UPDATE: The DRC intake line is available Monday/Tuesday/Thursday/Friday from 9:00AM – 3:00PM. Our intake line is closed on Wednesdays.

The Roadmap with ACE, a new webinar series, continues in November 2026!

In November, our ACE team is hosting webinars in both English and Spanish about Supplemental Security Income (SSI) eligibility and appeals. SSI is a federal program that provides monthly payments to people disabled and have limited income and resources.

Visit the links below to learn more and register for the upcoming webinar. On the registration page, you may also select if you need language interpretation or reasonable accommodations.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Eligibility and Appeals
When: Tuesday, November 3, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Link: disabilityrightsca.org/events/ACE-ssi…

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Work
When: Thursday, November 19, 2026, from 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Link: disabilityrightsca.org/events/ACE-ssi…

#DisabilityRightsCA #SSI #PublicBenefits #Work #Virtual
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¡La serie de seminarios web "Roadmap with ACE" continúa en noviembre de 2026!

En noviembre, nuestro equipo de ACE ofrecerá seminarios web en inglés y en español sobre la elegibilidad para Seguridad de Ingreso Suplementario (SSI) y los procesos de apelación. SSI es un programa federal que proporciona pagos mensuales a personas mayores, ciegas o con discapacidad, con ingresos y recursos limitados.

Visite los enlaces que aparecen a continuación para obtener más información e inscribirse en uno o ambos seminarios web. En la página de inscripción, también podrá indicar si necesita servicios de interpretación a otro idioma o adaptaciones razonables.

Elegibilidad y apelaciones en el programa de Seguridad de Ingreso Suplementario (SSI)
Cuándo: jueves, 5 de noviembre de 2026, de 6:00 p.m. a 7:30 p.m.
Enlace: disabilityrightsca.org/es/events/ES-A…

Trabajo y Seguridad de Ingreso Suplementario
Cuándo: martes 17 de noviembre de 2026, de 10:00 a.m. a 11:30 a.m.
Enlace: disabilityrightsca.org/es/events/ES-A…

#DisabilityRightsCA #SSI #BeneficiosPublicos #Trabajo #Virtual

Election Day is TOMORROW! Voters with disabilities have the right to vote to make choices about our elected leaders, propositions, how our taxes are spent, and more.

Raymond Kwong, DRC Advocacy and Community Engagement Multicultural Affairs Advocate, shares how he voted for this haven't voted yet, make your plan to do so soon!

Mail is just one of the ways to return the ballot that was mailed to you. You also can return your ballot at an in-person voting location or in an official ballot drop box. To see our video about the ways to return the ballot that was mailed to you, visit the link: youtu.be/3Rx6OKe9ceI. In addition, if you can’t use or don’t want to use the ballot that was mailed to you, you have the option to vote at an in-person voting location.

If you have questions or are having difficulty voting because of a disability, DRC’s voting hotline is open year-round on weekdays during business hours (9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.) (and longer hours on Election Day). Call us at (888) 569-7955.

#DisabilityRightsCA #VoteByMail #ElectionDay #MidtermElection #VotingResource
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Image Description: Header Text: 2026 Midterm Election | How do you vote? Quote Text: I always vote by mail. Filling out the ballot at home gives me plenty of time to make my choices. Since I am visually impaired, it can be difficult for me to tell if I completely filled in the bubble on the ballot. After I am done, I return the ballot by mail. - Raymond Kwong, DRC ACE Multicultural Affairs Advocate. Circle photo of Raymond, smiling and hugging two large Labradors in front of him. Raymond is an Asian man with dark hair and wears sunglasses and a blue shirt.

Today is the last day of October as National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM)! Beyond this month we must continue to emphasize the importance of hiring people with disabilities.

We sat down with two of our board members, Jillian Parramore and Wesley Witherspoon, to ce of making the workplace accessible and inclusive for people with disabilities. When employers understand reasonable accommodations and prioritize an inclusive workplace, this benefits clients, customers, and current and future employees.

