Our vision statement: Disability Rights Califorornia will create a world with quality, culturally responsive, safe, affordable, accessible housing, benefits, education, health care, transportation

Five Year Advocacy Plan 2008-2012

Implementing Rights, Addressing Wrongs -

Adopted by Disability Rights California's Board of Directors September 2007

Table of Contents

Our Vision Statement (back to the top)

Our vision is a barrier free, inclusive world that values diversity, culture, and each individual.

In this world all people with disabilities have:
Dignity,
Power,
Freedom of choice,
Independence, and
Freedom from abuse, neglect, and discrimination.

They have quality, culturally responsive, safe, affordable, accessible:
Housing,
Education,
Healthcare,
Technology,
Transportation, and
Individual and family supports that they choose and direct.

People with disabilities have the right to family, social, and intimate relationships. They are financially secure, can make life choices, and have opportunities for satisfying work, recreation, spiritual lives, and community service.

Our Mission Statement (back to the top)

Advance the rights of Californians with disabilities.

Introduction(back to the top)

Excluding people with disabilities from the mainstream of community life has been a civil rights issue in California and the rest of the country since at least the early 1970's. Laws have been passed to advance, enhance, and protect those civil rights. But people with disabilities still face barriers such as prejudice, discrimination, and indifference. These barriers continue to limit the rights and opportunities of Californians with disabilities. This is unacceptable in the 21st century. Over the next five years, we will continue to advocate with and for people with disabilities. We will work together to fight discrimination, promote autonomy and choice, end abuse and neglect, and increase access to programs and services that respect each client and his or her unique needs and culture.

Principles (back to the top)

Our work will be guided by the following principles:

Stop discrimination, end institutionalization, and increase community living choices

  • Stop discrimination and work for equal opportunities
  • End institutionalization and increase access to culturally appropriate and safe community living with supports chosen by the person with a disability

Eliminate abuse and neglect and improve quality of care

  • Eliminate abuse and neglect
  • Improve the quality of care and treatment in facilities and protect rights, while working towards the goal of returning to the community

Increase access to benefits, services, and health care

  • Increase and maintain access to government benefits
  • Increase and maintain access to public and private health programs
  • Increase and maintain access to effective, client-centered, voluntary community mental health services
  • Make sure that people with developmental disabilities receive Lanterman Act services based on their needs and choices

Increase access to education, housing, transportation, and employment

  • Increase children’s and youth’s access to appropriate education services in the most integrated environment
  • Increase the rights of people with disabilities to have work opportunities consistent with their interests, abilities, and needs
  • Increase the rights of people with disabilities to housing they can use and afford
  • Increase the availability of adequate, accessible transportation no matter where they live and remove transportation barriers

Make sure the autonomy, preferences, and choices of people with disabilities are respected

  • Increase protections for the preferences, opinions, bodily integrity, and privacy rights of individuals with disabilities
  • Promote the rights of people with disabilities to direct their own lives
  • Expand services and protections for parents with disabilities
  • Increase participation by people with disabilities on local and state policy-making bodies and boards
  • Make sure that voting systems and processes are accessible and barrier free

Increase Culturally Competent and Geographically Accessible Services

  • Make sure that systems value disability, diversity, culture, and each individual
  • Make sure that there is equal provision of services in all geographic areas

Enforce Rights

  • Make sure that there is access to courts, administrative agencies, and legal services so that individuals with disabilities can defend and enforce their rights

What We Do (back to the top)

  1. Tell people with disabilities about their many legal, civil, and service rights,
  2. Provide technical assistance, training, publications, and advocacy support for Californians with disabilities, their families, and representatives,
  3. Advocate to make sure that laws benefit Californians with disabilities,
  4. Investigate complaints about serious physical or sexual abuse and neglect-related deaths in institutions,
  5. Outreach to traditionally underserved ethnic and disability communities,
  6. Provide peer self-advocacy services for people with psychiatric or developmental disabilities,
  7. Provide patients’ rights advocacy for state psychiatric hospital residents, and technical assistance and training for county advocates,
  8. Provide rights advocacy for clients with developmental disabilities who are receiving services at regional centers,
  9. Bring impact litigation and act as amicus curiae in disability- related cases, and
  10. Represent individuals based on our priorities and case selection criteria.

Examples of Problems we Can Help With

We help people with disabilities to solve disability-related problems. If you have a disability and qualify for services, we can help you with problems like:

  • Rights to basic support, personal care, therapy, and health care – like Supplemental Security Income (SSI), In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS)
  • Discrimination in housing, transportation, employment, and access to public and private programs and services
  • Abuse, neglect, and rights violations in an institution
  • Least restrictive environment, dignity, privacy, choice, and other basic rights
  • Special education rights
  • Mental health and support services that provide individualized treatment
  • Regional Center eligibility and services that promote independence – such as supported living and family supports
  • Voting registration, vote casting, and accessible polling places
  • Access to technology – like communication devices and power wheelchairs

If we can’t be of direct assistance, we refer people to other sources of help.

We also takes our services into the community, wherever children, youth, and adults with disabilities live or go to school or obtain services.

