Our vision statement: Disability Rights California will change the system so it values diversity, culture and each individual

Links to Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Federal disability laws, California disability laws, Disability rights information

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

  • Revised: ADA regulations implementing Title II and Title III, signed on July 23, 2010
  • The Americans with Disabilities Act Amendmends Act of 2008 - This website has useful information about the The Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008. (6/18/2010)
  • Kids Data - Data for all counties, cities and school districts in California. Wide range of topics measuring the health and welfare of children - Child Safety, Demographics, Diesabilities, Special Health Care Needs, Education & Child Care, Emotional & Behavioral Health, Family Economics, Physical Health and Public Opinion. (11/19/09)
  • Inclusion International - Inclusion International and its members are contributing realizing the rights of people with disabilities and their families in the following areas: Poverty Reduction, Children and Families, I.I. Millennium, Development Goals, UN Disability Convention, Human Rights, and Self-advocacy - also in (Spanish) and (French).
  • Comparison chart of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), the ADA Amendments Act of 2008, and the Fair Employment & Housing Act (FEHA) (pdf) - includes definitions of terms used in each act.
  • ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADA-AA) (pdf) a guide to the sections amended by the 2008 Amendments to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
  • ADA Archive: The Path to Equality - a comprehensive, online archive of documents and history related to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA) - the law, legislative history, congressional hearings, Supreme Court cases, federal regulations, policy and advocacy documents. 
  • ADA Audio conferences - all sessions on ADA & other disability issues are in three formats - teleconference, streaming audio via the Internet, real-time captioning via the Internet; all sessions will have a written transcript as well as an archived digital recording of the session; education credits/certificates available for many sessions.
  • ADA Home Page - U.S. Department of Justice - information and technical assistance on the Americans with Disabilities Act
  • ADA Information and Publications - U.S. Department of Justice - information and technical assistance on the Americans with Disabilities Act
  • ADA Portal - A web portal on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and offers visitors approximately 3,400 documents in 10 subject categories on the ADA .  The web portal was launched by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) at the Department of Education.
  • ADA Training Resource Center (DBTAC) - Your one-stop for courses, events & tools.
  • ADATA - The ADA & IT Technical Assistance Centers that are comprehensive resources for information on the Americans with Disabilities Act and accessible information technology. Also toll free at 1-800-949-4232 (V/TTY).

Federal disability laws

U.S. Congress - this Library of Congress site helps you find out what is going on in Congress, track legislation by bill number or bill name, and get the full text, status, authors, sponsors, etc.

California disability laws

  • California Department of General Services – Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH) - Mission Statement: “We provide a neutral forum for fair and independent resolution of matters in a professional, efficient and innovative way, ensuring due process and respecting the dignity of all.”
  • California State Legislation – information on pending bills, legislation and statutes – search by bill number, author, subject.  
  • California State Phone Directory  – state phone directories are searchable by employee or agency, and there is an organizational chart.  
  • California State Regulations - The Office of Administrative Law (OAL) ensures that agency regulations are clear, necessary, legally valid, and available to the public. OAL is responsible for reviewing administrative regulations proposed by over 200 state agencies for compliance with the standards set forth in California's Administrative Procedure Act (APA), for transmitting these regulations to the Secretary of State and for publishing regulations in the California Code of Regulations.
  • FindLaw California - California legal resources; laws, statutes, codes; case law and opinions; links to other legal sites; California and U.S. Government sites; California legal forms; attorneys by name and specialty; California law schools and law libraries.

