JUNE 24, 2025 (TUESDAY MORNING) STATE CAPITOL UPDATE
COMING UP JULY 9TH & 10TH 12:00 - 3:00 PM (PACIFIC TIME): 4TH ANNUAL NATIONAL ACCESS AND FUNCTIONAL (AFN) SYMPOSIUM - WILL BE HELD VIRTUALLY (SEE BELOW TO REGISTER)
- Cal OES hosts in partnership with the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM), the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (CDHSEM), and New York University (NYU)
- This year’s Symposium will showcase inclusive, forward-leaning practices in emergency management and highlight innovative work from across the country. Attendees will explore effective strategies for integrated emergency management operations—ensuring individuals with disabilities and people with access and functional needs are served before, during, and after disasters.
- The Symposium brings together emergency managers, disaster planners, first responders, and the disability community to strengthen national collaboration and foster inclusive planning. American Sign Language, captioning, and Spanish translation services will all be provided.
SACRAMENTO, CA [BY MARTY OMOTO, CDCAN LAST UPDATED 06/24/2025 06:45 AM PACIFIC TIME - Coming up July 9th (Wednesday)  and July 10th (Thursday) from 12:00 to 3:00 PM (Pacific Time) is the 4th Annual National Access and Functional Needs (AFN) Symposium, to be held virtually (see below to register), hosted by the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services known as Cal OES, in partnership with the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM), the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (CDHSEM), and New York University (NYU). [CalOES logo pictured left]
Last year's symposium - also held virtually - had over 3,200 registrants last year, according to Cal OES.
This year’s Symposium, according to Cal OES, will showcase inclusive, forward-leaning practices in emergency management and highlight innovative work from across the country. Attendees will explore effective strategies for integrated emergency management operations, with a goal of ensuring individuals with disabilities and people with access and functional needs are served before, during, and after disasters.
The Symposium, according to Cal OES, will bring together emergency managers, disaster planners, first responders, and the disability community to strengthen national collaboration and foster inclusive planning. American Sign Language, captioning, and Spanish translation services will all be provided.
BACKGROUND OF CAL OES - OFFICE OF ACCESS AND FUNCTIONAL NEEDS (AFN): In 2008 California established the Office of Access and Functional Needs (AFN) within the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.
The purpose of OAFN (Cal OES Office of Access and Functional Needs) is to identify the needs of individuals with disabilities and others with access and functional needs before, during and after disasters and to integrate them into the State's emergency management systems.
Access and functional needs (AFN) refers to individuals who are or have:
Physical, developmental or intellectual disabilities
Chronic conditions or injuries
Limited English proficiency
Older adults
Children
Low income, homeless and/or transportation disadvantaged (i.e., dependent on public transit)
Pregnant women
CDCAN NOTE: To receive the free CDCAN Reports, send email request, with "Subscribe CDCAN" in the subject line, to Marty Omoto at: marty...@att.net
LINK TO REGISTER FOR JULY 9-10, 2025 4TH ANNUAL NATIONAL ACCESS AND FUNCTIONAL NEEDS (AFN) SYMPOSIUM
The following is the Zoom link to register for the virtual (no registration fees) 4th Annual National Access and Functional Needs (AFN) Symposium. See below for agenda for both days and speaker bios:
WHEN: JULY 9TH AND 10TH, 2025
 TIME: 12:00 - 3:00 PM (Pacific Time) each day
WHO: GOVERNOR'S OFFICE OF EMERGENCY SERVICES - OFFICE OF ACCESS AND FUNCTIONAL NEEDS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF EMERGENCY MANAGERS (IAEM), THE COLORADO DIVISION OF HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT (CDHSEM), AND NEW YORK UNIVERSITY (NYU) [logo of host sponsors pictured right]
WHAT: 4TH ANNUAL NATIONAL ACCESS AND FUNCTIONAL NEEDS (AFN) SYMPOSIUM
SUBJECT THIS YEAR: cording to Cal OES, will showcase inclusive, forward-leaning practices in emergency management and highlight innovative work from across the country. Attendees will explore effective strategies for integrated emergency management operations, with a goal of ensuring individuals with disabilities and people with access and functional needs are served before, during, and after disasters.
