CDCAN DISABILITY RIGHTS NEWS REPORT
CDCAN LOGOCalifornia Disability Community Action Network
Advocacy Without Borders: One Community
News Impacting People With Disabilities, Mental Health Needs, Seniors & others, including Asian Pacific Islanders, Latinos, African Americans communities across California and beyond - Reports go out to over 45,000 people with disabilities, seniors, mental health needs & others,  organizations, policy makers across California
REPLY TO: MARTY OMOTO 
 martyomoto@rcip.com   website:   www.cdcan.us
 REPORT #089-2008  -  MAY 5, 2008 - MONDAY
 
Since 2003, CDCAN Townhall telemeetings provide an opportunity for thousands people with disabilities, mental health needs, seniors, workers - especially those on limited incomes, or with health needs and limited resources that prevent travel, to participate and find out directly from top policymakers and other advocates on critical issues. 
 
CDCAN Townhall Telemeeting:
MAY 8th (THURSDAY) 1 to 2:40 PM
Subject: ACCESS RIGHTS & SB 1608
Hear about the issue & bill - update - question & answers (everyone can ask!)
GUEST SPEAKERS: 
* Sen. Ellen Corbett, author of the bill [invited] and chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee; 
* Peggy Collins (chief of staff - Sen. Corbett)
* Gene Wong (Chief Consultant - Senate Judiciary Committee)
and
* Catherine Blakemore (Executive Director - Protection & Advocacy Inc. - PAI)
* Teresa Favuzzi (Executive Director - California Foundation for Independent Living Centers - CFILC)
Note: others may be included
RESPONSE PANEL: 
* Connie Arnold (disability rights advocate - Sacramento)
* Maggie "Dee" Dowling [invited] (disability rights advocate/radio talk show host - Bay Area)
* Christal Hopkins (disability rights advocate - Fresno)
* Paul Hein [invited] (disability rights attorney - Bay Area)
* Laura Williams (President - Californians for Disability Rights Inc - CDR)
* Anna Wang [invited] (parent/disability rights advocate - East Bay Area)
Note: others may be included
 
How To Connect (toll free number): 1-800-608-4143 (there is NO passcode)
OR You Can ALSO access on the web (if you have access to high speed internet)
Step 1: Go to RollCall Conferencing website: http://www.800rollc all.com/webprese nter/
Step 2: Enter the Guest login participant code: 68147694  
Step 3: Type in your first name and (if you want), your last name your organization and email address. You don't have to do that however.
Step 4: Click on the "Log In" button
Step 5: Your computer will flash a security warning - click "yes" and click on audio stream. 
Note: You can ask a question by typing it in
 
CDCAN Townhall Telemeeting:
MAY 14, 2008 (WEDNESDAY) 4 PM
Subject: Governor's Budget Revisions  (specifically the impact on children and adults with disabilities, mental health needs, seniors, people with traumatic brain and other injuries, people with MS, Alzheimer's and their families, community organizations and workers who provide supports and services and others) 
GUEST SPEAKER:
KIM BELSHE, Secretary - California Health and Human Services Agency
NOTE:
* With May 14th a pivotal date that advocates and policymakers anxiously wait for when the Governor will release his budget revisions or changes (called the "May Revise" or the "May Revision")
* The last appearance by Belshe in a CDCAN Townhall Telemeeting earlier this year drew well over 500 people with disabilities, mental health needs, seniors, families, workers and other advocates across the State.
* The Governor last week warned that the budget gap is getting wider - and could grow to over $20 billion by the end of the 2008-2009 State Budget year unless major cuts and other budget changes are made. 
* Schwarzenegger Administration officials, while confirming that no final decisions have been made yet, say that if the State's financial picture worsens, major spending cuts are likely to a wide range of critical health and human services that impact children and adults with disabilities, mental health needs, seniors, community organizations, workers and others.   The Governor has said that while he opposes raising taxes, he would be open to finding new sources of revenues. 
* Belshe, who is widely respected by policymakers and advocates, oversees most of the departments that fund or administer programs and services for children and adults with disabilities, including developmental disabilities, mental health needs, seniors, persons who are Blind, persons who are Deaf, people with Alzheimer's, MS and other disorders, their families, community organizations and workers.  Those programs include regional centers, developmental centers, In-Home Supportive Services, adoption and foster care programs, SSI/SSP, Adult Protective Services, programs that serve seniors under the Department of Aging, programs under the Department of Rehabilitation and more. 
 
