USA - On the eve of the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the White House issued an order to return to the bad old days of warehousing people with mental health and intellectual and developmental disabilities, people with substance abuse disorders, and anyone who has fallen through the cracks of our increasingly crack-ridden society, in jails, psychiatric institutions, and potentially even Federal detainment. 

San Bernardino County, CA - They Treat Us Like Dogs in Cages,” the alarming new report from Disability Rights California’s (DRC) Investigations Unit and Mental Health Practice Group details that people with disabilities are being subjected to abuse and neglect at the Adelanto Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Processing Center in San Bernardino County, CA.

Sacramento, CA - Today, Disability Rights California (DRC) released a report which is the first to examine the Department of State Hospitals’ Early Access and Stabilization Services (EASS) program, a new program providing limited treatment services to individuals in jail who have been found incompetent to stand trial and are awaiting competency restoration services. Over the past three years, the Department of State Hospitals has invested over $500 million to implement the program in nearly every county jail in California and enrolled over 5,000 individuals.

In the face of the largest cuts to Medicaid in history, DRC affirms its continued advocacy for all people with disabilities

Today, the Supreme Court of the United States released its decision in United States Of America, Petitioner v. Jonathan Thomas Skrmetti, et al., a case about healthcare and autonomy. Specifically, Skrmetti challenged a blanket ban on hormone therapy for gender-affirming care for youth in Tennessee. The Supreme Court issued a profoundly disappointing ruling by allowing the cruel ban to remain in effect.  

(SACRAMENTO, CA) – Yesterday, a bill protecting people and organizations that provide support services or life-saving assistance to a person who is experiencing homelessness passed the Senate Floor by a margin of 23-11.

Governor Newsom’s May Revision of the proposed 2025-26 state budget, unveiled late Wednesday morning, presents a dangerous vision for California spending, one that will cause tremendous harm, and one that is deeply unaligned with the real needs and desires of the vast majority of Californians.

Sacramento, CA — Congress will soon vote on the Budget Reconciliation Bill which will decide on massive cuts to Medicaid. These cuts would be the largest Medicaid cuts in history and, if enacted, the next 10 years would see $715 billion in cuts and 14 million people losing vital health care coverage. This is not just a budget cut, it’s severing a lifeline to millions of Americans. We call on Congress, especially the Congressional Representatives from California to vote No and stop the cuts to Medicaid.

Disability Rights California urges the state to protect veterans following recent actions from the federal administration that will create unnecessary hardship. The Department of Veterans Affairs expects to decrease staff by over 80,000 people and reorganize the agency by August. We recognize the significant intersection between disability and veteran identity status, as well as the need for ongoing healthcare services during administrative changes.

The Department of Education is crucial to students with disabilities, and Disability Rights California denounces today’s executive order that threatens to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education and related programs. The efforts to weaken the Department have been made recklessly and threaten to leave many school-aged children with disabilities and their families without proper access to quality public education and their civil rights. 

(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.

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. 

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 —