"What are we going to do with that wheelchair? The same thing you would do with anybody with a wheelchair that you worked with. If you're not making it accessible for your employees. You're not going to make it accessible for your clients." - Jillian Parramore

Accessibility helps ALL of us. Let's continue the conversation, check our biases, and ensure hiring processes and workplaces are accessible for all people to participate and thrive in.

#DisabilityRightsCA #DisabilityEmployment #DisabilityHiring #October #InclusiveWorkplace
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Vertical video description: Title card: What do you wish employers knew about workers with disabilities? First Name card: Jillian Parramore, DRC Board Member. Jillian is a Latinx and Indigenous woman with long dark hair and wears a floral dress, earrings, and sits in a wheelchair. Second Name card: Wesley Witherspoon, DRC Board Member. Wesley is a Black man with a shaved head and wears a gray suit and a blue shirt. Filmed in an office with shelves and a window with a street view behind them. ASL interpreter below.

Video Transcript: [VOICEOVER] Disability Rights California. What do you wish employers knew about workers with disabilities? [JILLIAN] I wish people knew with people with disabilities that we’re not a financial burden. It's crazy to think that, what stands between me working in law, me working as a neurologist was something as simple as well. What are we going to do with that wheelchair? The same thing you would do with anybody with a wheelchair that you worked with. If you're not making it accessible for your employees. You're not going to make it accessible for your clients. And you're going to miss out on, like, I hate to say it, money, capitalism, if that's what's speaking to you. You're going to miss out on a lot of it. [WESLEY] Sometimes they need accommodations to help them do a good job. People with disabilities are as good as workers, as people without disabilities, and just wish, you know, people with disabilities are persistent. They also spend money as well. Their support staff, their family members and their friends. They spend money. When you hire a person with a disability. It's good public relations for employers, your company and everybody. So that's why you should include a person with disability.

Starting tomorrow (October 31), additional vote centers open for in-person voting and other voting services in counties running their elections under the California Voter's Choice Act (VCA). They will be open every day from October 31 through Election Day (November 3). Find the re: sos.ca.gov/voters-choice-….

In addition, all non-VCA counties will have at least one location open for in-person voting and other voting services on Saturday, October 31.

To learn the hours of operation of these voting locations, check the materials your county elections office mailed to you, your county’s elections website, or CAEarlyVoting.sos.ca.gov.

If you have questions or are having difficulty voting because of a disability, DRC’s voting hotline is open year-round on weekdays during business hours (9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.) (and 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Election Day). Call us at (888) 569-7955.

This is our last planned social media post sharing voting resources before Election Day. If you haven't voted yet, make sure you have a plan!

#DisabilityRightsCA #VotingResource #InPersonVoting #MidtermElection #ElectionDay

Election Day (November 3) is nearly a week away! We want to help voters with disabilities have a smooth voting experience. At the link below, you'll find our 2026 voting resource webpage with general information and tips for Californians with disabilities to make your vote count eral election. Link: disabilityrightsca.org/disability-rig…

If you have questions or are having difficulty voting because of a disability, DRC’s voting hotline is open year-round on weekdays during business hours (9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.) (and longer hours on Election Day). Call us at (888) 569-7955.

We will continue to share voting resources on DRC social media as Election Day gets closer!

#DisabilityRightsCA #VotingResources #ElectionDay #MidtermElection #AccessibleVoting
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Image Description: Blue/green DRC logo. Title Text: 2026 Voting Resources. Illustrations of an "I Voted" sticker, a computer with text on screen: Vote, and someone dropping a ballot into a box. Photo below of a woman voting with a controller with two labeled buttons "No" and "Yes".

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM)! We sat down with our DRC Human Resources Disability Talent Liaison, Elizabeth Campos, where she explains what employers may misunderstand about hiring people with disabilities.