'Whom We Help (back to the top)

We provide advocacy help for Californians with disabilities. You could be eligible for our services if:

  • You have a developmental disability
  • You are a regional center consumer
  • You have a psychiatric disability or emotional impairment
  • You are a patient in a state psychiatric hospital
  • You have a physical, learning, or sensory disability
  • You have a traumatic brain injury
  • You need access to technology that you believe may help you live a fuller, more independent life
  • You receive SSI or SSDI and need help with employment issues or keeping your benefits when you return to work
  • You have questions about your right to vote

In deciding whether we can represent you directly, we will consider:

  • The merits of your claim
  • Your ability to advocate for yourself
  • Other advocacy sources you could use
  • Whether your problem falls within one of our priority areas
  • Availability of our resources

If we decide that we can not help you and you disagree, you can file a grievance.

Each of our grants and contracts has specific service eligibility criteria. If you want a copy of these criteria, the complete case selection criteria, or a grievance form call (800) 776-5746 or visit the links below.

Grievance Form

If we decide that we can not help you and you disagree, you can file a grievance. Here are the procedures and form for filing a grievance in English, Spanish, Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Russian, Tagalog, Hmong, Armenian, Ukranian, Laotian, Thai, Arabic, or Japanese.

PAIMI Assurance Grievance Form

In compliance with the Protection and Advocacy for Mentally Ill Individuals Act (PAIMI), here are the procedures and form for filing an PAIMI assurance grievance in English, Spanish, Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Russian, Tagalog, Hmong, Armenian, Ukranian, Laotian, Thai, Arabic, or Japanese.

Office of Clients' Rights Advocacy (OCRA) Grievance Form

OCRA provides advocacy help for persons with developmental disabilities in California through funding from the State Department of Developmental Disabilities.

In deciding whether OCRA can represent you directly, we will consider:

  • The merits of your claim;
  • Your ability to advocate for yourself;
  • Other advocacy sources you could use;
  • Whether your problem is related to your developmental disability; and
  • Availability of resources.

In order to ensure that individuals with developmental disabilities have access to high quality advocacy services, OCRA has the following Grievance Procedure which consumers or their representatives can use in English and Spanish.

How to Get Help (back to the top)

To ask for our services anywhere in California, call our toll free number:
1-800-776-5746 (Voice)
1-800-719-5798 (TTY)

You can also get help by contacting one of our regional legal offices:

Sacramento Regional Office
916-488-9950 (Voice)
1-800-719-5798 (TTY)

Bay Area Regional Office
510-267-1200 (Voice)
1-800-719-5798 (TTY)
213-427-8747 (Voice)
1-800-719-5798 (TTY)

San Diego Regional Office
619-239-7861 (Voice)
1-800-719-5798 (TTY)

If you are a regional center client, you may ask for help from the Office of Clients’ Rights Advocacy (OCRA).

Office of Clients’ Rights Advocacy
1-800-390-7032 (Voice)
916-575-1615 (Voice)
1-877-669-6023 (TTY)

If you are a patient at a state psychiatric hospital you may ask for help from the Office of Patients’ Rights (OPR).

Office of Patients’ Rights
916-575-1610 (Voice)

You may also access other advocacy services by contacting our Advocacy Unit.

Advocacy Unit
Legislation and Public Information Unit (LPIU)
916-497-0331 (Voice)

Communications/Media
510-267-1200 (Voice)
1-800-719-5798 (TTY)

Peer Self-Advocacy Units
916-488-7787 (Voice)
1-800-776-5746 (Voice)
916-488-7715 (TTY)

Collaborative Projects
916-488-7787 (Voice)
1-800-776-5746 (Voice)
916-488-7715 (TTY)

Strategic Goals (back to the top)

Diversity and Outreach Goals

Staff Diversity Goals

As a disability advocacy organization, we are committed to implementing the principles it advocates in its work place including employing people with disabilities, implementing model employment practices including reasonable accommodations and accessibility throughout the workplace, and involving people with disabilities in decision making at all levels of the organization. To demonstrate its commitment, our Board of Directors adopts the following time-limited goals to augment its merit-based selection and retention policies:

  • The majority of staff employed by us should be individuals with disabilities.
  • The staff of each office and unit should reflect the disability diversity of the communities they serve.
  • People with disabilities should be employed at all levels of the organization including directors, managers, advocacy staff, administrative, and support staff.

California is the most ethnically diverse state in the nation. We are committed to ensuring that it is able to effectively serve individuals with disabilities from ethnic and language distinct communities. We are committed to employing people of color, including people of color with disabilities, and implementing model employment practices and involving people of color in decision making at all levels of the organization. To demonstrate our commitment, our Board of Directors adopts the following time-limited goals to augment its merit-based selection and retention policies:

  • The staff of each office and unit should reflect the ethnic and language diversity of the communities they serve.
  • People of color should be employed at all levels of the organization, including directors, managers, advocacy staff, administrative, and support staff.
  • Increase the number of multilingual staff, particularly those who speak Spanish and Asian languages, based on the needs of the communities served by our offices and units.

