PWDF Education Program Update

PWDF Celebrates 25 Years of Seminars 

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the first People With Disabilities Foundation seminar, “Disabled Students in Elementary and Secondary Schools – Coping Skills & Sensitivity Training”, held on January 6, 2001.

The original intent of the seminars was, and continues to be, expanding public awareness of key issues related to elementary and secondary education, employment, post-secondary education, and health care for people with psychiatric and/or developmental disabilities. Additional seminars have covered housing, disability abuse, and autism, among others. The combination of advocacy and education continues to be the best path toward integration into the whole of society so people with disabilities can live as independently as possible. For the complete list, see https://www.pwdf.org/pwdf-seminars-archive/

We are planning our next seminar for fall 2026. The working title is “Treatment of Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities in Correctional Facilities” and it will focus on the on-going failure of multiple corrections systems to provide legally compliant care to individuals with serious mental disorders. Individual sessions are expected to cover:

1. Delivery of Legally Adequate Mental Health Care in State Prisons, including historical perspectives on the growing numbers of individuals with mental disorders in U.S. prisons and a recent trend by federal judges to turn control of mental health programs over to receivers;
2. The Impact of ADA Violations on Individuals, focusing on failure to provide services in the most integrated setting and impacts of prolonged isolation on disabled individuals; and
3. Re-entry: Maintaining Momentum Post-Release, highlighting the risks of recidivism and death when mental health treatments and medication begun during incarceration are halted following release.

For the full list of all 18 prior seminars and accompanying videos you can view on our YouTube channel, use this link:

www.pwdf.org/pwdf-seminars-archive/

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.