(Tulare County, CA) - Disability Rights California (DRC) reached a groundbreaking settlement agreement with Tulare County that will expand the County’s mental health services and prevent unnecessary institutionalization and incarceration. The settlement is a culmination of a multi-year investigation by DRC and subsequent negotiations with the County’s Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA). 

Disability Rights California mourns the lives lost in the tragic plane crash near Washington, DC on January 29, 2025.

As everyone continues to simply try and comprehend the destruction taking place in and around Los Angeles, many conversations have been started or re-opened about fire prevention, governance, and how our resources are being used. One of the most powerful stories that reemerged this past week was that of the incarcerated people, who make up a shocking 30% of California's firefighters. Regardless of where people self-identify politically, there is consensus that these brave people were risking their lives while providing a heroic and desperately needed service.

With the current wildfires and windstorms affecting Southern California, we’re sharing resources for people with disabilities. This information has been compiled by DRC's Disaster Resilience Program.

Disability Rights California Emergency Preparedness resources: https://www.disabilityrightsca.org/resources/emergency-preparedness.

Governor Newsom’s Administration unveiled its proposed state budget on January 10th. The proposed budget avoids substantial cuts to existing funding commitments. However, the Administration highlighted several factors that could introduce economic volatility in the coming years. These include fluctuations in tax revenues, uncertainty stemming from the incoming presidential administration, and the ongoing impacts of wildfires ravaging Los Angeles County.

Yesterday, the U.S. federal government announced a new rule dedicated to improving air travel for passengers with disabilities, especially for those who use mobility devices. The rule strengthens and clarifies the rights of people with disabilities who use air travel. 

This week, a New York jury acquitted Daniel Penny, a white man who killed Jordan Neely, a 30-year-old unhoused Black man experiencing a mental health crisis on the New York City subway in May of 2023. Penny killed Neely by choking him for almost 6 minutes. Penny’s acquittal demonstrates how our legal system continues to protect those who use violence to calm their own fears—even when those fears may be rooted in racism, ableism, and hostility towards the unhoused. 

As we wrap up 2024, we’re reflecting on the stories and social media posts that resonated with you, our community, this past year. We are motivated to start a new year of advocating for disability rights!

Disability Rights California applauds the proposed rule by the federal Department of Labor to phase out subminimum wage for people with disabilities. The proposed rule, announced on Tuesday with a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), would end the issuing of 14(c) certificates, which permit businesses to pay people with disabilities below the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. If implemented, the proposal would phase out 14(c) certificates altogether over a 3-year period, ending subminimum wage nationwide.  

California voters had a chance to end forced labor as punishment and take a compassionate approach to drug addiction and poverty, but instead chose a different path. We worry these outcomes show a trend of punishing and exploiting people with disabilities rather than investing in more effective, compassionate solutions.

To My Colleagues in the Disability Community:

As I reflect on last week’s election results in California and nationally, I see our movement is entering a new era, one with serious threats and big changes on the horizon. I am determined to work with my colleagues across our community to build power and assert ourselves in order to protect and advance our rights.

Let me explain —

(SACRAMENTO, CA) – Today, the newly formed California Disability Leadership Alliance (The Alliance) published its first report: State of the State: California Disability Policy in 2024. The Alliance is comprised of disability and Deaf leaders from disability-led organizations.

AB 545 (Pellerin) is now in full effect as of January 1, 2024! This law improves in-person voting for voters with disabilities by ensuring greater accessibility at voting locations across California. Here’s what it means for voters: