PAI in the news
Sacramento Business Journal, 4/11/08
Pilot would expand mandatory managed-care - "We haven't taken a position on the bill, but our board of directors does not support [mandatory] Medi-Cal managed care for people with disabilities," said Deborah Doctor, a legislative advocate for Protection & Advocacy Inc. ...
"There's a lot more substance in the new (bill), but it's still, at heart, mandatory enrollment, and we are not going to go there," she said.
East Bay Business Press, 4/11/08
Safeway CEO Burd campaigns to bring disabled into work force - "And it [the unemployment rate] has been steady at 70 percent for about the past 30 years," said Barbara Duncan, spokeswoman for Protection and Advocacy Inc., ... "And that's an across-the-board figure, ... It's even higher among people with certain disabilities within the larger group."
Ability Magazine, 4/7/08
National day care center sued for failure to accommodate student with epilepsy - Andrew Mudryk, lead counsel in the case, stated: "... For this family, life has become much more complicated because Cade may occasionally require a medication that is meant to be administered by lay people in the case of an emergency. It is unfair and illegal to deny him participation in a program like Tutor Time solely because of his disability."
North Coast News, 4/3/08
Legislator submits bill on handicapped access problems - Advocates for disabled people contended that businesses were given more than enough time to become ADA compliant. "There's been plenty of notice," said Margaret Johnson, advocacy director for Protection and Advocacy Inc.
Justice for All, 4/1/08
PAI sues national day care center for failure to accommodate student with epilepsy. Andrew Mudryk, PAI's Director of Litigation for Southern California, is lead counsel in the case. He stated: "We are supporting the Rager family and the Epilepsy Foundation in this case because we know how important it is to reduce access barriers to children who have disabilities. ..."
Los Angeles Daily News, 3/13/08
PAI Attorney urges outreach to parents who don't know about right to special education. "The sad reality is that while school districts focus on a short-term containment of costs strategy rather than on providing timely preventative services to eligible children, school districts will continue to dilute and/or deny appropriate resources to teachers and children alike," said Keith Sakimura of Protection & Advocacy.
San Luis Obispo, 1/28/08
Atascadero is family out of options in caring for their disabled son. “The problem that happens when someone is injured after age 18 is there’s no really comprehensive system to provide the level of care or services folks need to stay in the community,” said Todd Higgins, traumatic brain injury coordinator for Protection & Advocacy Inc.
Los Angeles Times, 12/14/07
Suit seeks to restore funds for treatment of homeless mentally ill. Plaintiffs are seeking the restoration of money, cut by Schwarzenegger, for a program that targeted the homeless.
Sacramento Bee, 12/14/07
Mental health shift sparks suit. Advocates seek to halt using Prop. 63 money to fund homeless program.
San Francisco Chronicle, 12/14/07
Schwarzenegger sued over veto of funds for mentally ill homeless. "The voters thought those services would be protected," said attorney Kimberly Lewis. "The state has to maintain the same level of funding and services that existed before Prop. 63 passed. They can't pull money out and use Prop. 63 funds to supplant it."
The Examiner, 11/28/07
Settlement may lead to more housing for disabled. A settlement reached this week in a civil-rights lawsuit between a group of disabled San Franciscans and The City could change the way patients are rehabilitated back into the community.
San Francisco Chronicle, 11/28/07
S.F. to subsidize 500 housing units for people leaving Laguna Honda. Advocates for elders and people with disabilities are applauding San Francisco officials for settling a civil rights class-action suit by agreeing to subsidize 500 housing units for patients discharged from Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center.
Lake County News, 10/16/07
Los Angeles Times, 11/15/07
Orange County Register, 11/14/07
Sacramento Bee, 10/3/07 and 10/6/07
Controversy in Sacramento - Is popular community sports facility closing because of accessibility lawsuit or other problems? PAI attorney responds on civil rights issues ... read Eric Gelber's letter to the editor here, and Sacramento Bee columnist Marcos Breton's response here, and the Bee article here.
Daily Bulletin, 9/18/07
Patton remembers forgotten dead - More than 2,000 former patients remain buried on Patton's grounds, and another 42,000 people are buried on hospital grounds statewide, said Garnet Magnus of Protection and Advocacy, Inc., an advocate group for the disabled who has been pivotal in the push for more legislation.
TV interview of PAI's director of litigation for Southern California
Andrew Mudryk provides examples of how the organization monitors abuse and neglect, and works to reduce discrimination against Californians with disabilities.
Click here to watch Andrew Mudryk's Exclusive Interview on the Insider Exclusive TV Show.
San Francisco Business Times, 8/31/07
Sticker shock at Laguna Honda - business press cites astronomical costs of Laguna Honda Hospital rebuild. PAI recommends substitution of small community-based options. Read the SF Business Times article here ...
Los Angeles Times, 8/29/07
City Star, 8/28/07
Evolution of City's Oldest Nursing Home Continues - paper quotes PAI's feasibility report on Laguna Honda Hospital rebuild ... read the City Star article here ...