The Symposium, according to Cal OES, will bring together emergency managers, disaster planners, first responders, and the disability community to strengthen national collaboration and foster inclusive planning. American Sign Language, captioning, and Spanish translation services will all be provided.
TO REGISTER - ZOOM LINK: https://nyu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ov0X8AJARFiRCztoUmTabA#/registration
AGENDA FOR BOTH DAYS (See also below for complete text of the agenda for both days):
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_rcCJIhvEZ05MDlFXsfv1NBCCefKI0gR/view?usp=sharing
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
L. Vance Taylor - Chief, Office of Access and Functional Needs
California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services
3650 Schriever Avenue
Mather, CA 95655
Office Phone: 916-845-8202
Email: vance....@caloes.ca.gov
Governor's Office of Emergency Services/Office of Access and Functional Needs webpage:
https://www.caloes.ca.gov/cal-oes-divisions/access-functional-needs
AGENDA FOR BOTH DAYS OF THE 4TH ANNUAL NATIONAL ACCESS AND FUNCTIONAL NEEDS (AFN) SYMPOSIUM
The following, compiled by CDCAN (California Disability-Aging Community Action Network), from the Symposium agenda, is the complete two day agenda: DAY ONE - JULY 9, 2025 (WEDNESDAY)
09:00 AM – 9:10 AM (PACIFIC TIME)
DAY 1 - OPENING AND WELCOME
09:10 AM – 09:40 AM (PACIFIC TIME)
KEYNOTE ADDRESS:
- L. Vance Taylor (Chief, Office of Access and Functional Needs, California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, California)
09:40 AM – 11:10 AM (PACIFIC TIME)
PANEL I: AFN (ACCESS AND FUNCTIONAL NEEDS) ADVISORY COMMITTEES
Summary: AFN Advisory Committees foster trust, lead to better products, and promote preparedness. Panelists will share steps for the successful implementation of AFN Committees that enable jurisdictions to be more inclusive in the ways they plan, prepare, respond, and recover.
Moderator/Panel Organizer: Sadie Martinez (Access and Functional Needs Coordinator, Colorado Division of Homeland Security and
Emergency Management, Colorado)
PANELISTS:
- Sage Limpp (Emergency Manager, Sonoma County, California)
- Dr. Rosemary McDonnell (Program Manager, DC Health Office of Emergency Preparedness and Resilience, Washington, DC)
- Stephanie Hackett (Emergency Manager, City of Brighton/Brighton Fire Rescue, Colorado)
- Adina Faye Karten (Emergency Manager, City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
11:10 AM – 11:40 AM (PACIFIC TIME)
KEYNOTE ADDRESS:
- Angela Wrigglesworth (Educator, Houston Independent School District & Disaster Survivor, Texas)
11:40 AM – 11:45 AM (PACIFIC TIME)
DAY 1 - CONCLUDE
DAY TWO - JULY 10, 2025
09:00 AM – 9:10 AM (PACIFIC TIME)
DAY 2 OPENING AND WELCOME
09:10 AM – 9:40 AM (PACIFIC TIME)
KEYNOTE ADDRESS:
- Dawn Brantley (Director, Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, Massachusetts)
09:40 AM – 11:10 AM (PACIFIC TIME)
PANEL II: DISASTER REGISTERIES
Summary: To help local communities better understand and make informed decisions, panelists will share real world experiences and lessons learned outlining the pros and cons of establishing voluntary disaster registry programs.
