Update

Education Program Update

By: PWDF Staff

On February 28, 2018, Steven Bruce, PWDF’s Legal Director (L.D) and Board President, presented a workshop at Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance San Francisco’s Education Night. We showed our video “Understanding Employees and Job Applicants with Psychiatric Disabilities,” followed by Q&A. The main learning objectives and presentation goals were to 1) identify issues in returning to work for individuals with psychiatric disabilities; 2) be able to describe potential reasonable accommodation strategies; and 3) recognize the legal rights and obligations of employees and employers.

Save the date: on May 17, 2018, Steven Bruce Legal Director (L.D) will present a workshop on Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) (Title II) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) (Title XVI) at Support For Families of Children With Disabilities. More information will be posted on our website as it becomes available.

We are making exciting revisions to our website. Some of these upcoming changes include revising the homepage to include PWDF’s services, a search box, the Google Translator so our site can be seen in many languages, and links to PWDF 3-hour seminar videos from the last 17 years available on YouTube. To make the information on our website more accessible, we are adding a new Grant Program page and Resources tab.

On January 18, 2018, PWDF hosted a visit to PWDF’s offices by New Door Ventures. PWDF gave a presentation followed by a short video. Executive Director, April Banerjee, discussed our Advocacy Program. Education Program Manager, Naveen Makhdum, described the overview and scope of the Education Program. New Door Ventures also showed a video highlighting their work. It was informational for both organizations. We also discussed potential collaboration in the future.

Come visit our table at these upcoming events: Project Homeless Connect 70 (PHC 70) on March 21, 2018, Alameda County Transition Faire on March 24, 2018, and Support for Families of Children with Disabilities’ Information & Resource Conference on April 7, 2018.
Our next free 3-hour public awareness seminar, titled “Accommodating Employees and Job Applicants with P/IDD, Employee and Employer Rights and Obligations,” will be held in May 2018. We will send more details when they become available.

Be sure to follow us on Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube channel for all the latest information and media updates from PWDF. For inquiries about PWDF’s Public Awareness and Education Program, please contact Program Manager, Naveen Makhdum at education@pwdf.org.

PWDF Profile

Who We Are

People With Disabilities Foundation is an operating 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in San Francisco, California, which focuses on the rights of the mentally and developmentally disabled.

Services

Advocacy: PWDF advocates for Social Security claimant’s disability benefits in eight Bay Area counties. We also provide services in disability rights, on issues regarding returning to work, and in ADA consultations, including areas of employment, health care, and education, among others. There is representation before all levels of federal court and Administrative Law Judges. No one is declined due to their inability to pay, and we offer a sliding scale for attorney’s fees.

Education/Public Awareness: To help eliminate the stigma against people with mental disabilities in society, PWDF’s educational program organizes workshops and public seminars, provides guest speakers with backgrounds in mental health, and produces educational materials such as videos.

Continuing Education Provider: State Bar of California MCLE and Commission of Rehabilitation Counselor Certification.