PWDF Files New Complaint Against SSA for Discriminating Against Persons with Mental/Developmental Disabilities By SSA Work Termination Policies

Free Video Distribution Campaign Has Begun (See Press Release)

Program Updates

Advocacy Update

As of April 1, 2009:

1. On behalf of John Doe (pseudonym used to protect his identity), PWDF filed a new complaint in federal district court against the Social Security Administration (SSA) for violations of Plaintiff John’s Fifth Amendment due process rights and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which prohibits discrimination by federal entities based solely on a person’s disability. Doe v. Astrue, Case No. 9-980-MHP (N.D. Cal. 2009).

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Education Update

As of April 1, 2009:

1. PWDF will hold our next free public seminar on May 15, 2009, in the San Francisco bay area, tentatively titled Understanding Employment Issues for People with Psychiatric and/or Developmental Disabilities. Claudia Center, Senior Staff Attorney at the Legal Aid Society/Employment Law Center in San Francisco, will be a co-speaker. Ms. Center represented Barnett in US Airways, Inc. v. Barnett, 535 U.S. 391 (2002), before the U.S. Supreme Court, a case that helped clarify the scope of “reasonable accommodations” for disabled employees. Dr. Janice Cohen, a psychiatrist, has agreed to provide the psychiatric overview component of the seminar. Buckelew Programs, a nonprofit organization that works to enhance the self-sufficiency for adults with mental illness, has agreed to send a job placement professional. Buckelew serves Marin, Napa, and Sonoma counties.

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Counsel's Corner

Social Security Benefits for Children

The Three-Step Sequential Analysis of Impairment Considerations

By Annie Hsia, Interim Program Director

People are often surprised when told that their children may qualify for Social Security benefits. The rules of eligibility for children differ from those of adults. They also differ from education disability rules. Those parents who do pursue Social Security disability benefits are often taken aback when the child’s Individual Education Plan (“IEP”) is considered insufficient by Social Security standards.

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Community Currents

One Man’s Path to Advocacy

How an individual may make a difference in the lives of many

By Spencer Williams, Program Manager for Education and Public Awareness

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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.