Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF)

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Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF) Proudly doing disability rights since 1979.

Every student should have the opportunity to learn alongside their peers in an inclusive and supportive school setting.S...
10/08/2026

Every student should have the opportunity to learn alongside their peers in an inclusive and supportive school setting.

Still, too many disabled students are separated from their peers, face a shortage of trained staff, and experience disproportionate discipline at school.

The new California Disability Leadership Alliance’s 2026 State of the State: Disability Policy in California reports where we’re at and where we need to go.

Inclusion is a right. California can and must do better for our children.

Explore the full report: https://cadisabilityalliance.org/2026-state-of-the-state-disability-policy-in-california/

Cal Voices California Foundation for Independent Living Centers CCB Network Choice in Aging Disability Rights California National Federation of the Blind of California NorCal Services for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Painted Brain

Our right to live in our own homes and communities is under threat, and we're taking action!CA Attorney General Rob Bont...
10/07/2026

Our right to live in our own homes and communities is under threat, and we're taking action!

CA Attorney General Rob Bonta recently spoke out in support of community integration. Now we're asking him to take the next step and sign the Commitment to Community Integration for People with Disabilities.

Join us for an Action Hour on Wed, Oct 14, 1–2 PM PT on Zoom to thank AG Bonta for his statement and urge him to sign the Commitment.

DREDF Executive Director Michele Uzeta will break down the federal threats to community integration, recent developments, and what's at stake. Then, we'll take action together by calling and emailing California Attorney General Rob Bonta.

We'll provide everything you need — scripts, contact information, and support. No advocacy experience needed. CART and Spanish interpretation will be provided. You can request additional access needs when you register.

Sign up: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe8P082MG9qit_L1yAgMbunsytoaxKOF81ruv7Xm0njvplqHQ/viewform


Hand in Hand: The Domestic Employers Network

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, a time to celebrate meaningful, competitive work opportunitie...
10/06/2026

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, a time to celebrate meaningful, competitive work opportunities that keep us alongside our peers.

Just last week, the California Disability Leadership Alliance released the “2026 State of the State: Disability Policy in California” report, which shows how far California still has to go to fulfill its promise of equitable employment opportunities for its disabled community members.

May we continue to confront the barriers – physical, programmatic, and attitudinal – that exclude us from the workforce.

Read the full report: https://cadisabilityalliance.org/2026-state-of-the-state-disability-policy-in-california/

Cal Voices, California Foundation for Independent Living Centers, CCB Network, Choice in Aging, Disability Rights California, National Federation of the Blind of California, NorCal Services for Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Painted Brain

What does equal access to community life look like? Sometimes, it looks like dinner.This October 10, Disability Night Ou...
10/02/2026

What does equal access to community life look like? Sometimes, it looks like dinner.

This October 10, Disability Night Out is inviting disabled people, families, friends, and allies to gather at restaurants across the country and celebrate our right to participate fully in community life.

Access is about more than getting through the door. It means being able to participate in the ordinary moments that connect us, like sharing a meal, spending time with friends and family, celebrating, and simply being part of our communities.

More than 36 years after the ADA, disabled people still encounter barriers in restaurants, cafés, and other community spaces. Disability Night Out offers a joyful way to make those barriers more visible while showing what inclusion can feel like.

This isn’t about catching businesses doing something wrong. It’s about disabled people bringing our lived expertise to the table, sharing what works and what could work better, and inviting restaurants to be part of creating more accessible and welcoming communities.

Experiences, feedback, and photos shared through Disability Night Out will help turn what we learn on October 10 into opportunities for greater access.

Because disabled people belong everywhere community happens.

Join Disability Night Out on 10/10!

Learn more at: disabilitynightout.org

California has long been an epicenter of civil rights progress. But for millions of disabled Californians, the long-imag...
10/02/2026

California has long been an epicenter of civil rights progress. But for millions of disabled Californians, the long-imagined vision of equity is slipping further out of reach.

This is the first in our series highlighting findings from the California Disability Leadership Alliance’s 2026 State of the State: Disability Policy in California report.

Over the coming weeks, we’ll share what the data tells us about disability, equity, and opportunity across California and where change is needed.

Read the full report: https://cadisabilityalliance.org/2026-state-of-the-state-disability-policy-in-california/

In his September 25 statement, California Attorney General Bonta said, “The segregation and isolation of people with dis...
09/30/2026

In his September 25 statement, California Attorney General Bonta said, “The segregation and isolation of people with disabilities is discrimination and is illegal in California. People with disabilities have the right to live close to their loved ones, and in an environment where they feel comfortable and connected to their communities.”

We thank Attorney General Rob Bonta for speaking clearly and publicly about disabled people's right to live in our communities. These words matter, especially as the federal government retreats from its longstanding role in enforcing the right to community integration.

