PWDF Update

A Holiday Message from PWDF

Dear Friends and Colleagues:

We hope this message finds you healthy and in good spirits. We continue to work at our mission providing legal services to some of the most vulnerable in our community. As we look forward to the new year, we are also aware of the significant challenges ahead.  The communities served by People With Disabilities Foundation (PWDF) remain among the most vulnerable and will need your support more than ever in 2026.

PWDF is one of the few organizations in the nation aimed at helping individuals with psychiatric and/or developmental disabilities through legal representation, educating the public, and through our pilot grant program.

The need is undeniable: The U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) reports, “[i]n 2024, 23.4 percent of adults aged 18 or older (or 61.5 million people) had AMI [any mental illness] in the past year.” It also stated, “[i]n 2024, 5.6 percent of adults aged 18 or older (or 14.6 million people) had SMI [severe mental illness] in the past year.”¹  As a 501(c)(3) public operating nonprofit organization, PWDF can only continue to do its important work with the help and support of individuals like you.

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As an example of our current efforts, PWDF is in litigation with the Social Security Administration (SSA) for reasonable accommodations for a client based on his psychosis (schizophrenia). (See related article.) The legal standard is effective communication to have meaningful program access. Co-counsel stated, in part:

“Mr. Doe² needs reasonable accommodations to effectively communicate with staff of the Social Security Administration (SSA or Agency) and to avoid any disruption to his essential, lifesaving SSI benefits [a poverty program]. Previously, the records show, an SSA staff member used a harsh, aggressive, and repetitive communication style in questioning Mr. Doe that caused him to become destabilized and confused. As a result, Mr. Doe “confessed” (falsely) to owning [$1 million worth of real estate] in Mexico [well over the $2,000 resource limit for SSI benefits].  This interaction caused Mr. Doe to be deemed ineligible for benefits. It took nearly two years for his family and lawyer [PWDF Legal Director, Steven Bruce] to correct the record and get him into payment status. I understand that, while waiting for payment of his benefits, Mr. Doe was homeless, sleeping on couches, hospitalized in psychiatric facilities, and staying at shelters . . . .” (Dkt. 37-1 at 2:13-24.)

Because of other complications in the case, Mr. Doe must reapply for SSI benefits, so PWDF filed a motion for a preliminary injunction so he does not have to go through another SSI determination without the reasonable accommodations he needs and which the SSA is required to provide under Sec. 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Mr. Doe has experienced the type of discrimination we see as systemic for people with invisible, psychological disabilities. Advocating for clients such as Mr. Doe is key to the work your donation would help support.

Your donation ensures we can start 2026 in a strong position to continue to provide legal assistance to help individuals with psychiatric, intellectual, and/or developmental disabilities by accepting clients’ cases, so long as they have merit and sufficient evidence, with a sliding scale for attorney fees starting at $0.

In addition, PWDF continues our Public Awareness and Education Program and our pilot grant-giving program to organizations that share our mission to support this population.

This year, as you consider where your contributions can make the biggest difference, we ask that you put us at the top of your list and assist us in continuing with this very important work. Tax-deductible donations can be made online (via Paypal) or by mail to 507 Polk St., Ste., 430, San Francisco, CA 94102. You can even extend your impact by setting up a recurring donation today! We also invite the donation of appreciated securities, i.e., stocks.³

We thank you for your continued support and wish you and yours a happy and safe holiday season.

CLICK HERE TO DONATE NOW

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.