Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund

Hooray for the San Francisco Disability Cultural Center! abc7news.com/post/new-san...

We filed an amicus brief with @justiceinaging.org, Center for Medicare Advocacy, @centerforpublicrep.bsky.social, @dlunited.bsky.social, @dredf.bsky.social, @theconsumervoice.org, and @nhelp.bsky.social to support the rights of those at risk of institutionalization.

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Trump Order Sparks Concerns About Forced Institutionalization A White House order calling for greater reliance on institutionalization threatens decades of precedent on disability rights, advocates are warning.

“This is a return to ‘ugly laws’ — and paves the way for the institutionalization and shuttering away of anyone this administration feels to be undesirable... This is absolutely a slippery slope, and the product of an agenda infused with eugenic thinking.” www.disabilityscoop.com/2025/08/01/t...

Graphic for a webinar titled "Lactation and Breastfeeding with a Disability" on Wednesday, August 6, 2025, at 12 PM ET, featuring speakers Alesha Thomas, Elizabeth Campbell Soper, and Norma Morán. The flyer features a purple background with speaker photos and accessibility icons indicating the availability of sign language interpretation and closed captioning.

In honor of National Breastfeeding Month, which raises awareness about the importance and benefits of breastfeeding, we’re hosting a webinar to discuss how to support new parents with a variety of disabilities in lactation and breastfeeding their child.

Register on Zoom: zurl.co/UMvAl

People's AI Action Plan

DREDF joined 90+ organizations in support of a People's AI Action Plan. The plan includes concrete, actionable ideas for an AI agenda that furthers the interests of everyday people + challenges the tech billionaire agenda being pushed by the current Administration.

Learn more: PeoplesAIAction.com

Change, Not Charity: The Americans with Disabilities Act | American Experience | PBS The dramatic story of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990. The film highlights the determined people who literally put their bodies on the line to pass the legislation tha...

It is ADA season! Check out "Change, Not Charity: The Americans with Disabilities Act," and the incredible resources PBS has on their page: www.pbs.org/wgbh/america...

Graphic with the text that says, “60-hour Protect Medicaid Vigil at the national mall, begins July 23 at 9pm, ends July 26 at 9am”

DREDF is collecting stories this weekend to uplift at the 60-Hour Protect Medicaid Vigil. Please submit your story here this weekend so we can have them ready to read beginning July 23rd: www.surveymonkey.com/r/protect-me...

More information on the vigil: protectmedicaidvigil.com

The deadline for comments has been extended to August 8!

Examining the Justice System’s Impact on Disabled People

Series of new reports highlight how the criminal justice system often fails to meet the needs of people with disabilities, and it offers opportunities to make the justice system more fair and more accessible: www.macfound.org/press/grante...

Take Action: Comment on the Future of Social Housing in California - DREDF Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund

The California Department of Housing and Community Development and the Terner Center for Housing Innovation are collecting public input to help shape the future of social housing in California. Learn more and submit a comment by July 25:
dredf.org/take-action-...

Webinar promotional graphic. Text reads: Disaster Preparedness for Parents with Disabilities. July 21, 2025 at 12 PM ET. Speakers: Melissa Marshall, Shari Myers, Judith Brown, and Morénike Giwa-Onaiwu. Four headshots of the speakers are displayed. Icons for ASL interpretation and closed captions are visible, indicating that these accessibility features will be provided during the webinar.

Join us for an important webinar discussion on emergency preparedness for disabled parents and their families.

Register here: zurl.co/DEEoc

#ParentsWithDisabilities #DisabledParents #DisabledParenting
#DisabledParent

I was zip tied and arrested for Medicaid Join me in calling for basic care and supports we all need to survive

Please take a few minutes to read this piece from one of my dearest friends, who was arrested at the Capitol last week.

And join them in defending Medicaid at this crucial moment.

Urge them to Kill the Bill and demand No Cuts to Medicaid.

Support the organizers:
- bsky.app/profile/popd...
- bsky.app/profile/debt...
- www.facebook.com/theRealNatio...

Medicaid and Medicare Are Under Attack! Tell Your Elected Officials “No Cuts to Our Healthcare!” - DREDF Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund

We thank them and the other protesters who put their lives on the line for the millions of us who these cuts will impact. Now more than ever Congress needs to hear from you. Contact your Congress members and Senate Majority Leader Thune.

Black and white photo of Carol being arrested by 3women4craft2market on instagram

Yesterday, more than 50 people were arrested by Capitol police for protesting the proposed cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, and other essential lifelines. These cuts will cause immense harm to disabled and multiply marginalized people. Among those arrested was our Governmental Affairs Liaison, Carol.

Judge rules Texas has been illegally placing people with severe disabilities in nursing homes for decades A federal judge in San Antonio has ruled that the state of Texas for decades unnecessarily institutionalized 4,500 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in nursing home facilities, d...

A big @Olmstead win! via @texaspublicradio.bsky.social
www.tpr.org/public-healt...

Protect Yourself from Evictions for Late Social Security Payments: Reasonable Accommodations to Change Payment Schedule - DREDF Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund

DREDF has created a template letter for tenants to request reasonable accommodations in response to late or missing Social Security payments, as well as regular payments that do not align with the timing to pay rent. Learn more: dredf.org/blog-post/ss...

Know Your Rights for Disabled Protestors Guide - DREDF Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund

Understand your rights and best practices while protesting as a disabled person: dredf.org/know-your-ri...