KCBS News examines spiraling costs of Laguna Honda
Elizabeth Zirker of PAI finds it an isolated place to live ... listen to the KCBS newscast here ...
Wall Street Journal, 7/9/07
Wall Street Journal Addresses Use of Student Restraints. Read the WSJ article here. Read PAI's press release here and download PAI's complete, illustrated report on restraints here.
LA Daily Journal and LA Times, 5/31/07
More than a decade after PAI's lawsuit, a consent decree, and huge expenditures, an independent monitor has reported that 17 older and 4 new schools in the district remain seriously out of compliance with federal and state accessibility standards. Noting that with inaccessible bathrooms and lunchrooms, it was not surprising that little progress had been made in including students with disabilities, PAI Executive Director Catherine Blakemore added, "If you were looking for a way to do everything wrong, this is the recipe." Read the LA Daily Journal story here, and the Los Angeles Times story here ...
Sacramento Bee, 5/30/07
Patient death following restraint in psychiatric hospital prompts probe. PAI investigations attorney Leslie Morrison and attorney Robert Buccola question staffing patterns at Sierra Vista Hospital in this Sacramento Bee story about the death of 51 year old Ramona Knapp. Link to story with photos here ... or html here.
Inside Bay Area, 5/27/07
Bay Area newspaper finds ex-residents of Agnews Center happy to be "Living on the Outside," in charge of their own lives: Reporter quotes PAI peer advocate Maria Marquez and attorney Ellen Goldblatt among those supporting the process of recreating lives in the community. Read the original article here ... or in html.
Public Radio KQED Forum, 5/25/07
AI attorney and parent Steve Rosenbaum appears on "Issues Forum" to discuss the impact of a Supreme Court decision allowing parents to represent themselves in special education cases. Connect here to hear the 60 minute exchange about the decision and main issues confronting parents of children with disabilities in California schools.
Fresno Bee, 5/18/07
Article documents the struggle of a woman with developmental disability to obtain her dream job. Unfortunately, the otherwise excellent article labeled the young woman as having the mind of a child. Read the article here plain html and read PAI attorney Eric Gelber's response here.
Sacramento Bee, 5/11/07
The Bee reported (May 6 ) on California’s practice of billing families for involuntary placements in state mental hospitals. PAI Attorney Eric Gelber’s letter to the editor (May 11) calls for the Legislature to “end this archaic and inequitable system.” Read the article here and Gelber's letter here…
The Wall Street Journal, 5/7/07
San Francisco’s controversial commitment to rebuilding a 19th century hospital into a 20th century nursing home was explored in depth on May 7 by Lucette Lagnado, the Journal’s investigative reporter on health care issues. In an associated Q&A, disability rights lawyer Elissa Gershon of PAI responded that she has spent years on the lawsuit because she has “seen the difference in quality of life that people have when they can live with more … dignity … independence, privacy and choice.” Read the article here and Q&A online commentary here. Learn more about the Laguna Honda case here ...
San Diego Union Tribune , 4/8/07
A new state bill proposes loans to help owners of small care homes install fire sprinklers. Opponents fear that the added financial burden could exacerbate the current housing shortage. As Eric Gelber, a managing attorney with PAI, stated: “We are opposed unless all single family homes are required to install sprinklers or if financing, rather than a loan program, is made available to owners of small group homes.” See details here …
Sacramento Bee, 4/8/07
Responding to parents' concerns about closing Agnews Developmental Center, PAI attorney Ellen Goldblatt points to the experiences of people like Stacy Cole, 42, of Auburn, who lived in institutions and group homes from the time she was 3, and moved into her own apartment three years ago. Read more ...
San Diego CITYBEAT, 3/29/07
A settlement approved Tuesday by the City Council will allow no more than 1,000 condo conversions annually. Between 1/1/04 and 12/3106, at least 18,500 San Diego apartments became condos. Attorney Cory Briggs had help with the case from Ann Menasche of PAI. Read more ...
Los Angeles Times, Associated Press and Press-Enterprise, 3/20/07
A NIMBY neighbor in Norco who has led a 2-year battle against a small group home for young women with disabilities may be investigated to determine if her actions constitute discrimination under the Fair Housing laws. The LA Times and AP quoted PAI attorney Michelle Uzeta, who explained that the women are not a danger to the community. Read more from AP, LA Times and Press-Enterprise.
Tahoe Tribune, 3/7/07
Lori Shepherd, PAI collaborative projects director, emphasized safety and the need for transportation to out-of-area medical appointments at a Lake Tahoe basin meeting. Read more ...
Salinas Californian, 3/1/07
Thousands of people have been waiting for months beyond the 90 days within which the law says the state has to make its decision, and have been going without adequate medical and mental health care as a result. Read more about Medi-Cal eligibility delays and PAI's lawsuit ...
KPFA Evening News, 2/20/07
In a report on the Laguna Honda Hospital lawsuit, PAI attorney Elizabeth Zirker detailed how "People with disabilities prefer home and community based services over nursing facilities, and it's also the law that people have the right to live in the most integrated settings." Listen to the in-depth story here ...; and read more about the Laguna Honda case here ...
