Publications

Respite gives family members a break from caring for you and gives them time to do other things.  The regional center pays for it. Sometimes the regional center may refuse to give you, stop or cutback respite. You can appeal this decision. This pub is a step-by-step guide to help you prepare for a regional center respite fair hearing.

Federal and State Disability Discrimination Laws

State and federal law prohibits disability-based discrimination by businesses and other “places of public accommodation.” Title III of the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) (42 U.S.C. Sections 12181 – 12189) prohibits disability-based discrimination by all places of public accommodation. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act similarly prohibits disability-based discrimination in businesses that receive federal funds.

Federal and state law require employers to accommodate your disability. This pub gives you a sample letter to ask for an accommodation. It has a sample letter for your doctor. It tells you what to do if your employer will not give you an accommodation for your disability so you can do your job.

This pub tells you about your housing rights. It gives you resources to know your rights. It has sample letters to help you get a reasonable accommodation or modification. Accommodations are exceptions to rules and modifications are changes to buildings. It tells you what to do if your landlord will not give you one.

This tells you about your right to have an assistance animal when your housing does not allow pets.  Assistance animal means an animal you need lives in your home. It can be a service animal or an emotional support animal. This pub tells you what to do if your landlord will not let you keep your assistance animal. It tells you where to get help.

You cannot bring emotional support animals into businesses or public places. You can bring service animals to those places. This pub tells you how to know if your animal is a service animal. If a business does not let you have your service animal, this pub tells you what you can do to keep your animal with you.

“Protective supervision” is an IHSS service. It is to help if you need, because of your disability, watching 24 hours per day so you are not injured. This pub tells you who can get it and how to get it. It tells you what to do if the county does not give it to you.

This pub tells you what a limited conservatorship is. They are for regional center clients. It tells you why you may have one. It gives you other ways to help you, so you do not have to have a limited conservatorship. 

I have Medi-Cal managed care. What options do I have if my health plan denies a service?

Most Californians who get Medi-Cal are in managed care through a Medi-Cal health plan. Health plans are also called managed care organizations or health maintenance organizations.