Webinar: Improving Civil Rights Enforcement for People with Disabilities in California

Webinar: Improving Civil Rights Enforcement for People with Disabilities in California

Panel discussion with diverse disability leaders about improving civil rights enforcement for people with disabilities in California.

Group of young adults discussing problems.

Webinar:
Improving Civil Rights Enforcement for People with Disabilities in California

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About the webinar:

This webinar focused on civil rights enforcement and the legal landscape for disability rights in California including:

  • the state of civil rights enforcement under the ADA and other disability rights laws in California
  • strengths and weaknesses of the current approach to disability rights enforcement and implementation in California
  • ideas to strengthen disability rights laws in California

Sessions:

Session 1: Claudia Center
(with an introduction to the webinar by DRC Board Member Deaka McClain)

Legal Director, Disability Rights and Education Defense Fund

Portrait photo of Claudia Center

Formerly the Senior Staff Attorney in the Disability Rights Program of the national ACLU Foundation, DREDF Legal Director Claudia Center litigates cases that increase civil rights and civil liberties for persons with disabilities, and represents the disability community in legislative, amicus, and appellate work.

As director of the disability rights program at the Legal Aid Society – Employment Law Center (now Legal Aid At Work), Ms. Center founded the Workers’ Rights Disability Law Clinic at the Ed Roberts Campus, and played a key role in the passage of comprehensive amendments to the Fair Employment and Housing Act that successfully expanded protections for persons with disabilities in employment and housing. In addition, she argued before the U.S. Supreme Court in US Airways, Inc. v. Barnett, a case that confirmed a broad scope of “reasonable accommodations” for disabled employees.

Session 2: Alice McGill

Deputy Director, NorCal Services for Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Portrait photo of Alice McGill

As Deputy Director at NorCal Services for Deaf and Hard of Hearing for over 25 years, Alice's responsibilities include overseeing the advocacy program at NorCal, training staff on ADA and other disability laws to employees, and providing advocacy training to community groups such as California Association for the Deaf and California Educators of the Deaf. She has participated in multiple collaborative advocacies over the years promoting systemic changes to improve education outcomes for Deaf and Hard of Hearing children and promote Deaf and Hard of Hearing people’s access to public services including sign language interpreters. Alice has advocated on behalf of individual Deaf and Hard of Hearing consumers for their rights to accommodations such as sign language interpreting, real-time captioning, and FM listening devices in various settings including hospitals, courts, colleges, and places of employment. She has a BA from California State University, Northridge, and JD from Hastings College of Law and has been member of the State Bar since 1992. Prior to NorCal, she worked as a Staff Attorney at the California Center on Law and the Deaf. She is the author of “Justice for the Deaf Community: Prosecution Begins with Communication” that appeared in the summer 2015 edition of CDAA Prosecutor’s Brief periodical.

Session 3: Vance Taylor

Chief, Office of Access and Functional Needs at California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CalOES)

Portrait photo of Vance Taylor

Luis “Vance” Taylor is the Chief of the Office of Access and Functional Needs at the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. Vance is responsible for ensuring the needs of individuals with disabilities and persons with access or functional needs are identified before, during and after disasters and integrated into the State’s emergency management systems.

Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Vance was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy as a child and uses a power wheelchair. He has worked in Washington, D.C. as an advisor for two different members of Congress, directed security policy at a national water association and been a principal at a top-ranked homeland security and emergency management consulting firm. Vance is a nationally recognized public speaker and advocate for individuals with disabilities.

Vance has a Master’s degree in homeland security from the University of Connecticut and an undergraduate degree from Brigham Young University in communications. He is married to his sweetheart, Casey, and they have two wonderful daughters. Vance and his family live in Rancho Cordova, CA.

Session 4: Wesley Witherspoon

Chairperson, California State Council on Developmental Disabilities

Portrait photo of Wesley Witherspoon

Wesley Witherspoon serves as a representative with self-advocates and their networks and the programs and activities of the USC Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD). He currently serves as the Chair of the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities (SCDD). In addition, he is the representative for the USC UCEDD for the Self-Advocacy Statewide Network. He also serves on the Community Voter Outreach Committee for the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk for voting. He also serves on the Voter Accessibility Advisory Committee for the voting in Los Angeles County. Wesley is committed to the full inclusion of people with intellectual/developmental disabilities. Wesley also volunteers Special Olympics, LA Times, and Culver City.

Session 5: Q&A Portion and Public Comment 

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