Orange County Register, 2/8/07
Oakland Tribune, Tri-Valley Herald, San Mateo County Times, 1/19/07
"People die in the community and in the developmental centers," says PAI attorney Ellen Goldblatt. The article points out that PAI feels community care is far superior to that offered in institutions.
CNN, 1/9 and 1/12/07
PAI attorney Stephen Rosenbaum said on the Paula Zahn Show and in a Larry King Live interview that "It's about dignity, quality of life, with whatever supports or accommodations are needed ... We have to look at all people, regardless of the severity of disability, and give them the opportunity to develop the best that they can."
Sacramento Bee, 1/5/07
PAI attorney Eric Gelber and others weigh in on "Conflict is boiling over care" ...
Sacramento Bee, 1/1/07
Ellen Goldblatt, an attorney with PAI, is quoted in an article about the death of a man with developmental disabilities after he moved from an institution into the community. Read more in "Conflict is boiling over care" ...
Youth Law News, Oct-Dec 2006
Journal features progress report on PAI lawsuit to force State of California to provide mental health services for foster children and youths. Read more in the Oct-Dec 2006 issue under NCYL Takes Fight for Mentally Ill Foster children to the 9th Circuit ...
Merced Sun Star, 12/16/06
PAI attorney Sean Rashkis clarifies that businesses may not reject customers just because they have service animals. Read more in "No dogs allowed" ...
Orange County Register, 12/10/06
PAI cited in article about community opposition to proliferation of supported or transitional housing in Newport Beach. Read more about "local opposition that may be based on unwarranted fears, derogatory stereotypes, or the belief that such facilities simply do not belong." ...
CBS News/Los Angeles, 11/28/06
"We believe this is a public health priority," said Pamila Lew, an attorney in PAI's Investigations Unit, ... Watch the video showing shocking abuse of a woman with disabilities by her caretaker, or read the transcript.
Sacramento Bee, 11/21/06
Eric Gelber's letter to the editor on the "Price of Access" series ...
Sacramento Bee, 11/19/06
"People are getting older and more people are going to be needing this service, " said Deborah Doctor, a lobbyist for Protection and Advocacy, ... Read more about rising costs of In-Home Supportive Services ...
Sacramento Bee, 11/17/06
Merle Levy's letter to the editor about the "Price of Access" series ...
San Luis Obispo Tribune, 10/27/06
Allowing signature stamps "seems like a reasonable modification to accommodate somebody with a disability," according to PAI staff attorney Diana Honig. Read more about signature stamps and voting rights ...
Monterey Herald, 10/25/06
Secretary of State participates in Salinas event organized by PAI's Voting Rights Project. Read more about easy voting for people with disabilities ...
San Francisco Business Times, 10/13/06
In an exclusive story about the lawsuit against San Francisco regarding segregation of people at, and its plans to rebuild, the 1000-bed Laguna Honda Hospital, PAI's Elissa Gershon, lead attorney, stated, "It's not about the rebuild, it's about making sure people aren't confined." Read more about San Francisco's intent to rebuild a residential anachronism
Metropolitan News-Enterprise, 10/11/06
Michelle Uzeta, a staff attorney with PAI, said the extent of the state's non-compliance with the 90-day timeframe was "staggering." Read more about a lawsuit to force timely eligibility decisions in html ... or in pdf.
Davis Enterprise, 9/18/06
"New housing should be 100 percent inclusive," says Eric Gelber, managing attorney in PAI's Sacramento office. Read more about why removal of physical and architectural barriers is a human and civil rights issue in html or in pdf.
Vallejo Times Herald, 9/19/06
"We're trying to give respect and dignity back to the people who were buried ... without their names," says Alicia Mendoza, PAI's project coordinator. Read more about the California Memorial Project ...
Better Care Forum, 9/19/06
PAI attorney Steve Rosenbaum, historian Paul Longmore and other specialists discuss the legal basis for U.S. disability rights history in this online video series from a 2006 symposium ...
Sacramento Bee, 8/25/06
In response to the death of a 52 year old woman following an illegal restraint procedure, PAI Attorney Leslie Morrison called this "a textbook example" of why the practice had been outlawed. Read more ...
Oakland Tribune, 6/27/06
Attorney Frederick Nisen said the long wait for services and lack of proper assessments are problems in several counties, but the problem is particularly bad here in Alameda County. Read more about a judge's order to evaluate people for in-home needs ...
Eureka Times Standard, 4/24/06
"I teach people how to advocate for themselves," says Rob Chittenden, a manager in PAI's Peer/Self-Advocacy Program. "In order for society to change and for stereotypes to be broken, people like me need to let society know who we are." Read more about Chittenden's work in the self-advocacy movement ...
Eureka Times Standard, 4/19/06
Rob Chittenden said he's had several experiences dealing with police while he was suffering symptoms of mental illness. One, he said, stands out as an exception. Read more about his experience ...
Sacramento Bee, 10/27/05
Dale Mentink, senior attorney with [PAI] believes parents who don't immerse themselves will get lost. "information has always been a problem," he said. Read more about the struggle for special education services ...
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