Disability rights information

  • AAPD - American Association of People with Disabilities - a nonprofit, non-partisan, cross-disability organization whose goals are unity, leadership and impact.
  • Accessibility Development Associates, Inc. - In 1984, citizen volunteers appointed by Governors and charged to fulfill the purposes and spirit of the federal Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act formed a representative national nonprofit organization, the Coalition for Juvenile Justice (CJJ).
  • Access America for People with Disabilities - is a comprehensive government site launched to mark the 10th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. It is searchable and includes sections on Children and Youth; Choice and Self-Determination; Civil Rights and Protections; College and Adult Education; Disability Statistics; Emergency Preparedness; Employment; Health; Housing; Income Support; Recreation and Travel; Self-Employment; Tax Credits an Deductions; Technology; Transportation; and current events and information. (1.)
  • Aging with a Disability - The Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) - is funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), a part of the U.S. Department of Education. RRTC conducts rehabilitation research, trains others about findings, and provides information to consumers and professionals. See also the American Society on Aging - www.asaging.org web site for more information on aging with a disability.
  • The Arc - links to state and local Arc chapters; mental retardation and developmental disability sites; discussion board; legislative alerts; publications; training materials; fact sheets.
  • The Arc of California - advocates for persons with developmental disabilities and their families; site includes legislative updates, and a tool kit on parental co-pay regulations, and a Monday Morning Memo.
  • Area Boards on Developmental Disabilities - has a directory of area boards, information on legislation that affects people with disabilities, California and national information for people with developmental disabilities, families, providers, advocates, and others.
  • Calendar of Events in Disability, Rehabilitation and Assistive Technology - updated regularly with information gathered from many public sources
  • California Counties - list of (and links to) county web sites
  • CAL-TASH - California chapter of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps - stretching the boundaries of what is possible.
  • CAMHPRA - California Association of Mental Health Patients Rights Advocates - the Internet door to patients' rights. CAMHPRA supports county patients' rights advocates and promotes public policy that protects the rights and well being of mental health consumers.
  • CFILC - California Foundation of Independent Living Centers - focuses on networking and support for positive change; has a directory of addresses and contacts for independent living centers; links to related organizations.
  • Children Now - is a nonpartisan, independent voice for children, working to translate the nation's commitment to children and families into action with particular concern for those who are poor or at risk using communication strategies to reach parents, lawmakers, citizens, business, media and community leaders generating positive change on behalf of children.
  • Children's Defense Fund - The Children's Defense Fund (CDF) is a private, nonprofit organization established to provide an effective voice for all the children of America who cannot vote, lobby or speak for themselves, paying particular attention to the needs of poor and minority children and those with disabilities.
  • California State Independent Living Council (SILC) - links to California's Independent Living Center (ILC) Network, phone numbers for local ILCs, other Web sites of interest, reports and documents on independent living.
  • Community Links Monterey County - links to volunteer and service organizations.
  • Civil Rights Litigation Clearinghouse - is a web-based collection of documents and data relating to civil rights cases about prisons, jails, juvenile institutions, police practices, immigration, child welfare, public housing, nursing homes, mental retardation and mental health facilities; and more.
  • CCD - Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities - advocates on behalf of people with physical and mental disabilities and their families - to ensure self-determination, independence, empowerment, integration, inclusion; enhance civil rights and quality of life; reflect the values of the ADA. Lots of links to other disability organizations.
  • DAWWN - Disability Advocacy Work With Networking - information on disabilities and advocacy. Links to other disability sites.
  • Designing Accessible Communities - information to help you provide solutions to concerns and questions about access. 
  • Disability Blogger - questions and answers about disabilities, with links to more information and help with Social Security claims
  • Disability is Natural - thought-provoking articles, products to promote new ways of thinking, and more.
  • Disability Law Lowdown - a set of podcasts in English, Spanish and American Sign Language with up-to-date information on the Americans with Disabilities Act and related disability laws. Listen to the podcasts, read the transcripts on the website, or download them to your MP3 player and listen at your convenience.
  • Disability Secrets - applying for social security disability and SSI benefits, with or without an advocate can be difficult due to how long a claim may take and the high chance of being denied. But those who are denied disability can win benefits by utilizing the appeals process. To increase the chances of winning, applicants should learn about the system and file an appeal when a claim is denied.
  • Disability Studies Quarterly - a journal of disability studies.
  • Disability World - bimonthly web-zine of international disability news and views.
  • DREDF - Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, Inc. - national law and policy center dedicated to protecting and advancing the civil rights of people with disabilities through legislation, litigation, advocacy, technical assistance, and education and training of attorneys, advocates, persons with disabilities, and parents of children with disabilities.
