In this, the 50th anniversary year of the landmark federal civil rights law for people with disabilities, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, we applaud the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra’s decision to update and strengthen the law’s healthcare-related regulations. Section 504 of the Rehab Act is a cornerstone of disability rights law, prohibiting disability discrimination by federal agencies and recipients of federal funding and providing the framework for The Americans with Disabilities Act.

(Sacramento, CA) – Disability Rights California (DRC) and Disability Rights Advocates (DRA) have released a report, “Youth in Crisis: How Kings County Locks Up Youth With Disabilities.” This report outlines findings from a multi-year investigation of the conditions at the Kings County Juvenile Center. DRC and DRA call on Kings County to reform the horrific conditions and needlessly punitive practices at the detention center. 

(Sacramento, CA) - In a report released today, “Restraint and Seclusion in California Schools: Findings and Recommendations from the 2021-22 School Year Data,” Disability Rights California (DRC) calls on California to enact greater protections for students against prone, or facedown, restraint and other dangerous techniques used in schools. 

(Sacramento, CA) – DRC joins with the peer community in solidarity to oppose Senate Bill 326 and demand the voice of consumers be heard. Hundreds of peers, organized by a coalition of DRC, peer-run organizations and individual peer advocates called Peers Advocating for Rights and Recovery (PARR), plan to converge together at the California Assembly Health Committee Senate Bill 326 hearing on August 22, 2023, to voice their opposition to this legislation.

On September 12, 2023, representatives from the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services (SAMHSA), Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) will visit the Disability Rights California for the State of California in Sacramento. 

SAMHSA/CMHS invites you to send comments about the PAIMI Program services and activities conducted by the Disability Rights California.

(Los Angeles, CA) - Under federal law, students with disabilities have long had the right to be educated with their typically developing peers in regular classrooms, with only limited exceptions. This principle of full inclusion requires that students be placed in the “least restrictive environment” appropriate to their needs. 

Office of General Counsel, Rules Docket Clerk
Department of Housing and Urban Development
451 7th Street SW, Room 10276
Washington, DC 20410-0500

RE: [Docket No. FR-6257-A-01] Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability: Updates to HUD’s Section 504 Regulations. RIN 2529-AB03

To Whom it May Concern, 

Disability Rights California recently hosted a live conversation on social media about ending solitary confinement and centering disability. Facilitated by solitary survivor and DRC Community Organizer Vanessa Ramos, the conversation brought together solitary confinement experts Michael Saavedra and Professor Jamelia Morgan to share their experiences on both the carceral and legal sides of the issue. 

Every summer Disability Rights California welcomes Law Clerks from schools around the country to learn and hone their advocacy skills. Each Law Clerk brings their own personal experiences and passions to DRC.

Governor Newsom has signed the California budget for 2024. The 2023-24 budget includes total spending of $310.8 billion with a focus on protecting core programs. The Budget covers a $31.7 billion deficit with a combination of funding delays, fund shifts, and some reductions.

(Sacramento, CA) – Disability Rights California applauds the creation of the Office of Employment First, which will support employment opportunities for Californians with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD). Disability Rights California worked to advance this proposal alongside the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities (SCDD), California APSE, Integrated Resources Institute, PathPoint, and Progressive Employment Concepts, Inc. 

When a natural disaster happens, it’s important that people with disabilities and their support systems be prepared with the necessary supplies, tools, and information to make the best choices for themselves. 

July 26, 2023, marks 33 years since the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The ADA was signed into law to ensure people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else. We’ve come a long way since before the signing of the ADA, but DRC and the disability community continue to fight for the rights of individuals with disabilities. DRC values all forms of diversity, and we are committed to a culture of belonging where all people are welcome.

On the last day of Pride month, and in the midst of increasing hostility and violence towards the LGBTQIA2S+ community, the United States Supreme Court held in 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis that businesses may openly discriminate against LGBTQIA2S+ individuals in the sale of certain services. Disability Rights California denounces this decision and stands in solidarity with the LGBTQIA2S+ community in fighting discrimination in all its forms.

As Disability Rights California endeavors to reverse the legacy of racism and its harmful effects on disabled communities of color, we denounce the recent Supreme Court decision that threatens to dismantle decades of progress made possible by affirmative action policies in our institutions of higher learning. The Court struck down college admissions policies that considered race as one of many factors for a diverse student body, finding that they violated the Equal Protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

SB 43 expands the definition of “grave disability,” making it much easier to involuntarily commit people to locked facilities for behavioral health reasons.