Andy Imparato

Disability advocates rally in Boston for faster wheelchair repairs wgbh.org/news/local/202…

Darline Graham Nordone's path from disabilities worker to US senator usatoday.com/story/news/pol… via @usatoday

Apple Readies Movie About Prominent Disability Rights Activist disabilityscoop.com/2026/07/14/app…

We're 1 week away from the opening keynote of #ADASymposium2026! We're honored to have @AndyDRC, CEO of @DisabilityCA kicking off our conference this year! Don't miss it!

Happy Disability Pride Month! To celebrate and reflect, we put together a collection of moments from past guests on The Game Plan podcast who shared their experiences of disability, and moments where their disability brought them a sense of pride, identity, and power. Check out the full compilation and explore episodes of our podcast, The Game Plan, at the link: disabilityrightsca.org/podcast/disabi… In this clip, Brittanie Hernandez-Wilson reminds us who benefits from disability rights and advocacy: everyone. Disability does or will affect the lives of every single person in the world. Accessibility, inclusion, and expanded public support benefits everyone and creates a more fair and just society. This disability pride month and beyond, we remember that disability is a natural part of the human experience. It is up to ALL of us to ensure people with disabilities are supported, valued, and afforded the same opportunities as people without disabilities. #DisabilityPrideMonth #DisabilityRightsCA #Podcast #TheGamePlan #Accessibility @emony21 @AndyDRC . . Video Description: Vertical video of a clip from The Game Plan podcast. Top video of Brittanie Hernandez-Wilson, a multiracial woman with long dark, curly hair and wearing a white top. Bottom video of an ASL interpreter. Bottom Text: The Game Plan. Disability Pride Month.

In case you missed it! Recently, the U.S. Department of Justice issued a deeply alarming legal opinion that takes direct aim at one of the most important disability civil rights principles in modern American law: the rights of people with disabilities to live, receive services, and participate in the community rather than being unnecessarily segregated in institutions. For more than 25 years, the Supreme Court’s decision in Olmstead v. L.C. has stood for a basic promise: people with disabilities should not be forced into institutions when they can be safely and appropriately supported in the community. The new DOJ opinion attempts to weaken that promise and defy this long-understood mandate. This new opinion does not change the law and does not bind federal courts, but the threat of this direction and guidance from the federal government is real. This threat is especially urgent in California because our state is already moving in the wrong direction on mental health policy by expanding the grounds for involuntary commitment and court-ordered treatment over the voluntary, community-based services people actually ask for. Disability Rights California continues to closely review the DOJ opinion to understand its immediate and longer-term impact on disabled people. Disabled people belong in their communities. That was true yesterday, it is true today, and we intend to keep it true tomorrow. Read our full statement at the link: disabilityrightsca.org/latest-news/di… #DisabilityRightsCA #SupremeCourtOpinion #DOJ #Federal #Institution

#FF @JudgeWren @joanne_sansome @AkwyZ @NeilMilliken @CarolineBinc @debraruh @EleshaJD @nicaprincessa @LexStepp @pplwillbefree @emony21 @YEP4Rights @KerisWithaK @Rylin_Rodgers @JessicAccess @V_a_nessa_Ramos @nikasoonshiong @FarinhaShe74765 @Jeharrislaw @katherinewolf @victorpineda

The world works better when everyone can participate, contribute, and lead. Join us next week for a special Secretary Speaker Series celebrating Disability Pride Month. Tuesday, July 14 12-1 p.m. PDT Register to join: ca-water-gov.zoom.us/webinar/regist… Inspired by this year's Disability Pride Month theme, "The World Works Better With Us," Secretary Wade Crowfoot will be joined by leaders from across California for a conversation about the power of disability perspectives. Panel includes: •@WadeCrowfoot, Secretary, California Natural Resources Agency •Sue Pelbath, Deputy for our Specialized Services Division, @CaliforniaDOR •Eric Harris, Associate Executive Director of External Affairs, @DisabilityCA •Amy Granat, Board Member, Tread Lightly •Diedre Tanenberg, Policy and Public Affairs Asst. Coordinator, @SFEnvironment Through personal stories and discussion, panelists will explore how leaders with disabilities are strengthening workplaces, communities, outdoor recreation, and public policy. They'll reflect on progress, discuss the impacts of recent federal policy changes, and explore how we can continue building a California where everyone belongs and has the opportunity to thrive.

Register and join @emony21 from DRC! We hope to see you there! Link: ca-water-gov.zoom.us/webinar/regist…

🚨New podcast episode! Listen to this clip from our latest conversation with Vanessa Ramos @DisabilityCA about the failure of governmental systems to protect our most vulnerable communities. #MentalHealth #DisabilityRights Full episode here: open.substack.com/pub/allpeoples…

Join the Board of Disability Rights California! Applications for Disability Rights California’s (DRC) Board are now open! We’re seeking individuals dedicated to playing a vital role in guiding DRC’s mission and utilizing their community leadership experience to support the organization in advancing the rights of people with disabilities. Learn more and apply at the link: disabilityrightsca.org/latest-news/jo… Whether you’re a self-advocate, family member, professional, or community member, your voice matters. We’re proud of our diversity—in culture, disability, and lived experience—and we’re seeking new members who value and reflect that. We welcome anyone interested to apply! The deadline to apply is September 1. #DisabilityRightsCA #BoardOfDirectors #Apply #Access #DisabilityJustice #NonProfit #Advocate . . Image Description: Text over image of a business meeting room with many empty chairs around a glossy table. Text: Join us as a Disability Rights California Board Member! Applications Due: September 1, 2026. Blue/green DRC logo.