  • DREES - Disability Rights, Enforcement, Education, Services - disability resources, disABILITY Forum, disability rights enforcement, education, services, links to disability organizations, universal design, action alerts, ways to get involved.
  • Enabled Online - news, links, editorials, jobs, and human interest articles that are about disability issues.
  • Hearing Loss Association of America - the nation's voice for people with hearing loss.
  • ICDRI (International Center for Disability Resources on the Internet) - Accessibility, technology, activities, calendar, products and services, books
  • Impact: Feature Issue on Disaster Preparedness and People with Disabilities - from the Institute on Community Integration - strategies, stories and resources to help ensure that when the next disaster or emergency occurs, no one is left behind.
  • Indian Country Today - current events, voting, calendar, editorials and cartoons.
  • Indian Village - Native American culture, history, arts and crafts.
  • Indianz.com - internet resource for Native American youth, features news, arts and entertainment, education, health and wellness, humor, gaming, jobs, law, relationships.
  • Job Accommodation Network (JAN) - A service of the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) of the U.S. Department of Labor. In addition to providing information on job accommodations, self-employment and small business opportunities, JAN provides information on the Americans with Disabilities Act.
  • Juvenile Justice Coalition - national resource on delinquency prevention and juvenile justice issues.
  • Leadership for a Changing World - seeks to recognize, strengthen and support leaders. Each year awards grants to 20 outstanding leaders or leadership groups that are not well known outside their community. The site has information on how you can nominate a leader or organization.
  • L. I. Autism - forums, events, resources, articles
  • Let Everyone Participate - has information about language access to federal programs and activities.
  • Make Them Go Away - "Make Them Go Away: Clint Eastwood, Christopher Reeve and the Case Against Disability Rights," by Mary Johnson, a long-time disability social issues reporter,  examines the arguments against disability rights, presents the other side, and explains the disability rights vision that underpins the ADA.
  • NADC - National Arts and Disability Center - the national information dissemination, technical assistance and referral center specializing in the field of arts and disability. NADC promotes full inclusion of children and adults with disabilities in the visual-, performing-, media, and literary-arts communities. This rich and deep site features resource directories, annotated bibliographies, related links, conferences on accessibility to the arts, and much, much more.
  • NDRN - National Disability Rights Network - Links to disability organizations; government agencies and departments; publications; policy updates; resources for people with disabilities.
  • Native America Calling - weekly radio talk show is part of Native American Public Telecommunications.
  • Native American Public Telecommunications - empowering, educating, entertaining through native media.
  • Native American Times - news, opinion, sports, business, entertainment and more.
  • Navajo-Hopi Observer - news, opinion, sports, entertainment and more.
  • NOD - National Organization on Disability - national organization promotes the full and equal participation of America's 40 million men, women and children with disabilities in all aspects of life. Site has information on disabilities, answers to frequently asked questions, publications, press releases, employment, links to other related sites.
  • Nonprofit advocacy - information on types of advocacy, training and workshop calendar, rules and regulations. budget, advocacy polls, links to leverage outreach capacity.
  • Preparing for a Disability Hearing: A Resource List - essay on how to decide whether you need representation and how to prepare for a hearing
  • Racial and ethnic differences in self-related health status among adults with and without disabilities - strategies to reduce racial health inequalities must improve the health and well-being of people with disabilities as well; statistics on health of people with/without disabilities.
  • Road to Freedom - The web site for The Road To Freedom bus tour, a national awareness campaign inspired by the historic journey of Justin and Yoshiko Dart to mobilize support for passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), launched its year-long, cross-country bus journey launched from Washington , DC on November 15th, 2006 .
  • RRTC - Rehabilitation Research & Training Center on Aging with a Disability - has information about aging with a disability and links to similar sites.
  • SCI - Spinal Cord Injury Information Pages - nonprofit for people with spinal cord injury and other disabling injuries or diseases of the spine.
  • TASH - The Association for People with Severe Handicaps - works in partnership with disability advocates worldwide. TASH is a civil rights organization for, and of, people with mental retardation, autism, cerebral palsy, physical disabilities and other conditions that make full integration a challenge.
  • Things 'to' say to people with disabilities - the key to interacting with a colleague who has a disability, says Nancy Starnes, vice president of the National Organization on Disability, is to interact with the person, not the disability, particularly if you're meeting the colleague for the first time.
  • Universal Designers and Consultants - Links to valuable websites, free access to Universal Design Newsletter and free downloads of technical documents.
  • Voices of Civil Rights - the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, the Library of Congress, and AARP want stories about your experiences with the Civil Rights Movement, including stories from people with disabilities. The project will eventually be housed at the Smithsonian Institution.