Update

People With Disabilities Foundation Media Archives: New Videos on our YouTube Channel

By: PWDF Staff

PWDF is a recognized leader with specific expertise in advocacy and education on issues related to psychiatric and developmental disabilities. One of our goals is to provide education and advocacy information to those who would benefit from PWDF’s knowledge and expertise, as well as that of other experts. Audio-visual media allows a unique, easy, and free access point to a host of our materials, research, and connections to other resources from partner organizations.

PWDF is currently broadening our reach by excavating the media archives of our previous public awareness seminars and workshops and making these materials available to a larger audience. Our goal is to expand the reach of our education and advocacy work through connections made through audio-visual media. These seminars and workshops contain information related to a variety of issues surrounding psychiatric and developmental disabilities, including employment, access to health care, assistive technology for those on the autism spectrum, and psychiatric service animals, among others.

Our new Technology Coordinator, Todd Leachman, has been curating our audio-visual media for consumption on our YouTube channel. In these updates to our resources, we are creating video content from our previous 3-hour public awareness seminars and making them available on our YouTube channel. The goal of these new uploads is to provide videos in easier-to-digest increments of 30- to 45- minutes as recommended by a NYU Capstone report provided to PWDF last summer. This allows for viewers to review content at their pace, and to focus on individual segments that cover specific subtopics within our previous programming.

Our first segmented seminar uploads to YouTube cover our Autism & Technology Seminar from August 2012.  This seminar covers the use of technology by transitional age Autism Spectrum Disorder youth in the realms of education, employment and independent living.  You can find the video segments here.

1) Part One – Medical & Legal Definitions:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WR1OvpDyEb4

2) Part Two – Family & Self-Advocacy  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIkj-ljo9pc

3) Part Three – Assistive Technology https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JSPap9_utQ

4) Part Four – Cal State College Link Program & Self Advocacy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFe-Mlghazs

At the time of the publication of this e-newsletter, we are in the process of uploading segments from our 12th seminar, “Overcoming Barriers to Physical Health Care Access – People with Mental Disabilities Have Shorter Life Spans.”

Over the next few months, more of our previous seminars will be uploaded to our YouTube Channel. Make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to receive updates when we have fresh content available. You can also find regular updates on our Facebook and Twitter accounts, alongside visiting our website.

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.