Ellen Goldblatt receives 2007 Key Person Award

At its annual conference, the California Supported Living network presented its 2007 Key Person Award to Ellen Goldblatt, a senior attorney in PAI's Oakland office. She received the award for her years of tireless work on behalf of people with disabilities in California. Learn more here about the award ...

Los Angeles airport to begin treating disabled passengers better

The Los Angeles Airport Board of Commissioners, which oversees airport operations, unanimously passed a Service Standards Policy to improve passenger services at the Los Angeles international airport (LAX). One of the policy goals is to increase safety and quality of service through better training for employees, which will include serving disabled and elderly passengers. The Service Employees International Union, PAI, other disability rights organizations, and individual letter writers helped to bring about the changes. Read more about the Airport Board ruling here ... and link here to a prior article about improving airline services for people with disabilities.

Proposed settlement may lead to alternative testing for students with disabilities

Under the settlement, an independent study will determine whether students who have mastered the English and math skills required for graduation, but cannot pass standard exams because of disabilities, will be provided with alternative testing methods. Read more here about the lawsuit and how special education students may benefit from the settlement ...

Have you tried our RSS feed?

RSS (Real Simple Syndication) makes it possible for you to have frequently updated information delivered directly to your computer. No more logging on and looking for it. Just click on the RSS symbol and select one, two or all of the RSS feeds available from PAI:

• RSS feed for Hot Topics & Disability News;
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• RSS of all the feeds above.

The latest information will be delivered to you daily, right on your desktop. Click here for more information on RSS feeds.

VSA arts invites entries from young artists with disabilities for Green Light Awards

The Green Light Awards program is open to young artists between the ages of 16 and 25 living in the United States who have a physical, cognitive, or mental disability. Deadline for entries is 7/11/08. Find out more about the Green Light Awards program here ...

Save the date - June 27, 5:00-7:00 p.m.

PAI's San Diego office invites you to an open house. Celebrate 30 years of advocacy and join us in honoring clients and community partners. Find out more here about San Diego's June 27th open house ...

Election Day - June 3, 2008

PAI will have a toll-free voter hotline for people with disabilities

With funding from the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), PAI is sponsoring a toll-free hotline for California voters with disabilities who have difficulty accessing polling places or casting ballots, or have general questions about the voting process. Download one-page flyers with toll-free hotline numbers for English, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Hmong, Cambodian, Russian, Vietnamese, Thai, Russian, Laotian ...

Downloadable audio version of Voter Information Guide

Instead of reading it, listen to the June 3 primary election voter guide ...

Equal Vote blog

Learn the latest about voter identification, election reforms and more on this blog from Moritz College of Law ...

More than 150 attend Oakland office open house to celebrate PAI’s 30th anniversary

PAI’s Bay Area office in downtown Oakland was brimming over with representatives of government agencies, and social justice, disability rights and community organizations. Speaker pro tem of the California State Assembly, Sally J. Lieber, presented a framed Assembly resolution recognizing the “tremendous value” of PAI’s work over the last three decades. Read more about the gala celebration and success stories from the Bay Area ...

Don't forget - Disability Capitol Action Day - May 15, 2008, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Activities will take place on the north steps of the California State Capitol. The first 1,500 participants to arrive will get a free lunch. Learn more in the Disability Capitol Action Day flyer ...

Recommended reading:

Harlan Hahn, 68; USC professor fought for disability rights and sued the university to improve access, Los Angeles Times, 5/10/08

Dyslexic makes good 'bAd' movie, Monterey County Herald, 5/9/08

Disability Blog Carnival #37 is up NOW, Disability Studies, Temple University, 5/8/08

Disabled residents sue Caltrans, ABC 7, 5/7/08

Mental health help hit by budget crunch, The Mercury News, 5/5/08

Editorial: The mentally ill deserve equal health coverage, The Mercury News, 5/2/08

New patient dumping cases investigated in Los Angeles, California Healthline, 5/6/08

Psychiatric hospital sought for Valley teens, Fresno Bee, 5/3/08

Berkeley man on a mission to aid disabled Iraquis, San Francisco Chronicle, 5/1/08

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