#FF @joanne_sansome @YEP4Rights @EleshaJD @emony21 @V_a_nessa_Ramos @LexStepp @pplwillbefree @katherinewolf @FarinhaShe74765 @NAD1880 @CordanoBobbi @Momvocatemills @nicaprincessa @CarolineMenjiv3 @KerisWithaK @Jeharrislaw @MGMpoppop @Rylin_Rodgers @NeilMilliken @AkwyZ @AAPD

This week, Governor Newsom signed the 2026-27 California state budget act into law. This final budget rejects many of the worst cuts to disability services that had been initially proposed by the administration. Learn more about final California Budget by reading our full statement at the link: disabilityrightsca.org/latest-news/co… The final budget agreement is the result of extensive advocacy from disabled Californians. Disabled people, family members, and allies showed up at the Capitol for hearings that went late into the evening, made countless phone calls to policymakers, and shared hundreds of personal stories. The final agreement between the Legislature and Governor reflects this immense effort. This relentless advocacy reminded decisionmakers that disability services are more than budget line items: they are key services that uphold our civil rights. People with disabilities do have power in California, and this final budget shows what can be accomplished when we come together in community, advocacy, and resilience. “Advocates should be proud of what they achieved this year,” said Eric Harris, Associate Executive Director of External Affairs at Disability Rights California. “And this is also a reminder that progress has to be defended, strengthened, and carried forward.” #DisabilityRightsCA #CaliforniaBudget #Newsom #Advocacy #IHSS . . Image Description: Header Text: Statement. Blue/green DRC logo. Title Text: Community Pressure Helped Change the Outcome, but the Work is Not Over: Disability Rights California Responds to the Final 2026-27 State Budget. Cut out photo of the California Capitol building with two large trees nearby.

On Monday morning, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld states' rights to accept mail-in ballots in the days following an election, protecting an important piece of voting access and rights! In a 5-4 divided ruling, the Supreme Court held that it is lawful to count mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day that arrive later. Many Americans, especially people with disabilities, rely on mail-in ballots for voting and this ruling is a win in ensuring all votes meeting election deadlines are received and counted. California is one of 14 states with a mail-in ballot grace period! Good news: nothing changes for California voters who choose to vote via mail-in ballot. In the American Civil Liberties Union's (ACLU) press release, the organization shares, “this decision protects the fundamental principle that people should not lose their right to vote because of mail delays outside their control. The Court recognized what states, Congress, and voters have understood for generations: federal law does not require states to discard timely-cast ballots simply because they arrive after Election Day. Today’s ruling preserves critical protections for voters with disabilities, rural communities, older voters, working families, and countless Americans who depend on absentee voting to participate in our democracy.” Learn more and read the full press release from ACLU at the link: aclu.org/press-releases… #DisabilityRightsCA #ACLU #SupremeCourt #MailInBallot #Election

We need YOU to tell your elected leaders to Vote NO on CARE Court Expansion Bills! Currently, the California legislature is considering several bills that would expand CARE Court. CARE Court is a coercive, expensive court program that subjects people with certain mental health disabilities to court-ordered treatment. CARE Court does NOT fund the housing or voluntary, community-based mental health services that our community keeps asking for. TAKE ACTION and OPPOSE these bad CARE Court expansion bills! Contact members of the Assembly Judiciary Committee and the Assembly Health Committee and tell them to vote "NO" on SB 28 and SB 1016! Visit the links below to find contact information for Assemblymembers! SB 28 Assembly Judiciary Committee Members: ajud.assembly.ca.gov/members SB 1016 Assembly Health Committee Members: ahea.assembly.ca.gov/members Find your Assemblymember Here: assembly.ca.gov/assemblymember… (Graphic illustration by Adriana Heldiz, CalMatters) #DisabilityRightsCA #SB28 #SB1016 #CareCourt #CaliforniaLegislature #ActionAlert

Last week, DRC stood with coalition partners at the State Capitol in opposition to SB 1373, amplifying the value of mental health diversion programs for people living with mental health disabilities, while holding California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) accountable for failing to fund and sustain the programs that serve them. This Treatment Not Jail Cells Press Conference and Art Action event, focused on the importance of mental health treatment over incarceration. Several speakers with family currently in a mental health diversion plan pointed to its successes: through mandating court appearance attendance, treatment, and facilitating community integration, individuals are less likely to re-offend or face mental health troubles while incarcerated. Ultimately, this rally underscores that the criminal legal system was not built for treating mental health, nor is it capable of promoting sustainable public safety for all. #DisabilityRightsCA #SB1373 #MentalHealth #Diversion #TreatmentNotJailCells

#FF @joanne_sansome @EleshaJD @HPRScholars @DR_KMP @V_a_nessa_Ramos @emony21 @LexStepp @pplwillbefree @nicaprincessa @YEP4Rights @MGMpoppop @Rylin_Rodgers @JessicAccess @AkwyZ @JudgeWren @mayraealvarez @RW_Intl @ClaudiaLGordon @FarinhaShe74765 @KerisWithaK @CarolineBinc @debraruh