"It doesn't cost more to have es] as employees. I feel like sometimes employers misunderstand what reasonable accommodations are. Not understanding that, by asking for a reasonable accommodation. I'm not setting you up for a lawsuit. I'm actually just trying to find a way to be able to do my job more effectively."

Accessibility helps ALL of us. Let's continue to advocate for diverse workplaces which include people with disabilities!

#DisabilityRightsCA #DisabilityEmployment #DisabilityHiring #October #InclusiveWorkplace
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Vertical Video Description: Title card: What do you wish employers knew about workers with disabilities? Name card: Elizabeth Campos, Disability Talent Liaison. Top video of Elizabeth, she is an Afro Latina woman seated in an office with a window and shelves behind her. She has dark curly hair and wears hoop earrings and a floral dress. She holds her white cane close to her. ASL interpreter below.

Video Transcript: [VOICEOVER] Disability Rights California. What do you wish employers knew about workers with disabilities? [ELIZABETH] I want employers to know. Number one, hiring a person with a disability is not a liability. I feel like that's a thing that for some reason, when someone, you know, like, for example, sees me with the cane, they're like, oh, my gosh, she's going to fall down because she can't see. Which we all know isn't isn't true. Right. And so, number one, like hiring a person with a disability doesn't mean you're going to have to change your office space. You're not, you know, like you might need to make some accommodations, but we're not here to disrupt anything. We're not here to turn things upside down. We're here to work just like everyone else. The second thing that I would like employers to know or consider when they are, you know, thinking about hiring someone, with a disability is. What if you took disability out of the equation? If disability wasn't a factor and you were just looking at this person for their skill sets, for the talents that they have for their background, would you hire them? And I feel like that's just a simple question that you, you know, you can ask yourself to really check your bias. Am I being biased right now? Because I know after this interview I realize this person has a disability. Now I'm changing how I view them as a candidate. So really, like if that's where you are, just take a second. And if disability weren't a factor, how would you be viewing this candidate? And a third, it doesn't cost more to have us as employees. I feel like sometimes employers misunderstand what reasonable accommodations are, you know? Not understanding that by asking for a reasonable accommodation. I'm not setting you up for a lawsuit. You know, I'm actually just trying to find a way to be able to do my job more effectively. So if employers are more aware of reasonable accommodations, how they can help their employees, then it will take some of that fear away and some of that uncertainty of like, hey, can I hire a person with a disability? Absolutely. Because as the employer, I know what reasonable accommodations I can offer because I really like this person. I think they're going to be really good at this job, and I don't want to just look past them because they have a disability. Obviously, they were able to finish college. Obviously they've had other employment. So why would I think they can't do my job? Just because I've never- I'm not familiar with their disability. And I guess lastly, like, I would like for employers to know, like, we're humans, just like everyone else. Disabled or not, people make mistakes. So although, like, you know, I'm all for, you know, people with disabilities, we try really hard, but we are going to make mistakes and we are going to maybe ask for help, but hey, like that happens with everyone, right? So for me, it's really important for employers and people to understand that things that happens with everyone, right? So for me, it's really important for employers and people to understand that things that happen to us, like leaving our keys at home or dropping something, have nothing to do with the disability. It's just because we're human like everyone else. So taking that into consideration too that, some of the things that might seem like a big deal because the person has a disability, if they didn't have a disability, you probably wouldn't think it was a big deal or a problem. [OFF CAMERA VOICE] Hell yeah! [ELIZABETH LAUGHS] [OFF CAMERA VOICE] Dude, I’m like, letting you speak. And back here I'm like, nodding so aggressively. [ELIZABETH LAUGHS]

A federal court has decided against a part of a Medicaid work requirement rule in a case called Massachusetts v. Oz, which was brought by 25 states (including California) and the District of Columbia.

