DISABILITY RIGHTS CALIFORNIA

Operates the federally mandated Client Assistance Program (CAP) to provide information, advice, and advocacy helping people with disabilities access employment and other services, and fulfills oversight responsibilities under the PAIMI Act.

Manages the California Office of Patients’ Rights (COPR), providing independent advocacy for residents of state psychiatric hospitals, and leads the Office of Clients’ Rights Advocacy (OCRA), serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities through California’s 21 regional centers.

Operates the California Office of Patients' Rights (COPR), a unit contracted by the Department of State Hospitals, to provide independent advocacy for residents of state psychiatric hospitals.

Provides free legal information, advice, and representation to individuals with disabilities, including regional center clients through the Office of Clients’ Rights Advocacy (OCRA), and operates the California Office of Patients’ Rights (COPR) to advocate for residents of state psychiatric hospitals. Delivered direct support to over 26,000 individuals.

Provides free legal information, advice, and representation to individuals with disabilities, including regional center clients through the Office of Clients’ Rights Advocacy (OCRA), and operates the California Office of Patients’ Rights (COPR) to advocate for residents of state psychiatric hospitals. Served over 26,000 individuals through direct support.

Provides free legal information, advice, and representation to individuals with disabilities, particularly regional center clients through the Office of Clients’ Rights Advocacy (OCRA), and operates the California Office of Patients’ Rights (COPR) to advocate for residents of state psychiatric hospitals. Served over 26,000 individuals through direct support.

Offers free legal information, advice, and representation to individuals with disabilities, particularly through programs like the Office of Clients’ Rights Advocacy (OCRA) for regional center clients and the California Office of Patients’ Rights (COPR) for state hospital patients. Provided direct support to over 26,000 individuals.

Offers free legal information, advice, and representation to individuals with disabilities, particularly regional center clients, through the Office of Clients’ Rights Advocacy (OCRA) and other legal programs. This includes direct intervention in individual cases such as reclaiming financial rights or securing medical care.

Provides quality legal services, guidance, resources, and representation to disabled Californians, including direct support for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities through the Office of Clients’ Rights Advocacy (OCRA) and for those seeking employment services through the Client Assistance Program (CAP). This includes direct intervention in individual cases, such as securing medical care for residents of state psychiatric hospitals.

Provides information, advice, and advocacy to help people with disabilities understand their rights and access employment services through the federally funded Client Assistance Program (CAP).

Works to expose and end abuse and neglect of disabled people, provides oversight to services under the Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness (PAIMI) Act, and educates and engages the community in mental health advocacy efforts. This includes advising on mental health community issues, shaping advocacy plans, and evaluating the effectiveness of mental health advocacy activities through annual reports. The organization also advocates for and oversees the California Memorial Project (CMP).

Engages in systemic litigation and policy advocacy to advance the rights of Californians with disabilities in areas including education, employment, health, housing, and safety. Achievements include landmark cases such as Lopez v Heckler, Coffelt v DDS, and Sacramento City USD v Rachel Holland, impacting hundreds of thousands through class actions and federal policy influence.

Engages in systemic litigation and policy advocacy to advance the rights of Californians with disabilities in areas including education, employment, health, housing, and safety. Achieved landmark legal outcomes such as Lopez v Heckler, Coffelt v DDS, and Rachel Holland, and impacted over 607,000 individuals through systemic efforts.

Engages in high-impact litigation and policy advocacy to advance the rights of people with disabilities in areas including education, healthcare, housing, and institutional reform. Achieved landmark outcomes such as the Coffelt settlement for community-based living and the Lopez v Heckler ruling on SSI benefits, impacting hundreds of thousands.

Advocates for disability rights at local, state, and federal levels through coalition work, advisory roles (e.g., Governor’s Master Plan for Aging, federal COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force), and participation in national reform efforts such as guardianship and conservatorship reform. Focuses on education, employment, housing, health, and safety.

Works in coalition to shape policy and reform systems at local, state, and federal levels, including participation in federal task forces, advisory committees, and national summits to advance disability justice, health equity, and guardianship reform.

Conducts systemic litigation to defend the rights of people with disabilities, resulting in landmark cases such as Lopez v. Heckler (SSI benefits), Sacramento City USD v. Rachel Holland (inclusive education), and Coffelt v. Department of Developmental Services (deinstitutionalization), impacting hundreds of thousands of individuals.

Files class-action lawsuits and federal litigation that result in major legal precedents and systemic reforms, including cases related to SSI benefits, special education rights, psychiatric patient consent, and deinstitutionalization, impacting hundreds of thousands of individuals.

Participates in national and state-level discussions and panels to develop reform recommendations for guardianship systems and to review and recommend improvements and alternatives to conservatorship programs, particularly for individuals with developmental disabilities.

Advocates for and oversees the California Memorial Project (CMP), which honors and restores dignity to individuals with mental health and developmental disabilities who lived and died in state institutions.

Engages in successful litigation and provides legal and legislative support to advance disability rights, including cases related to SSI benefits, due process safeguards for sterilization decisions, informed consent for psychiatric patients, transitioning individuals from institutions to community-based living, and the right of students with disabilities to be educated in general education classrooms. This also includes filing class-action lawsuits to create new mental health services for children and youth.

Provides federal oversight under the PAIMI Act, educates staff and community on mental health advocacy, advises on policy, and files annual reports on the effectiveness of mental health advocacy activities in California.

Provides federal and state-mandated oversight of mental health services under the PAIMI Act, advises on mental health policy, participates in national and state-level reform efforts (e.g., guardianship, conservatorship, CARE Court), and files annual reports on mental health advocacy effectiveness.

Works in partnership with disabled people to defend rights, advance opportunities, and influence policy at local, state, and federal levels of government. This includes advocating to protect the California disability community from health and economic impacts, shaping the Governor's Master Plan for Aging, participating in federal task forces, and advocating for self-determination for unhoused people with mental health disabilities.

Supports individuals and communities in building power through outreach and self-advocacy training for people with mental health disabilities in various care settings. The organization also produces publications, many translated into multiple languages, to support these efforts.

Provides outreach, self-advocacy training, and resources to people with mental health and developmental disabilities through programs like Peer Self-Advocacy (PSA) and the Advocacy and Community Engagement (ACE) Program. Produces over 400 publications, many translated into 11 languages.

Provides resources, trainings, and outreach including self-advocacy programs for people with mental health disabilities in residential facilities and the community, along with producing over 400 publications translated into 11 languages to support community understanding of rights and services.

Develops and distributes over 400 publications, many translated into 11 languages, to educate the public and people with disabilities about their rights. Conducts outreach and self-advocacy training, particularly through the Peer Self-Advocacy (PSA) program for people with mental health disabilities.

Produces and distributes over 400 publications, many translated into 11 languages, and provides outreach, self-advocacy training, and education to people with mental health and developmental disabilities through programs like Peer Self-Advocacy (PSA) and the Advocacy and Community Engagement (ACE) Program.

Produces publications, trainings, and educational materials—many translated into 11 languages—to inform and empower people with disabilities. Conducts outreach and self-advocacy training through programs like Peer Self-Advocacy (PSA) and the Advocacy and Community Engagement (ACE) Program.