SCOTUS' conservative majority delivers a pro–disability rights ruling Families won't have to prove bad faith to sue for disability discrimination in schools.

Good new news from me at @motherjones.com: The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that families no longer have to prove that schools acted in "bad faith or gross misjudgment" in any circuit when suing for disability discrimination. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

Tell the Department of Energy to Stop Attacking Civil Rights and Section 504 - DREDF Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund

The Department of Energy is trying to get rid of important rules of #Section504! DOE is trying to change the rules that new buildings must be accessible to people with disabilities. The deadline to send in comments is Monday, June 16, 2025.

Learn how to take action: dredf.org/action-alert...

Advocates urge lawmakers to reject Gavin Newsom’s cuts to Medi-Cal, child care “Not having access to health care, to home care, to childcare, to food — those things are disabling and can kill, right?” one advocate told The Bee.

Advocates urge lawmakers to reject Gavin Newsom’s cuts to Medi-Cal, child care via Sacramento Bee #ProtectMedicaid #ProtectMediCal

Read more at: www.sacbee.com/news/politic...

New Attempt to Roll Back Accessibility Requirements - Comments Needed For over forty years the United States has had regulations that say new buildings must be accessible to people with disabilities if the building is built by an organization that receives federal funds...

Thank you for the boost @lflegal.bsky.social! The deadline is June 16 to file a comment to protest the Department of Energy’s attempt to take away accessibility rules for new buildings. www.lflegal.com/2025/06/ener...

Cover of the 2025 Advocates' Guide, showing five photographs of various types of housing and people.

Screenshot of Federal Housing Protections for People with Disabilities article

NEW @nlihc.org "Advocates’ Guide 2025: A Primer on Federal Affordable Housing and Community Development Programs and Policies": nlihc.org/explore-issu...

@justiceinaging.org, The Kelsey and DREDF contributed to "Federal Housing Protections for People with Disabilities": nlihc.org/sites/defaul...

Text reads “Upcoming webinar: Disability Community Fights Back: Defending Students. Thursday, June 5 at 10:30 am - 12:00 pm PT / 1:30 pm - 3:00 pm ET” with a graphic of raised fist and protest signs.

The current Administration is making decisions that hurt students w/ disabilities, students who are trans, autistic, and/or immigrants, and our communities as a whole. Learn more about what’s happening in education, what it means for our rights + how we fight back: dredf-org.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Judge Blocks Trump Administration From Dismantling Education Department

"Our public education system is too important to be undermined by actions that threaten our students’ rights and opportunities." www.nytimes.com/2025/05/22/u...

One woman's fight to remove barriers for aspiring doctors with disabilities After her dreams of becoming a doctor were denied, one California woman is working to make the profession more accessible to those with disabilities.

Radio story now available: www.npr.org/2025/05/15/n...

I'm a Care Worker Recovering from a Stroke. Medicaid Keeps Me Alive. The GOP's proposed Medicaid cuts would prevent millions like me from giving and receiving crucial health care

Cuts to Medicaid would affect millions like Jacqueline, who not only rely on it to receive care, but to give care.

Keep making those calls: (202) 224-3121 ☎️ #ProtectMedicaid 🧵 1/2 www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/feat...

A social graphic displaying 4 different people advocating to #ProtectMedicaid. The graphic is mostly composed of various shades of red with 4 people depicted mostly as cartoons with different skin tones and different signs saying NO CUTS! HANDS OF MEDICAID!

HELP #PROTECTMEDICAID by joining the National Call-In Day to Sink the #Reconciliation Bill. Here is how:

1⃣ Find your REPRESENTATIVE — house.gov/representative…

2⃣ Dial (202) 224-3121 + ask your REPRESENTATIVE

3⃣ Tell your REPRESENTATIVE to OPPOSE #Reconciliation

Triangle sign with an exclamation point. Text reads "WE CAN’T AFFORD TO WAIT! The time is NOW to turn up the pressure on Congress. What’s at stake →"

Text reads "We are posting this urgent request on Monday, May 19, at 7 pm PT. Right now, Congress is trying to cut Medicaid. Help by calling targeted California representatives and telling them to VOTE NO on the House reconciliation bill. Call multiple times if you can. The bill will cause millions of people to lose their healthcare. It is cruel and despicable. Contact information →"

Text reads "Call these California representatives NOW and tell them to VOTE NO on Medicaid cuts: David Valadao (D-23), Bakersfield. Washington DC Office (202) 225-4695, Bakersfield Office (661) 864-7736. Young Kim (D-40), Orange County. Washington DC Office (202) 225-4111, Anaheim Hills Office (714) 984-2440. Ken Calvert (D-41), Palm Desert. Washington DC Office (202) 225-2004, Palm Desert Office (760) 620-0041. Keep the pressure up!"

🚨 Medicaid is under attack! Congress is pushing cruel cuts that could cost millions of us our care. We need your help. Call targeted California representatives NOW and tell them: VOTE NO on the House reconciliation bill. Call more than once if you can! #SaveMedicaid #ProtectOurCare

Voters in Every Congressional District Oppose Cuts to Medicaid In every congressional district in the U.S., less than 15% of voters support cuts to Medicaid. This same pattern is true for HCBS funding.

Voters in Every Congressional District Oppose Cuts to Medicaid via @dataforprogress.org

The time is now to call your representatives to #ProtectMedicaid www.dataforprogress.org/blog/2025/4/...