What you will learn: Disability Rights California is providing a virtual conference with different sessions where you will learn more about:

• The state budget cuts and the impact on disability programs,
• In Home Supportive Services (IHSS)  
• Voting and changes for the upcoming November election
• Regional Center Services  
• 2020 Census - How to get Money for your Community
• Special Education Services and Due Process
• I presented an appeal for IHSS, now what?
• Appealing Individualized Program Plan (IPP)
• And More

REGISTER TODAY

Webinar Topics

State Budget Cuts and Impact on Disability Programs

Description:

Learn about the recent updates on the state budget and if certain services will be impacted for individuals with disabilities.

Speakers:

DRC staff:
Eric Harris, Legislative Advocate
Mary Rios, Multicultural Affairs Advocate

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In-Home Supportive Services (Overview)

Description:

Learn about In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS), the different categories and functional index rankings under IHSS.

Speakers:

DRC staff:
Maria Iriarte, Senior Attorney
Mary Rios, Multicultural Advocate

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Voting- (Changes for Upcoming November Election)

Description:

Learn about the importance of voting, changes to the voting process for the upcoming November election, and ongoing changes for accommodations, accessibility and language translations.

Speakers:

DRC staff:
Gabriel Taylor, Advocate
Mary Rios, Multicultural Affairs Advocate

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Regional Center Services (Overview)

Description:

Learn about regional center services under the Lanterman Act.

Speakers:

DRC staff:
Jeanie Min, Attorney
Mary Rios, Multicultural Affairs Advocate

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Census: How to get Money for your Community

Description:

Learn about what the census is and why it is important. Learn how the census impacts money for certain programs such as: education, housing, etc., and how responding could help get money for your community.

Speakers:

DRC staff:
Tho Vinh Banh, Supervising Attorney
Mary Rios, Multicultural Affairs Advocate

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Special Education - General Information

Description:

Learn about your rights for special education and how to make sure you are receiving the services you need.

Speakers:

DRC staff:
Gabriela Torres, Senior Attorney
Mary Rios, Multicultural Affairs Advocate

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How to Appeal (IPP) or Services from the Regional Center

Description:

Learn what you can do if you disagree with the individualized program plan (IPP) or services offered.

Speakers:

DRC staff:
Emily Ikuta, Attorney
Jeanie Min, Attorney
Mary Rios, Multicultural Affairs Advocate

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I Filed an IHSS Appeal, Now What?

Description:

Learn about what happens after you file an In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) appeal and how to prepare for the hearing.

Speakers:

DRC staff:
Maria Iriarte, Senior Attorney
Mary Rios, Multicultural Affairs Advocate

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Alternatives to Conservatorship

Description:

Join us to learn about alternatives to conservatorship.

Speakers:

DRC staff:
Maria Iriarte, Senior Attorney
Mary Rios, Multicultural Affairs Advocate

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Special Education Due Process

Description:

Learn about what you need to know when filing for due process.

Speakers:

DRC staff:
Gabriel Torres, Senior Attorney
Mary Rios, Multicultural Affairs Advocate

Register Here

Learn about our conference speakers:

Tho Vinh Banh - Supervising Attorney, DRC

Tho Vinh Banh is currently a Supervising Attorney at Disability Rights California. Prior, she supervised the Multicultural Affairs Outreach Unit, comprised of diverse racial, ethnic, language and disability staff who provided presentations and trainings to people with disabilities. Before that, she was also a Staff Attorney, who provided direct and systems change advocacy to people with disabilities, including individuals with developmental disabilities. She received her degrees from the University of California Berkeley and University of California Hastings, College of the Law.

Eric Harris - Legislative Advocate, DRC

Eric Harris is currently a legislative advocate with Disability Rights California. Most recently he was a legislative advocate with the California State NAACP. He played on a National Championship wheelchair basketball team in high school as a member of the Bay Area Outreach and Recreation Program (BORP). This team gave him the opportunity to travel extensively throughout the country and compete with and against other top adaptive athletes. He was recruited by some of the top wheelchair basketball programs in the country and chose to attend the University of Arizona on a wheelchair basketball scholarship where he had the opportunity to compete on the Under-20 USA wheelchair basketball team in Brisbane, Australia, where his team won an international championship. 

He also interned for United States Representative Barbara Lee, the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. Mr. Harris then went to the University of Oregon School of Law. He continues to build experience in government at the local, state and federal levels. He has also been an advocate on behalf of Black people, people with disabilities and other marginalized communities. 

Emily Ikuta - Staff Attorney, DRC

Emily Ikuta is a staff attorney with Disability Rights California’s Legal Advocacy Unit. Emily works within the Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) practice group, which strives to help individuals with developmental disabilities access regional centers services and avoid institutionalization.  Prior to DRC, she worked as an associate attorney at Adam and Associates, a special education law firm, and interned at the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office.  She received her Juris Doctor from USC Gould School of Law. 

Maria Iriarte - Senior Attorney, DRC

Maria Iriarte is a Senior Attorney who works in the Legal Clinics Project for Disability Rights California, a non-profit organization that advocates for the rights of persons with disabilities.  Her expertise is in the area of public benefits.  Ms. Iriarte has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from California State University Long Beach and a Juris Doctor degree from Loyola Law School. 

Jeanie Min - Staff Attorney, DRC

Jeanie Min is a staff attorney in the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Practice Group at Disability Rights California. Prior to coming to DRC, she externed for two years at the Special Education Law Clinic at the Lanterman Regional Center as a law student. She also did Title IX work at UCLA and labor and education law at the California Teachers Association. Jeanie is a Double Bruin and received her BA and JD from UCLA.

Gabriel Taylor- Voting Rights Advocate, DRC

Gabe Taylor is a Voting Rights Advocate based in the Los Angeles area for DRC’s Voting Rights Unit. Gabe is a member of the Los Angeles Voting Accessibility Advisory Committee and the County’s VSAP Advisory Committee. He works with other counties in Southern California, by providing them feedback on ways to improve polling place accessibility and promoting best practices when assisting voters with disabilities. Through his work, he hopes to engage people with disabilities to get involved in the elections process so that they may have a voice with their vote.

Gabriela Torres - Senior Attorney, DRC

Gabriela Torres is an experienced special education attorney who has represented students and adults with special needs across the state of California in civil actions, administrative lawsuits and in district court appeals. Gabriela obtained her Juris Doctorate degree from California Western School of Law and a Master of Laws (LLM) degree from Kingston University London. Gabriela is fluent in Spanish and considers herself an environmentalist.