Program Updates

Advocacy Update

By PWDF Staff

As of September 20, 2010:

In our two discrimination lawsuits (Davis v. Astrue, case no. 06-cv-6108 MHP and Doe v. Astrue, case no. 09-cv-980 MHP) against the Social Security Administration (SSA), we have had additional developments:

1. Plaintiffs filed a motion for [partial] summary judgment on August 30, 2010. The oral argument will be scheduled for November 1, 2010.
2. We are in the midst of discovery which Judge Patel suspended on August 9, 2010. Thus far, SSA has disgorged over 50,000 pages, along with about 100 videos.
   
   By Court Order, there was a Settlement Conference before Magistrate Judge Elizabeth D. Laporte on July 23, 2010. It was unsuccessful.
3. Since PWDF has been prosecuting a lawsuit against SSA for lack of awareness when interacting with people with mental and/or developmental disabilities, they asked this agency for training on how to deal with such individuals. According to one of the team members tasked to develop the curriculum for training all claims representatives in such situations, this is of interest to both the regional commissioner and the commissioner. Apparently, after PWDF informed the U.S. Attorney representing the SSA of this training, SSA stated the due to other more high-priority items they have postponed scheduling the training.

   Meanwhile, in preparation for training for any group or governmental agency, if you have a scenario – fictional or real – that you would like to see included in our training to SSA, please contact Annie Hsia, Advocacy Program Manager (ahsia@pwdf.org).

4. We will pursue our motion for summary judgment regarding our Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests for statistics and other documents relating to the Plaintiffs' waiver of fees demand for public interest.

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, California Board of Behavioral Sciences Continuing Education, and Commission of Rehabilitation Counselor Certification.