Sacramento, March 17 & 18: important public meetings on IHSS, Olmstead

Among numerous public meetings and hearings on the budget taking place in Sacramento duing the week of the Ides of March are:

• March 17 (10am-12pm): Teleconference on In-Home Supportive Services program, integrity and fraud prevention stakeholder process; toll-free number 1-800-700-7414; organized by the Department of Social Services
• March 18 (starting at 9:30 am): Room 4203, budget hearing, held by budget subcomittee #3 of Department of Health & Human Services, covering IHSS, CalWORKS, Dept of Aging
• March 18 (10am-4pm): Olmstead Advisory Committee public hearing, Department of Rehab Building, Room 262 or toll-free phone participation 1-800-232-0362, passcode 785453; agenda includes proposed closing of Lanterman Developmental Center, expansion of Medicaid section 1115 waiver

Read many other details in this CDCAN News Release.

Learn about the U.S. Census: Children Count Too! campaign and Easy to Read Flyers

Children Count Too! is a new campaign about the importance of counting infants and young children in the 2010 Census. Watch the video, read about it in English or Spanish, and find out more about the census here.

Spread the word about Easy to Read Flyers in English and Spanish that were developed for people with developmental disabilities. They were developed by the California Department of Developmental Services and explain the importance of completing the census questionnaire.

For assistance with the questionnaire, Please call the U.S. Census toll free at 1-866-872-6868 or visit the U. S. Census web site for more information.

Children with mental health disabilities get lost in the system

Maggie Roberts, a Disability Rights California Associate Managing Attorney, reacts to an investigation by the California Department of Education which "found [that] several Monterey County agencies are violating state and federal laws in their handling of students with mental health problems." Read the Herald article here...

House passes bill to prevent restraint & seclusion in schools; now, focus is on Senate

On March 3, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Keeping All Students Safe Act (H.R. 4247) to ban dangerous practices of physically restraining students or secluding them in isolated or locked rooms. The bill was passed quickly, following 2009 Congressional hearings on these extreme techniques which have caused deaths in the schools, and national studies by the General Accounting Office and the National Disability Rights Network. Read about the legislation in the NDRN press release, the Washington Post, and the New York Times.

Another court decision blocks cuts of In-Home Supportive Service worker wages

On March 3, the U.S. 9th District Court of Appeals rejected arguments of the Schwarzenegger Administration and affirmed earlier findings that reducing wages of In Home Supportive Service workers would be likely to cause irreparable harm. Due to the budget crisis, the State proposed to cut its contribution to IHSS worker wages. The State claimed it was exempt from having to study the extent of harm caused by these cuts because it would be "virtually impossible" to obtain cost studies . Therefore, for now, Judge Claudia Wilken's injunction against reducing these wages remains in effect. Details about the case, Dominguez v. Schwarzenegger (formerly Martinez), can be found on the website, www.AltshulerBerzon.com, the firm that defended the IHSS workers, and in this ruling of Judge Milan D. Smith.

Contest on "What equality means to me" invites youth ages 14-18 to submit artistic or written entries by April 12

Disability rights is one of several areas for creative expression selected by the National Campaign to Restore Civil Rights: see details here.

Judge stops governor's cuts to adult day health care for 15,000 Californians

Late afternoon on February 24, the anxiously awaited decision of Judge Saundra Brown Armstrong was emailed to Disability Rights California and other disability advocates and social justice groups. The order for the injunction of the cuts to Adult Day Health Care spelled out the judge's agreement with Harry Cota and other plaintiffs that their ADHC services were critical to avoid institutionalization. The court found that the new restrictive criteria for access to ADHC would likely violate the Americans with Disabilities Act. The court rejected the Administration's argument that they are "entitled to cut services at will to accommodate...budgetary constraints." See press release for details.

Court Orders Reinstatement of Treatment for Children With Autism

The Los Angeles Superior Court yesterday issued a preliminary injunction in the class action lawsuit filed on behalf of children with autism against the Eastern Los Angeles Regional Center (ELARC) for unlawfully terminating the most effective treatment for their condition. Read the PR Newswire article here...

People First invites nominations for Sandra Jensen self-advocacy award

Nominate a self-advocate who made an important contribution to the self-advocacy movement or the developmental disability community by completing a nomination form which you may send or fax to People First of California at (916) 441-3434 or by completing this online form.

Recommended Viewing

2 disability-related films up for Oscars

Read the ABC7 article here.

Events

United Nations's Universal Periodic Review Process - March 26, 2010 from 9am-5pm at Mclaren Conference Center, University of San Francisco

Attend this FREE event that will assist the United Nations Human Rights Council to determine the extent to which the United States complies with legally-binding obligations under Human Rights treaties that it has signed and ratified as well as under the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Visit uprconsultationsf.eventbrite.com to register and for more information.

Capitol Action Day Resource Fair - May 26, 2010

For more information, visit the website. Reserve your booth at the information fair now.

Find hundreds of events, trainings and conferences on our Meetings & Trainings pages, in English ... y también varios eventos, reuniones y entrenamientos en español

Recommended reading

Sacramento County budget cuts change mental health treatment, Sacramento Bee, 3/14/10

Canadian activist has to use U.S. rails to get from Toronto to Vancouver, Vancouver Sun, 3/13/10

Court: Vaccines Don't Cause Autism, NPR, 3/12/10

UN sets up human rights group to look into situation of Haiti’s disabled, UN News Center, 3/5/10

Beyond Women’s Day, Kathmandu Post, 3/7/10

Summary of 3 recent legal setbacks for Schwarzenegger administration, benefiting disability population, CDCAN, 3/3/10

Federal appeals court rules against governor on cuts, Sacramento Bee, 3/3/10

Sutter program targets frequent emergency room visitors, Sacramento Bee, 3/5/10