Disability Rights California

10/21/2026

10/21/2026

Government services must be accessible to everyone.

From websites that can't be navigated by keyboard to the overreliance on outside vendors to keep websites compliant, too many disabled Californians face barriers to accessing government information and services.

The California Disability Leadership Alliance’s 2026 State of the State report highlights why California must do better.

Explore the full report: https://cadisabilityalliance.org/2026-state-of-the-state-disability-policy-in-california/

Cal Voices, California Foundation for Independent Living Centers, CCB Network, Choice in Aging, Disability Rights California, National Federation of the Blind of California, NorCal Services for Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Painted Brain

10/21/2026

This time on The Game Plan, it’s a very special voting episode, ahe...

10/21/2026

Court holds that forcing voters to rely on others to return their ballots violates the ADA October 20, 2026—San Francisco, CA—A federal court has ruled that California’s Vote-by-Mail Program violates the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and California Gov...

10/21/2026

With Election Day (November 3) fast approaching and voting on our minds, DRC Associate Executive Director Eric Harris is joined by Dora Rose, the Deputy Director for the League of Women Voters of California, on this episode of "The Game Plan" podcast where they discussed what California's Prop 39 bill could mean for voters with disabilities.

Learn more and check out the full episode with Dora Rose at the link: https://www.disabilityrightsca.org/latest-news/the-game-plan-episode-18-i-want-them-to-vote

This midterm election, voters will decide to vote "Yes" or "No" on Prop 39. DRC is saying "NO" on Prop 39 because the requirements of the bill will create unnecessary barriers by requiring additional identification for all voters in California. California already has secure elections and procedures in place to verify voter identity and ensure secure elections. Requiring government-issued ID to vote in person will make it harder for some people with disabilities to cast their ballots because they are less likely to have current government-issued ID. Requiring ID numbers on vote-by-mail ballots could lead to more mistakes and more ballots being rejected.

Dora also shares in the episode, "[Prop 39] is the California version of this broader Trump-inspired push for voter ID, proof of citizenship, new restrictions on voting, right? It is, at its very essence, a partisan power grab. So do not let anyone tell you that this is not a nonpartisan or a bipartisan measure. It is not. It uses fear about voting to justify making it harder for eligible people to cast a ballot that counts."


Video Description: Podcast video clip of Eric Harris and Dora Rose speaking to each other over a video call. Dora is woman with short brown hair and wears pink glasses and has a purple LWV logo background. Eric is briefly on camera, he is a Black man with a shaved head and wears glasses. ASL interpreter below. Bottom logo text: The Game Plan A Disability Rights California Podcast.

10/20/2026

A federal court has ruled that California’s Vote-by-Mail Program violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and California Government Code section 11135. The court held that the Vote-by-Mail Program discriminates against blind voters and others with print disabilities by forcing them to depend on another person to return their ballots.

Learn more and check out the full press release at the link: https://www.disabilityrightsca.org/press-release/federal-court-rules-california-vote-by-mail-program-discriminates-against-class-of

The Court held that meaningful access to vote by mail includes the right to vote privately and independently. It pointed to the California Constitution’s command that “voting shall be secret” and found that requiring help from another person “is antithetical to voting in secret.” The Court rejected the Secretary of State’s argument that voters’ right to choose an assistant was enough, explaining that being allowed to have help is very different from being required to have it.

“I’ve been voting for years, and I’ve never once cast a truly private ballot. That’s not because I can’t make my own choices. It’s because the State’s system doesn’t let me finish the job myself. This decision is a step toward changing that,” said Russell Dawson Rawlings, a voter with a mobility disability and named plaintiff.

Disability Rights Advocates Brown, Goldstein & Levy
Image Descriptions
- Graphic 1: Three logos above for DRC, Disability Rights Advocates, and Brown Goldstein & Levy. Header Text: Press Release. Title Text: Federal Court Rules California Vote-by-Mail Program Discriminates Against Class of Voters with Print Disabilities. Blue filtered photo below of a person mailing out their ballot by dropping it in a mailbox.

- Graphic 2: Same logos. Quote Text: "Blind Californians have waited too long to cast a ballot that is truly our own. Every other voter marks a ballot, seals it, and sends it off without anyone looking over their shoulder. Today the court said we deserve exactly the same. - Guillermo Robles, President of California Council of the Blind, Fresno. Circled text: Read the full press release at the link.

10/19/2026

Midterm Elections are NOT mid! Elections are a critical time for voters to make decisions about laws, policies, and elected leaders which will impact the lives of everyone around us.

