigate, which requires us to communicate with others about your claim. MDCR files are subject to the Freedom of Information Act and may be provided to others after the case is resolved, but only after your personal information is removed.

FOIA requests to the Michigan Department of Civil Rights (MDCR) must be in writing and sufficiently describe the records you seek to enable MDCR to identify and locate the requested records. Visit MDCR FOIA for more information about submitting a FOIA request.