We value diversity of life experiences and believe that employing individuals whose life experiences are similar to those of our clients will make its advocacy more effective. We seek out people with familiarity or contacts with homelessness, the criminal justice system, people with substance abuse issues, or the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender, and Intersex (LGBTI) community.

To implement these time-limited goals, each office and unit will develop periodic, time-limited Diversity Plans.

Our staff are our most valuable resource and make sure that we are able to effectively serve Californians with disabilities. In order to make sure that we are able to recruit and retain a highly qualified, diverse workforce, we will strive to provide competitive salaries and benefits.

Board Diversity Goals

Our Board of Directors is committed to ensuring that the Board reflects the diversity of California. As a disability rights organization, at least a majority of the Board shall be comprised of people with disabilities and members with disabilities will have opportunities to participate in Board leadership positions. In addition, every effort shall be made to make sure that appointments reflect the socioeconomic, ethnic, geographic, and disability diversity of the State.

The Board will include public members on various Board committees as a way of ensuring diverse perspectives are heard. The Board will identify ways to include youth with disabilities in Board committee work.

Community Outreach Goals

We are committed to ensuring that its services are accessible to individuals with disabilities from ethnically and language distinct communities and that its services are provided in a disability and culturally competent manner.

To demonstrate its commitment, our Board of Directors adopts the following goals:

  • Make sure that the provision of advocacy services reflects the language, and ethnic diversity of each office and unit service area.
  • Target advocacy services to individuals from communities that are traditionally underserved by the office or unit. Underserved communities include: ethnic and language distinct communities, immigrant communities, rural and low-income communities, people who are homeless, individuals from the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex community, individuals from distinct disability communities, and children and youth in the foster care or juvenile justice systems.

To implement these goals each office and unit will develop periodic Outreach Plans.

Public Policy, Communication and Public Education Goals

Advance our Advocacy Principles by:

  • Public Policy Advocacy
  • Developing an annual legislative platform
  • Sponsoring or co-sponsoring select legislation or co-sponsoring initiatives
  • Advocating on select bills, initiatives, and budget issues
  • Strengthening and increasing the effectiveness of our coalition building activities with the disability rights movement and other civil rights, social justice, and legal services groups
  • Participating in task forces, ad hoc committees, meetings, and coalitions
  • Promoting our disability rights expertise to the community at large

Communication

  • Promoting positive images of people with disabilities through communications strategies including the media and our website
  • Ensuring that media and communications strategies are part of all aspects of our work including legislation, litigation, advocacy, and communications
  • Strengthening our communication tools and strategies including our website and the use of other internet tools in order to tell others about our work and advance our work.

Public Education

  • Informing and educating people with disabilities about our services by:
    • Publishing an Annual Report
    • Making information about us available in other languages
  • Informing and educating people with disabilities about laws, policies and services that impact their rights by:
    • Producing materials for people with disabilities and increasing the accessibility of those publications by writing at appropriate literacy levels, translating materials into languages other than English, and creating alternative formats
    • Providing training and other education activities for people with disabilities, their families, their advocates, and organizations which target traditionally underserved communities

Goals to Expand, Enhance, and Improve the Effectiveness of our Services

  • As resources become available, develop periodic plans which will enable us to:
    • Expand our current legal advocacy, peer/self advocacy, clients’ rights and patients’ rights advocacy, and other advocacy services.
    • Expand services to more remote and geographically underserved communities.
    • Increase our ability to respond to emerging issues.
    • Evaluate and enhance current methods of providing and administering our services.

Advocacy Principles, Priorities, and Goals (back to the top)

Advocacy Principles

Our advocacy will be zealous, dedicated, effective, creative, innovative, and daring.

We will take on issues of importance to the disability community even when the outcome is uncertain.

We will integrate a variety of advocacy approaches in all of our work, including self-advocacy, legal, non-legal, media, public policy, legislative, and investigatory.

We value diversity. Our staff should reflect the ethnic, language, and disability diversity, and demographic diversity of California: rural, age, sexual orientation, a range of different life experiences that reflect the disability community.

Our advocacy efforts will affirmatively address the needs of traditionally underserved and under-represented communities through partnership with such communities.

Our advocacy will be of high quality regardless of the type of service, the nature of the problem or who the client is. We will be honest, prepared, truthful, and informed.

All staff is expected to contribute and their contributions will be valued and respected.

When representing individuals:

  • We will do what the client wants – not what we or others think is best,
  • We are honest about our limitations, values, resources, and the likely outcome,
  • The client chooses the outcome and the method of achieving the outcome and the client’s choices will be treated with respect, and
  • The client actively participates in every stage of the process.

Advocacy Priorities

We have identified the following priority areas for the next five-year period:

  • Abuse and Neglect
  • Discrimination
  • Benefits
  • Education for Children and Youth
  • Lanterman Act
  • Mental Health
  • Peer and Self-Advocacy
  • Collaborative Projects
  • Patients’ Rights Advocacy
  • Clients’ Rights Advocacy

On the following pages is an issue statement and specific goals for each of these areas.

Annual Advocacy Plan Goals and Objectives (2010-2011) (back to the top)