Press Releases & Statements
Press Releases & Statements
For information on press releases and/or statements please contact:
Melody Pomraning
Communications Director
(916) 504-5938
melody.pomraning@disabilityrightsca.org
Disability Rights California (DRC) - Is the agency designated under federal law to protect and advocate for the rights of Californians with disabilities. The mission of DRC is to advance the rights, dignity, equal opportunities, and choices for all people with disabilities.
Follow us on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter for the latest news on disability rights issues.
Settlement Reached to Eliminate the Proration of In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) Protective Supervision
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) Concludes that Alameda County, California, Violates the Americans with Disabilities Act and the U.S. Constitution
Disability Rights California Encouraged by Recent Verdict
Yesterday, the verdict of guilty on all charges for the murder of George Floyd brings solace to George Floyd’s family, encouragement to Black people who have been subjected to racism for generations, and hope to all people who value human life and equal justice under the law.
DRC and Advocates File Complaint Responding to Death at Mesa Verde Detention Facility
Disability Rights California Statement in Response to Recent Violence
As an organization that defends, advances, and strengthens the rights of people with disabilities, Disability Rights California is horrified by the violence against Isaias Cervantes, a 25-year-old Latino deaf and autistic man. On March 31, 2021, a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputy shot Isaias in his back on the floor of his living room. The shooting left Isaias in critical condition with a spinal cord injury. He remains hospitalized, breathing through a ventilator. If he survives, he may never walk again.
California is One Step Closer to Paying Workers with Disabilities Minimum Wage for Their Labor
DRC and Advocates Request Community-Based Services
Disability Rights California (DRC) joins the ACLU, Justice LA, and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) in requesting that the LA County Board of Supervisors support the Office of Diversion and Reentry (ODR) to provide community-based services for persons considered felony incompetent to stand trial
Disability Rights California Statement in Response to Recent Events toward Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
Disability Rights California (DRC) along with its Asian Pacific Islander Resource and Empowerment (ASPIRE) staff members are heartbroken by the acts of violence on March 16, 2021. Eight people were killed at three different businesses in Georgia, including six Asian women.
COVID-19 Vaccine for People with Disabilities -In the News
Disability Rights California and advocates share frustration with the new release of guidelines from Governor Newsom for the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine. The new guidelines result in the disabled, chronically ill, high-risk, and immunocompromised people under 65 having to wait even longer, putting their lives at risk.
Disability Rights California announces selection of Eric Harris as the new Director of Public Policy
Disability Rights California (DRC) is delighted to announce the selection of Eric Harris as the new Director of Public Policy beginning February 10, 2020.
California Department of Education (CDE) Ruled in Favor of Students with Disabilities Who Were Denied Special Education Assessments by the Sacramento City Unified School District (SCUSD) During the COVID-19 Pandemic
(Sacramento, CA) - On January 19th, the California Department of Education (CDE) ruled in favor of students with disabilities, declaring that the Sacramento City Unified School District (SCUSD) has failed to conduct special education assessments since distance learning began amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lawsuit Seeks Injunctive Relief and Damages for Black Child with Disabilities Who Was Handcuffed, Forcibly Detained by Moreno Valley Campus Security Officers and the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department
Plaintiff also calls for the School District to invest in positive supports for students and end its harsh and controversial reliance on police intervention, which results in handcuffing, restraint, arrest, campus removal, and hospitalization for disability-related behaviors.
(Moreno Valley, CA) – On February 4th, Disability Rights California, Barajas & Rivera APC, and Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund filed a lawsuit in federal court seeking an injunction and damages against the Moreno Valley Unified School District (MVUSD), District Superintende
Statement of Disability Rights California in Response to Events at the U.S. Capitol this Week
Disability Rights California (DRC) strongly opposes the new White House memorandum that was issued July 21, 2020, that would negatively impact the 2020 census by not counting every person in the United States.
City of Eureka Halts Enforcement, Will Reconsider Illegal Anti-Homelessness Law
(EUREKA, CA) – An anti-homelessness ordinance set to take effect at midnight tonight has been set aside by the City of Eureka. City Council will reconsider the ordinance at its next meeting on January 5, 2020. The ordinance made it unlawful to camp in almost every part of the City, including Old Town, the Waterfront, and all City parks and recreational trails; it defined camping as living outdoors as well as occupying a vehicle in the restricted zones.
Disability Rights California and Covington & Burling, LLP Seek Emergency Court Action to Release Medically Vulnerable Patients from Crowded State Mental Health Hospital and Save Lives in the Midst of Surging COVID-19 Outbreak
(Los Angeles, CA) Yesterday, Disability Rights California (DRC) and Covington & Burling filed an emergency motion in federal court to force the Department of State Hospitals (DSH) to discharge medically vulnerable patients from Patton State Hospital, one of the largest psychiatric hospitals in the country that is in the midst of a massive and deadly COVID-19 outbreak.
Hundreds of patients who are involuntarily confined at Patton State Hospital have conditions that put them at high risk for severe illness or death from COVID-19.
Disability Rights California Releases New Investigative Report Finding Inadequate Conditions at Otay Mesa Detention Center
(San Diego, CA) Today, Disability Rights California (DRC) releases a new report, “Otay Mesa Detention Center: Inhumane Conditions and the Harsh Realities of ICE’s Civil Detention System.”
This report shines a much-needed light on the inadequate conditions of Otay Mesa Detention Center (“Otay Mesa”), located in San Diego, California after a year-long investigation.