Education Program Update

PWDF’s Legal Director, Steven Bruce, provided two half-day training sessions on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to employees of the San Leandro Probation Department on Feb. 18 & 19, 2020.  As part of these sessions, we showed our training video, “Understanding Employees and Job Applicants with Psychiatric Disabilities.”  PWDF Executive Director April Banerjee also attended.

PWDF submitted public comments on the Social Security Administration’s (SSA’s) proposed rule that would change the frequency of continuing disability reviews (CDRs) for people who receive disability benefits. (See “Rules Regarding the Frequency and Notice of Continuing Disability Reviews,” Docket No. SSA-2018-0026.  84 Fed. Reg. 63,588 (Nov. 18, 2019).)  PWDF urged the SSA to drop the changes because the new definitions were too vague and the real issue was the number of errors in the SSA’s performance of CDRs based on the number of reversals from the administrative law judges (ALJs).

PWDF’s Public Awareness and Education Program is planning our next public awareness seminar, Seminar 18 – Older Adults (65 and over) and Mental Health Issues: Planning and Solutions. We will send out a Save the Date notice when the seminar has been scheduled. PWDF has been vetting expert speakers, as well as speakers with lived experience. Please contact education@pwdf.org if you are or know of someone who may be interested in sharing their expertise or experience with PWDF and our community.

We also plan to repeat our seminar on abuse of people with mental and/or developmental disabilities in jails, prisons, and law enforcement settings because the press coverage at the time of our original seminar on this topic (2014) interfered with our ability to obtain speakers.

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.