The court addressed part of the rule that made it harder for people with ns to qualify for the Medicaid “medically frail” exemption. Medi-Cal consumers, who are part of the expansion group, will no longer need to show that their condition significantly limits their ability to meet work requirements. Instead, they will only need to show that they are medically frail (meet one of the five categories under the medically frail exemption).

The court also stopped the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) from enforcing the now invalid part of the rule in the 25 states and District of Columbia that filed the lawsuit. In addition, CMS cannot enforce new medically frail eligibility determinations in those states and the District of Columbia for six months.

The decision was issued recently, and many details about how CMS will respond are still unclear. We are continuing to monitor the situation and will share updates as more information becomes available.

#DisabilityRightsCA #Massachusetts #FederalCourt #Medicaid #WorkRequirements
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Image Description: Blue/green DRC logo. Bold Text: Federal Court Blocks Part of Medicaid Work Requirement Rule | Hopefully Preventing Coverage Loss for Many. Bottom photo of a Massachusetts Federal Court building. It's a large brown building with a cylinder shape in the middle and an American flag.

A federal court has decided against a part of a Medicaid work requirement rule in a case called Massachusetts v. Oz, which was brought by 25 states (including California) and the District of Columbia.

The court addressed part of the rule that made it harder for people with ns to qualify for the Medicaid “medically frail” exemption. Medi-Cal consumers, who are part of the expansion group, will no longer need to show that their condition significantly limits their ability to meet work requirements. Instead, they will only need to show that they are medically frail (meet one of the five categories under the medically frail exemption).

The court also stopped the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) from enforcing the now invalid part of the rule in the 25 states and District of Columbia that filed the lawsuit. In addition, CMS cannot enforce new medically frail eligibility determinations in those states and the District of Columbia for six months.

The decision was issued recently, and many details about how CMS will respond are still unclear. We are continuing to monitor the situation and will share updates as more information becomes available.

#DisabilityRightsCA #Massachusetts #FederalCourt #Medicaid #WorkRequirements
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Image Description: Blue/green DRC logo. Bold Text: Federal Court Blocks Part of Medicaid Work Requirement Rule | Hopefully Preventing Coverage Loss for Many. Bottom photo of a Massachusetts Federal Court building. It's a large brown building with a cylinder shape in the middle and an American flag.

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM)! This month serves as a great opportunity to uplift the importance of hiring people with disabilities. We chatted with DRC Board Member, Wesley Witherspoon, about the potential benefits of hiring people with ms it up perfectly, "We want people with disabilities to be included worldwide. It's when people with disabilities win, you win, and everybody wins!"

Accessibility helps ALL of us. Let's continue to advocate for diverse workplaces which include people with disabilities!

#DisabilityRightsCA #DisabilityEmployment #DisabilityHiring #October #InclusiveWorkplace
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Vertical video description: Title card: What do you think employers are missing out on when they exclude people with disabilities from the workplace? Name card: Wesley Witherspoon, DRC Board Member. Wesley speaks to camera, seated in an office with shelves and a window with a street view behind him. Wesley is a Black man with a shaved head and wears a gray suit and a blue shirt. ASL interpreter below.

Join DRC's quarterly Board Meeting this November and learn about key organizational updates.

When: November 20, 2026 2:00pm-4:00pm via Zoom

Register at the link in bio to attend and note if you would like to be considered for public comment.

Registration deadline November 13, e to see you there!

#DisabilityRightsCalifornia #BoardMeeting #NovemberMeeting #Zoom #DRC #BoardOfDirectors
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Image Description: Header Text: November Board Meeting. Blue/green DRC logo. Icon of a computer screen with a zoom meeting displayed. Top Boxed text: When: November 20th 2:00pm-4:00pm via Zoom. Bottom boxed text: Register to attend and/or make public comment | Registration Deadline: November 13th at 2:00pm. Blue tinted background photo of a person looking at their laptop with a Zoom meeting displayed.