Now, we are asking Attorney General Bonta to put those words into a formal public commitment.

On August 11, 2026, 78 organizations asked him to sign the Commitment to Community Integration for People with Disabilities, joining attorneys general in other states in pledging to continue serving disabled people in our homes and communities. The Commitment remains unsigned.

Urge Attorney General Bonta to put his stated principles into action and sign the Commitment to Community Integration: https://dredf.org/september-2026-tell-bonta-to-sign/

H.R. 1586 is an opportunity for Congress to reassert America’s commitment to the right of disabled people to live in our...
09/30/2026

H.R. 1586 is an opportunity for Congress to reassert America’s commitment to the right of disabled people to live in our communities at a time when this administration is seeking to undermine that freedom.

DREDF and the Defend Community Integration Coalition applaud the introduction of H.R. 1586, a bipartisan House resolution upholding disabled people's right to live and receive services in our homes and communities.

For decades, federal law has recognized community integration as a civil right. Section 504 regulations required services to be provided in the most appropriate integrated setting. Congress affirmed that principle, and the ADA recognized that isolation and segregation of disabled people is a serious form of discrimination. More than 27 years ago, the Supreme Court’s Olmstead v. Lois Curtis decision affirmed that isolation of disabled people is discrimination under the ADA.

Now that the integration mandate is under attack by an administration that seems to believe that disabled people should go back to institutions, H.R. 1586 has the opportunity to send a clear, bipartisan message that disabled people belong in our communities, and our freedom will be defended.

We thank House Disability Caucus Chairs Representatives Debbie Dingell and Brian Fitzpatrick for leading the resolution, along with its bipartisan cosponsors. And we urge every member of Congress to cosponsor H.R. 1586.

Contact your representative today and ask them to sign on.

https://dredf.org/take-action-res-1586/

Community integration means living in our own homes and neighborhoods, with the supports we need, alongside everyone els...
09/29/2026

Community integration means living in our own homes and neighborhoods, with the supports we need, alongside everyone else. It does not mean living alone. It does not mean going without care. It means we make the choices about our own lives that most people never think twice about: where we live, who we live with, and how we spend our days.

Community living is a civil right. Disabled people fought for that right for decades, and the U.S. Supreme Court upheld it in Olmstead v. Lois Curtis. Recent federal actions have created fear and confusion, but your rights under Section 504, the ADA, and Olmstead have not changed.

Our new guide, produced with American Association of People with Disabilities, explains what community living is, what the law says, what has changed, and what you can do. Download it, read it, and share it widely. It was written to be passed along.

Read the guide and take action: https://dredf.org/community-living-is-a-civil-right-2026/

Disabled people have the right to live in our own homes and communities. That right has not gone away. But the federal r...
09/24/2026

Disabled people have the right to live in our own homes and communities. That right has not gone away. But the federal rules that spelled out that right in Health and Human Services programs have been struck down, with the government’s help.

Yesterday, in the Texas v. Kennedy case, a federal court approved an agreement jointly proposed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and five states to remove the parts of Section 504 regulations that specify that disabled people should receive services and supports in the community rather than being forced into institutions.

This is yet another attack by this administration on the freedom and rights of disabled people. DREDF joins a coalition of disability rights organizations to strongly condemn this action. Read more here: https://dredf.org/texas-v-kennedy-final-september-2026/

What this ruling does not do is repeal Section 504 or the Americans with Disabilities Act, or overturn the Olmstead v. Lois Curtis ruling. These laws and legal authority continue to provide a right for for people with disabilities to live, work, and learn in community settings.

And if the federal government won't enforce our rights, then we will. We will push states to write Olmstead's protections into state law. We will support strong local and state enforcement. And we will fight cases that reinforce the ADA and Section 504.

Generations of disabled people fought for and won the freedom to make decisions about our lives and be a part of our communities. Together, we continue that fight.

Deaf culture is rich with language, history, creativity, connection, pride, and passion for human rights.September 21 to...
09/22/2026

Deaf culture is rich with language, history, creativity, connection, pride, and passion for human rights.

September 21 to 27 is the International Week of Deaf People. This year’s theme is “Declaring Deaf People’s Human Rights.”

At DREDF, we celebrate Deaf culture and the many ways it has shaped the world, the disabled community, and the broader disability rights movement.

Across generations, Deaf artists, advocates, educators, leaders, and community builders have led movements demanding recognition of their rights to communicate, learn, work, participate in community, access information and services, and direct their own lives. Forging identity, pride, and community, they have advanced rights, challenged barriers, and expanded what communication access and inclusion without boundaries means.

Happy International Week of Deaf People.

Learn more about this year’s themes and resources at the World Federation of the Deaf Ry: wfdeaf.org/international-week-of-deaf-people-2026

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