How To Connect (toll free number): 1-800-608-4143 (there is NO passcode)
OR You Can ALSO access on the web (if you have access to high speed internet)
Step 1: Go to RollCall Conferencing website: http://www.800rollc all.com/webprese nter/
Step 2: Enter the Guest login participant code: 68147694  
Step 3: Type in your first name and (if you want), your last name your organization and email address. You don't have to do that however.
Step 4: Click on the "Log In" button
Step 5: Your computer will flash a security warning - click "yes" and click on audio stream. 
Note: You can ask a question by typing it in
 
CDCAN Townhall Telemeeting:
MAY 16, 2008 (FRIDAY) 10:30 to 11:30 AM
Subject: More On Governor's Budget & Action Steps
GUESTS: ADVOCATES (to be announced
TOLL FREE LINE: (same as above)
WEB ACCESS: (same as above)
 
CDCAN Townhall Telemeetings Open to Anyone
The CDCAN Townhall Telemeetings are free and open to everyone, and include question and answer period.  The CDCAN Townhall Telemeeting held on Wednesday, April 30th, featured Terri Delgadillo, director of the Department of Developmental Services and other department officials attracted hundreds of people across the state. 
These townhall telemeetings are held to help people with disabilities, mental health needs, seniors, their families, community organizations and workers - including those in hard to reach areas of the state and communities of color (including Asian Pacific Islanders, Latinos, African American communities) to stay connected together with information directly with state policymakers and other advocates.  [Note: CDCAN issued a budget action alert last week - see CDCAN website at www.cdcan.us for details]
 
Townhall Telemeetings Have Attracted Thousands Of Participants Since 2003
The first townhall "telemeeting" was organized in August 2003 by CDCAN in an effort to connect people with disabilities, mental health needs, seniors, their families, community organizations and workers who provide services and supports, and others, together with information and the opportunity to hear updates and ask questions of major policy makers.  No other local or statewide group has done similar ongoing events to bring policymaking and policy makers and advocates to where the lowest income people with disabilities and others live. 
 
Since then thousands of people have participated in the non-partisan telemeetings, which are accessed by toll free lines and also through an internet website via highspeed internet connection.  It has been the only opportunity for people with disabilities, mental health needs, seniors and others across the State to hear and ask questions directly of top legislators, advocates and top state officials. 
 
Other Townhalls To Be Scheduled
Other CDCAN Townhalls will be scheduled soon focusing on Medi-Cal, including implementation of the Deficit Reduction Act and updates on efforts to impose a moratorium on seven of the federal Medicaid regulations and also update on budget issues. Other townhalls will be scheduled covering In-Home Supportive Services, SSI/SSP, civil rights including special education due processrights and housing, depending on resources available.    (CDCAN Townhall Telemeetings are free to anyone but it does cost CDCAN a lot funds to put on a single townhall - donations and contributions are helpful - see below)
 
 
URGENT!!!  YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS NEEDED
Townhall Telemeetings, reports and alerts and other activities cannot continue without your help!
Advocacy Without Borders - ONE Community:
Connecting People With Disabilities, Mental Health Needs, Seniors, Traumatic Brain & other injuries, People with MS & other health needs, including People of color, different languages, cultures,  Families, Workers, Providers, & Organizations to Rights & Unified Action.
This report - and the CDCAN townhall telemeetings, and other events and projects are for all of them and for promoting advocacy without borders toward unified action.  We are one community.
To respond to this report reply to: Marty Omoto at martyomoto@rcip.com    CDCAN website: www.cdcan.us
To continue the CDCAN website, the CDCAN News Reports.  sent out and read by over 45,000 people and organizations, policy makers and media across California and to continue the CDCAN Townhall Telemeetings which since December 2003 have connected thousands of people with disabilities, seniors, mental health needs, people with MS and other disorders, people with traumatic brain and other injuries to public policy makers, legislators, and issues. Please send your contribution/donation (make payable to "CDCAN" or "California Disability Community Action Network):

CDCAN
1225 8th Street Suite 480
Sacramento, CA 95814
Note: the paypal option on the CDCAN website is temporarily not working and will be fixed soon. 

 The CDCAN Townhall Telemeetings are partially funded by a small grant from the USC UCEDD, Grant #90DD0540 from the Administration on Developmental Disabilities. (note: the opinions expressed or content in these reports do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the USC UCEDD.
MANY MANY THANKS to Alta California Regional Center, FEAT (Families for Early Autism Treatment), Friends of Children with Special Needs, Life Steps, Easter Seals California, Parents Helping Parents, UCP of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, Work Training, Foothill Autism Alliance, Arc Contra Costa, Pause4Kids, Manteca CAPS, Training Toward Self Reliance, UCP, California NAELA, Californians for Disability Rights, Inc (CDR) including CDR chapters, CHANCE Inc, , Strategies To Empower People (STEP), Harbor Regional Center, Tri-Counties Regional Center, Asian American parents groups, Resources for Independent Living and many other Independent Living Centers, several regional centers, People First chapters, IHSS workers, other self advocacy and family support groups, developmental center families, adoption assistance program families and children, and others across California