Donate: support PAI

Press releases

• 7/30/08 - Protection & Advocacy, Inc., soon to be Disability Rights California, announces winners of logo contest
  The Board of Protection & Advocacy Inc. has selected a new logo to embody the organization’s name change to Disability Rights California. Over 120 logos were submitted by artists from around the country in response to a contest launched in February 2008.
• 7/8/08 - Lawsuit filed for accessibility in senior housing
  Lillian Hyatt, an 83-year-old resident of The Sequoias-San Francisco, a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC), is suing The Sequoias because it does not allow people with disabilities to use walkers at the buffet tables in the dining room. “I am perfectly capable of getting my own food with the use of my walker. I want the autonomy to come and go to the dining room when I please, and to select my own food, just like everybody else,” says Mrs. Hyatt.
• 6/25/08 - Advocates & Allies Invited to San Diego Office of PAI for Celebration
  On June 27 the San Diego office of Protection & Advocacy, Inc. is holding an Open House to celebrate 30 years of advocacy and legal work to benefit Californians with disabilities.
• 6/3/08 - Settlement reached in case alleging disability discrimination at senior housing complex
  Redwood Retirement Residence and Greater Napa Fair Housing Center announced that they have reached an agreement resolving a housing discrimination lawsuit filed against the Redwood Retirement Residence, a senior housing community in Napa, California. (See attachment for complete release)
• 5/19/08 - PAI to host its fourth Election Day voter hotline. On June 3, Californians with disabilities have an ally in assuring full and equal access to the voting process. ... Our aim is to fix Election Day problems that disenfranchise people with disabilities.
• 4/1/08 - PAI sues national day care center for failure to accommodate student with epilepsy. Andrew Mudryk, PAI's Director od Litigation for Southern California, is lead counsel in the case.
• 3/24/08 - Responding to PAI's reports about practices in six California schools, Senator Sheil Kuehl introduced a bill (SB 1515) that would prohibit the use of seclusion and restraint in schools except in clearly defined emergency situations, and only with adequate safeguards.
• 2/25/08 - California disability rights advocates join forces against budget cuts at "Respect-ABILITY" conference, March 7-8, 2008
• 1/23/08 - PAI Provides Election Day Voter Hotline for People with Disabilities.
• 12/13/07 - Mental health advocates sue Governor to restore vital program for homeless Californians.
• 11/27/07 - Preliminary settlement of Laguna Honda Hospital lawsuit reached, increasing housing and other services for San Franciscans with disabilities. Read the press release about the new service program here and a summary of the preliminary settlement here. Click here for background information and fact sheets on the Laguna Honda case.
• 10/29/07 - Assistance available for people with disabilities in Southern California with fire-related problems. PAI offers assistance and referrals to those who are having difficulty accessing shelters or services due to the fires.
• 10/9/07 - Advocates demand that Governor restore funding for homeless, mentally ill or face lawsuit. Several state and national advocacy groups today demanded that Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger restore a highly effective program for homeless, mentally ill adults. The Governor eliminated the funds through a line-item veto ... read the press release here and read the demand letter here.
• 9/25/07 - The Court of Appeal for the First Appellate District handed a significant victory to people with developmental disabilities who are institutionalized throughout California. The court held that the Alameda County Superior Court case—Capitol People First (CPF) v. Department of Developmental Services (DDS)—may proceed as a class action on behalf of more than 7,000 individuals who receive services from regional centers and are either living in state or private institutions, or are at risk of institutionalization.
• 9/17/07 - Remembrance Day - a day to honor people who died in California's State Psychiatric Hospitals and Developmental Centers.
• 8/31/07 - PAI files lawsuit against the City of Buena Park on behalf of group home residents. Ann Menasche is the lead Attorney. Read the press release here ...
• 6/28/07 - PAI joined a number of disability rights organizations today in supporting a Department of Transportation complaint filed by two Aero Port Services (APS) employees with the assistance of the Service Employees International Union, Local 1877. The complaint is based on the failure of APS to provide its employees with training in the provision of air travel to individuals with disabilities, including the proper and safe operation of wheelchairs. Read the full press release (htm) or (pdf).
• 6/11/07 - PAI issues first investigation of restraint and seclusion of children with disabilities in California schools. A 10-year old boy with significant disabilities was bound to his wheelchair and left in the school van on two separate days. One school built a locked seclusion room where an 8-year old boy with psychiatric and developmental disabilities was routinely locked away. Other children were dragged by their teachers into seclusion areas and then barricaded from leaving. Read the complete press release here (htm) or (pdf) ... and read the investigation report here (htm) or (pdf).
• 6/8/07 - Governor’s Budget Threatens Adoption of Children with Severe Disabilities in Pursuit of Dubious Cost-Savings. Relying on contradictory and questionable data, Governor Schwarzenegger’s Budget (May Revise) calls for drastic cuts to the state funding program for foster children with the most severe developmental disabilities, on the unsubstantiated assertion that major cost-savings would result. Read the press release here ...
• 5/8/07 - Washington Protection & Advocacy System investigation finds “Ashley Treatment” violated rights and state law: Ashley’s constitutional rights and Washington state law were violated by the sterilization performed on her in Seattle Children’s Hospital, nationally known as the “Ashley Treatment,” according to a report released on May 8 (read the WPAS press release here, and the final report on "Ashley Treatment" here).
  PAI’s Executive Director Catherine Blakemore congratulated WPAS for its outstanding report covering personal autonomy issues of children and youth with disabilities. Commenting on the societal implications, Blakemore said, “One web comment in particular about the Ashley treatment summed it up for me: ‘A child is not a bonsai tree,’ referring to the Asian art of keeping any tree or shrub small through confinement and pruning. At the very least, we owe our children their bodily integrity.”
• 10/11/06 - PAI leads case to provide Laguna Honda Hospital residents with opportunity to live in the community. Read more about Chambers v. City and County of San Francisco ...
• 10/4/06 - Lawsuit filed against California by PAI and other groups to force timely Medi-Cal decisions about disability eligibility. Read more about the Zelaya case (html) or (pdf) ...
• 7/27/06 - Federal appeals court denies stay in children's mental health case. Read more about how PAI and other advocacy groups assure mental health care for vulnerable foster children ...
• 7/25/06 - PAI adds support to medical marijuana employment Case. Read more about Ross v. Ragingwire ...
  

• All Rights Reserved @ 2005
• Last Updated: July 30, 2008
• Site Credits
• RSS Feeds
• Info@pai-ca.org
• 800.776.5746
• tty: 800.719.5798
• disclaimer