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM)! This month will soon come to a close, yet we will continue to emphasize the importance of hiring people with disabilities. Let's continue the conversation, check our biases, and ensure hiring processes and le for all people to participate and thrive in.

We sat down with Catherine Ames, CEO of Fierce Hope Patient Advocacy & Consulting, where she explains the many strengths people with disabilities bring to the table in the workforce. Catherine concludes, "There's truly no downside to hiring somebody with a disability. And, if anything, it's going to make your team so much stronger and so much more creative."

Accessibility helps ALL of us. Let's continue to advocate for diverse workplaces which include people with disabilities!

#DisabilityRightsCA #DisabilityEmployment #DisabilityHiring #October #InclusiveWorkplace
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Vertical Video Description: Titlecard: What do you wish employers knew about workers with disabilities? Namecard: Catherine Ames, CEO of Fierce Hope Patient Advocacy & Consulting. Top video of Catherine, she is a young white woman with short brown hair and wearing a white blouse. She sits in an office with decorated shelves behind her and a window with a street view. ASL interpreter below.

How do you become an informed voter? One way is to read the materials from your county and state elections officials. We also hope the following voter guides from trusted nonpartisan sources will help you:

League of Women Voters’ Easy Voter Guide, in five languages (English, amese, and Korean): CAVotes.org/easy-voter-gui…. Pages 3 and 4 describe the offices candidates are running for at the federal and state levels. Pages 4 through 14 summarize the 14 statewide propositions on your ballot for this election.

CalMatters’ 2026 Voter Guide: CalMatters.org/california-vot…. This guide includes information about some candidates and about all 14 statewide propositions. It may be easiest to find the information you are looking for from the navigation bar at the top, which has drop-down menus for “state offices” (excluding California Senate and Assembly), “legislatures” (federal and state), and the statewide propositions.

In addition, for voters who need information in American Sign Language (ASL), the California Secretary of State’s office made ASL videos about the 14 statewide propositions, viewable at VoterGuide.sos.ca.gov/asl/.

If you have questions or are having difficulty voting because of a disability, DRC’s voting hotline is open year-round on weekdays during business hours (9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.) (and longer hours on Election Day). Call us at (888) 569-7955.

We will continue to share voting resources on DRC social media as Election Day gets closer!

#DisabilityRightsCA #VoterGuide #CaliforniaVoting #VotingResource #MidtermElection

Disability Rights California mourns the loss of civil rights activist, labor rights activist, and community organizer Dolores Huerta. Her legacy is one of resilience and tenacity in her fight for the rights of many intersecting marginalized groups in California, including , immigrants, LGBTQIA+ communities and more.

Check out the full statement at the link: disabilityrightsca.org/latest-news/di…

“Today we lost the body of an exemplary warrior in our community, but her soul, spirit, teachings, and strength remain within us. Dolores Huerta taught us the importance of the power of the people's voice. I have remembered her since I was a child, as the daughter of farmworkers, and her courage inspired me to fight alongside her for our people,” said Vanessa Ochoa, Special Advisor to Strategic Partnerships and Community Engagement (SPACE) at DRC. “As a woman, mother, and leader, she was and will continue to be my example of strength and for many girls! Yes, we can! We continue her work for our Latinx community with disabilities.”

“Hoy perdimos el cuerpo de una Guerrera ejemplar en nuestra comunidad, pero su alma espíritu enseñanzas y fuerza sigue dentro de nosotros. Dolores Huerta nos enseño la importancia del poder de la voz del Pueblo. Yo la recuerdo desde que yo era niña, como hija de campesinos y su valor me inspiro a luchar con ella por nuestra gente. ¡Como mujer madre y líder ella fue y seguirá siendo mi ejemplo de fuerza y para muchas niñas! Si se puede! Continuamos su trabajo por nuestra comunidad Latinx con discapacidades.”

#DisabilityRightsCA #DoloresHuerta #UnitedFarmWorkers #Statement

Families and caregivers of adults with #IDD 📢 Learn how to navigate the changes to #Medicaid and #Medicare enrollment, eligibility, and renewal.