Join Disability Vote California for information about the upcoming General Election on November 3.

Learn more and register at the link: tinyurl.com/DisabilityVoteCA2026

In the webinar we will cover:

- Accessible voting options
- The importance of voting in the midterm elections
- What's on the ballot? Races and statewide propositions
- How to get engaged in voting advocacy

Voters with disabilities have the chance to exercise their voting rights and enact change for our communities. Get informed and make your vote count by this Election Day (November 3)!


Image Description: Title Text: Disability Vote California: November 2026 Midterm Election Education Webinar. Circled Text: RSVP: tinyurl.com/DisabilityVoteCA2026. Bottom Text: Date: October 27, 2026 Time: 2:00PM. Icons below of several people with varying disabilities grouped together. Top illustration of a clipboard with text: Vote. Logos for CFILC, California SCDD, and DRC.

10/15/2026

Join this upcoming webinar hosted by Justice In Aging on Supplemental Security Income (SSI)! DRC's Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) Program Manager Emily James will be sharing her expertise on SSI rules, strategies to address common problems, and policy solutions.

Learn more and register at the link: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/1417903446695/WN_ZcHuSEJfS5CpxiSu83WpEQ #/registration

When: October 28, 2026 at 11:00AM PT

SSI provides critical cash assistance for low-income older adults and individuals with disabilities to pay for housing, food, health care, transportation, and other essentials. Under the current rules, which were last updated in 1989, SSI has an exceptionally low resource limit of $2,000 for an individual, and $3,000 for a married couple.

Join the webinar to better understand SSI, income limits, and gain knowledge on poverty traps and identify policy solutions that would help older adults and people with disabilities save money and plan for the future.


Image Description: Logo Text: Justice in Aging | Fighting Senior Poverty Through Law. Title Text: Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Resources Webinar. Bottom Text: When: October 28, 2026 at 11:00AM Register at the link! Green tinted photo on the right of a person counting money in their hands with a calculator and pen nearby.

10/15/2026

Check out our latest substack by visiting the link: https://disabilityrightscalifornia.substack.com/p/care-without-coercion-what-disabled

Tremmel Watson, a Public Policy Analyst with Disability Rights California (DRC), and Kate Caldwell, Director of Research & Policy at the Center on Racial & Disability Justice (CRDJ) at the University of California, Los Angeles have co-authored this article to examine California's ongoing response to disability, homelessness, and substance use through courts, police, and forced treatment.

"This November, Californians will elect a new governor who will inherit powerful systems and a clear opportunity to decide how to use that power. These current systems punish and use force against some of the state’s most vulnerable residents — people with disabilities, people experiencing homelessness, and people experiencing a mental health crisis. The next administration’s challenge is to build a state that can mobilize those systems just as effectively before a crisis, in ways that center and expand self-determination, rather than state control."

10/15/2026

This time on The Game Plan, it’s a very special voting episode, ahead of the 2026 midterm elections! Eric is joined by Dora Rose, the Deputy Director for the League of Women Voters of California. We hope you enjoy this conversation! League of Women Voters of the US

Watch the podcast on with ASL, at the link in bio: https://www.disabilityrightsca.org/latest-news/the-game-plan-episode-18-i-want-them-to-vote

You can also access the audio version of the podcast on the platforms below!
Substack: https://disabilityrightscalifornia.substack.com/p/i-want-them-to-vote-the-game-plan
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i-want-them-to-vote-the-game-plan-episode-18/id1833321524?i=1000796528490
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2pa20LQFF53a0ELLqiIoro?si=gfx8KhmnQjyrjnKIDaeDUw
Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/e6d9616d-4b76-4e14-a135-93ce68735417/episodes/d5613c5d-5e2a-45a4-aaa9-a0e86a6d3985/the-game-plan-a-disability-rights-california-podcast-i-want-them-to-vote-the-game-plan-episode-18

Dora brings years of advocacy to this conversation, breaking down how California runs elections and what people with disabilities should know before they vote. Dora brings her s***k and deep knowledge to encourage people to make their votes count.

Eric Harris Andy Imparato
Video Description: Podcast video clip of Eric Harris and Dora Rose speaking to each other over a video call. Dora is woman with short brown hair and wears pink glasses and has a purple LWV logo background. Eric is briefly on camera, he is a Black man with a shaved head and wears glasses. ASL interpreter below. Bottom logo text: The Game Plan A Disability Rights California Podcast.