Dear Friends and Supporters,

In 2023, Disability Rights California scored some significant victories in the courts and in the Legislature as we continued to prioritize disabled people from the most marginalized communities and their families.  

During a time when it is getting safer to do in person events, our Board and staff traveled to Fresno to connect with local indigenous leaders and to Long Beach to connect with its large Cambodian community. In May, our staff gathered in San Diego for our first in-person all staff meeting in five years.  

DRC continued to push back against carceral approaches to people with mental health disabilities at the State and county levels. We challenged the unfair treatment and illegal segregation of people with mental health disabilities, especially Black people with disabilities, in psychiatric institutions, in Alameda County. Because of these efforts, a settlement was reached between DRC, the County of Alameda, and the United States Department of Justice to strengthen the County’s behavioral health system. 

We advocated on various issues, some including eliminating solitary confinement and advocating for equal opportunities for education, individual rights, healthcare, housing, transportation, and employment. In December, following years of advocacy from Disability Rights California, the State Department of Social Services released guidance implementing changes in State law that remove restrictions on when parents can be paid in In-Home Supportive Services providers for their minor children with disabilities.

DRC advocated along with coalition partners against various state efforts to expand involuntary treatment options through the implementation of CARE Court, the expansion of the definition of “gravely disabled” (which allows involuntary hospitalizations and involuntary treatments for some people with mental health disabilities), and a ballot initiative that would provide funding for the construction of locked facilities and shrink resources going to peer-led and community-based organizations providing mental health services. In the years to come, DRC will monitor the implementation of these changes and fight to protect people’s rights and steer our State and local governments away from carceral, segregated and involuntary approaches to mental health treatment and services.

In June, DRC was proud to be recognized from the State Bar of California as one of ten legal employers in California to receive the highest gold tier status in the inaugural Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Leadership Seal Program. This is an important affirmation of our efforts to champion and model diversity, equity, and inclusion, which are vital to our mission.  

Moving forward, we’re committed to working with elected officials, community members, coalition groups, leaders, and other organizations to advance human rights and economic dignity. 

We’re excited to continue making a positive impact for the disability community in California and across the nation. 

Thank you for your support!

We hope you enjoy our 2023 annual report.

In service, 

Andrew J. Imparato
drc Executive Director

Sandra Smith
2023 DRC Board Chair