Join our webinar Nov. 5 at 6 p.m. CT

Register: bit.ly/4hZYcWy

@UTHealthSA @The_NHHF @genentech

The Roadmap with ACE, a new webinar series, continues in November 2026!

In November, our ACE team is hosting a webinar in both English and Spanish about Supplemental Security Income (SSI) eligibility and appeals. SSI is a federal program that provides monthly payments to people disabled and have limited income and resources.

Visit the link below to learn more and register for the upcoming webinar. On the registration page, you may also select if you need language interpretation or reasonable accommodations.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Eligibility and Appeals
When: Tuesday, November 3, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Link: disabilityrightsca.org/events/ACE-ssi…

#DisabilityRightsCA #SSI #PublicBenefits #Work #Virtual.
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¡La serie de seminarios web "Roadmap with ACE" continúa en noviembre de 2026!

En noviembre, nuestro equipo de ACE ofrecerá seminarios web en inglés y en español sobre la elegibilidad para Seguridad de Ingreso Suplementario (SSI) y los procesos de apelación. SSI es un programa federal que proporciona pagos mensuales a personas mayores, ciegas o con discapacidad, con ingresos y recursos limitados.

Visita el enlace que aparece a continuación para obtener más información e inscribirse en el seminario web. En la página de inscripción, también podrá indicar si necesita servicios de interpretación a otro idioma o adaptaciones razonables.

Elegibilidad y apelaciones en el programa de Seguridad de Ingreso Suplementario (SSI)
Cuándo: jueves, 5 de noviembre de 2026, de 6:00 p.m. a 7:30 p.m.
Enlace: disabilityrightsca.org/es/events/ES-A…

#DisabilityRightsCA #SSI #BeneficiosPublicos #Trabajo #Virtual
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Image Description: Top Header Text: November Webinar. Top boxed text: Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Eligibility and Appeals | When: Tuesday, November 3, 2026 Time: 10:00 A.M. - 11:30 A.M. Texto del encabezado inferior: Seminario Web en Noviembre. Texto en recuadro inferior: Elegibilidad y apelaciones en el programa de Seguridad de Ingreso Suplementario | Cuándo: jueves 5 de noviembre de 2026 Tiempo: 6:00 P.M. - 7:30 P.M.

Today we are mourning the loss of the incredible Dolores Huerta, a critical labor activist, feminist, and community organizer who dedicated over 70 years of her life to a number of important civil rights efforts.

Dolores's tireless commitment to fighting alongside many ed groups in California, including Latinos, workers, women, immigrants, LGBTQIA+ communities and more made her one of the greatest civil rights leaders in history.

We will dearly miss Dolores. Her legacy continues through all of us who progress her work by amplifying the voices of those most affected by inequity. Sí, se puede.

#DisabilityRightsCA #DoloresHuerta #LaborRights #Union #CivilRights
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Image Description: Text: 1930 - 2026. Dolores Huerta. Blue/green DRC logo. Two photos of Dolores among a fiield of marigolds. Front photo of an elderly Dolores smiling to camera. She has dark hair, wears lipstick, and wears an embroidered jacket. In the back, a black and white photo of a younger Dolores holding a megaphone.

As we mentioned in our post last Friday, some vote centers opened last Saturday for in-person voting and other voting services in counties running their elections under the California Voter’s Choice Act (VCA).

What if you are not in a VCA county but you would like to go to an on on a Saturday? Under a newer law, you will have that option this coming Saturday, October 31!

To plan ahead and see the locations and hours of operation for these newer in-person voting options, check the materials your county elections office mailed to you, your county’s elections website, or CAEarlyVoting.sos.ca.gov.

If you have questions or are having difficulty voting because of a disability, DRC’s voting hotline is open year-round on weekdays during business hours (9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.) (and longer hours on Election Day). Call us at (888) 569-7955.

