Dear Friends and Supporters,

During 2022, we continued to advocate for the disability community and fight to protect the rights so all individuals have power and are treated with dignity and respect and can determine the course of their own lives.

As the country and California continue to face challenges, we know more than ever how important it is that we are part of a broader fight for justice, including the unique challenges faced by people who experience the intersection of multiple systems of discrimination.  

Throughout the year, we collaborated, engaged with, and led hundreds of national and local events to connect with disability community members, organizations, and leaders.  We provided resources, education, trainings, and gained feedback from individuals directly impacted to continue to guide our advocacy.  

We advocated on various issues, some including eliminating solitary confinement and opposing CARE Court, and advocated for equal opportunities for individual rights, employment, and education.  We hosted an Education Equity Summit to discuss disparities in education resources and solutions for the most marginalized students by bringing together national, state, and local policy leaders.

We advocated for the health and safety of individuals in detention facilities and state hospitals. As part of this work, we successfully won a groundbreaking settlement in a case to implement essential changes to policies and conditions in the Orange County Jail.  We are hopeful this will impact California’s treatment of all incarcerated people, including people with disabilities and people who identify as LGBTQIA+.  

As we enter our 45th anniversary in 2023, we look forward to continuing to engage with elected officials, community members, coalition groups, leaders, and other organizations to advance human rights and economic dignity. We are hopeful that we can continue to lift up more intersectional disability voices from the community. 

We remain encouraged by the people we serve, their families, caregivers, our employees, and partners committed to disability justice.  Thank you for your leadership and support. We look forward to continuing to work with you to affect change for the disability community across California and the nation!

We hope you enjoy our 2022 annual report.

In service, 

Andrew J. Imparato
drc Executive Director

Sandra Smith
2022 drc Board President