We will continue to share voting resources on DRC social media as Election Day gets closer!

#DisabilityRightsCA #MidtermElection #NonVCA #VotingResource #VoteCenter
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Image Description: Text: Under a new law, all California voters will have an option for in-person voting on Saturday, October 31! Small illustration of 3 stars near the date. Center, a blue and yellow filtered photo inside a vote center with people using voting machines at booths scattered in the area. On one of the booths is an American flag with text: VOTE. Blue/green DRC logo.

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM)! Although this month will soon come to a close, we must continue to emphasize the importance of hiring people with disabilities. Let's continue the conversation, check our biases, and ensure hiring processes and le for all people to participate and thrive in.

We sat down with our DRC Human Resources Disability Talent Liaison, Elizabeth Campos, where she explains the growth opportunities employers are missing out on when they exclude people with disabilities from the workplace.

When employers are not thinking about accessibility, it can have a negative effect on customers and employees. As Elizabeth explains, employers may end up creating an environment where current or future employees may not feel comfortable disclosing their disabilities. This means employees might not succeed the way they could if they were empowered through reasonable accommodations.

Accessibility helps ALL of us. Let's continue to advocate for diverse workplaces which include people with disabilities!

#DisabilityRightsCA #DisabilityEmployment #DisabilityHiring #October #InclusiveWorkplace

Vertical Video Description: Titlecard: What do you think employers are missing out on when they exclude people with disabilities from the workplace? Namecard: Elizabeth Campos, Disability Talent Liaison. Top video of Elizabeth, she is an Afro Latina woman seated in an office with a window and shelves behind her. She has dark curly hair and wears hoop earrings and a floral dress. She holds her white cane close to her. ASL interpreter below.

Video Transcript: [VOICEOVER] Disability Rights California. What do you think employers are missing out on when they exclude people with disabilities from the workplace? [ELIZABETH] They are missing out on an opportunity to grow essentially inside and to grow their business. Right. Because when you have people that you can relate to, you're going to be more likely to, you know, frequent that business or that establishment when you see yourself represented and the people that are providing customer service, it makes you feel like, hey, this is a place where they respect and value people like me. So even though I may not be looking for employment there, the fact that I know that there's people with disabilities working there will drive me to want to participate more in this organization or the company. The other thing that when I mention growth is the opportunity to actually expand and change the way that we do things. People with disabilities come in with a lot of skills for problem solving, because that's what we've been doing our whole lives. It's not just something that we put down on paper it’s essentially like, how do I figure out this problem? How do I get through this challenge? And so, you know, missing out on a whole pool of people that are willing to problem solve and are diligent and are so, excited to have these employment opportunities. When a person with a disability is out there searching for employment, it could be very disheartening because employers see your disability and they say no. So what ends up, ends up happening is people start to hide the fact that they have a disability. And so now employers are hiring people with disabilities who aren't disclosing. And these individuals aren't getting the reasonable accommodations they need so they aren't able to perform at the highest standard. Right. So for me, it's just like if an employer is really looking for employees that are going to be dedicated and, you know, longevity is a huge thing. Me personally, like, my first job I had for 13 years because it was somewhere where I was learning, I was growing. It had to do with the disability, awareness piece of, of blindness. And so I think that if employers just really took a second to understand and look beyond the disability and just looked at our skills, at the skill sets on these resumes, you know, like a lot of us go to training programs and we have degrees and certificates. And because we know that to get in, to get a job, you have to be the best on paper or else people won't even acknowledge you. Right? So we have people with disabilities who are really striving to be the best in their field. And if employers were able to take a moment to really just acknowledge the fact, like, hey, this person applied for this job, I'm gonna give them some credit. That means that they think they can do this job, but why discount the person right off the bat? Right. If a person with a disability tries something, it's because we know we can do it. And even if we don't know how to do it at first, we will learn how. We're resourceful.