Moderator/Panel Organizer: Anne-Marie McLaughlin (Director of Emergency Management and Continuity, New York University)
PANELISTS:
- Germán Parodi (Co-Executive Director, Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies)
- Sinan Khan (Associate Director, Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management, California)
- Noah Reiter (Director, Customer Success & Field Support, Motorola Solutions)
11:10 AM – 11:40 AM (PACIFIC TIME)
KEYNOTE ADDRESS:
- Heather Lafferty (Chief Resilience Officer, Nevada Division of Emergency Management)
11:40 AM – 11:45 AM (PACIFIC TIME)
DAY 2 - CONCLUDE
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS AND PANELISTS BIOS
The following, compiled by CDCAN (California Disability-Aging Community Action Network) from the Symposium agenda materials, are the bios of the keynote speakers and panelists for the 4th Annual National Access and Functional Needs (AFN) Symposium:
SADIE MARTINEZ
Access and Functional Needs Program Supervisor·Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management
Sadie Martinez is the Colorado State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management's Access and Functional Needs Supervisor. She supports state agencies and local jurisdictions in the development of inclusive, whole community emergency operations plans that adequately account for people with Access and Functional Needs. She serves as the Access and Functional Needs subject matter expert during state-level planning initiatives. Sadie uses the CMIST resource disruption framework, which provides a whole-community approach to identify the actual resource needs of the community in Communication, Maintaining Health/Medical, Independence, Support Services and Safety, and Transportation resource disruptions, rather than a specific “special need” or vulnerability. This helps responders and agencies better understand what capabilities to acquire before, during, and after a disaster by approaching Access and Functional Needs from a resource perspective. This creates a shared language that reaches across language, disability, under-resourced, and under-served barriers, and emergency management. Sadie comes with 30+ years of experience in Emergency preparedness planning, program management, curriculum development, event planning, and program development.
ANNE-MARIE MCLAUGHLIN
Director, Emergency Management and Continuity, NYU·New York University
Anne-Marie McLaughlin is the Director of Emergency Management and Continuity at NYU where she directs ongoing resilience-building emergency management and continuity efforts. Prior to joining NYU in February of 2018, she served as the Emergency Manager at the University of Massachusetts Boston since 2010. She is former Chair of the IAEM Access and Whole Community Inclusion Caucus and the immediate past Chair of the Universities and Colleges Caucus. Her certifications include the CEM, MEP and CBCP. She holds two Master’s Degrees, one in Business Continuity Management from Norwich University and one in English from the University of Massachusetts Boston. She is a graduate of Harvard University’s National Preparedness Leadership Initiative. She has developed, conducted and/or evaluated dozens of university emergency exercises, including functional and full-scale active threat, Emergency Dispensing Site, and Public Affairs exercises. Additionally, she has assisted with full-scale SWAT and police response exercises conducted by the Massachusetts State Police, Massachusetts Department of Transportation/Transit Police, and Urban Shield exercises held in Boston.
L. VANCE TAYLOR
Chief of the Office of Access and Functional Needs at the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services
Luis “Vance” Taylor is the Chief of the Office of Access and Functional Needs at the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. Vance leads the team responsible for ensuring the needs of individuals with disabilities and persons with access or functional considerations are identified and integrated into the State’s emergency management systems before, during, and after disasters. Vance was appointed by President Biden to serve as a member of the President’s National Infrastructure Advisory Council (NIAC) in 2022. As a member of the NIAC, Vance advised the White House on how to reduce physical and cyber risks and how to improve the security and resilience of the nation's critical infrastructure sectors. Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Vance was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy as a child and uses a power wheelchair. He has worked in Washington, D.C. as an advisor for two different members of Congress, directed security policy at a national water association, and been a principal at a ranked homeland security and emergency management consulting firm. Vance is a nationally recognized public speaker and advocate for individuals with disabilities. Vance has a Master’s degree in homeland security from the University of Connecticut and an undergraduate degree from Brigham Young University in communications. He is married to his sweetheart, Casey, and they have two wonderful daughters.
STEPHANIE HACKETT
Emergency Management Coordinator·City of Brighton
Stephanie Hackett, CEM, MSW, MA, is the Emergency Management Coordinator for the City of Brighton and the Brighton Fire Rescue District. Ms. Hackett has an MSW in Community Practice Social Work and an MA in International Security and is an Internationally Certified Emergency Manager (CEM). Ms. Hackett started working in emergency management with the Jefferson County’s Office of Emergency Management in 2005, working specifically with facilities and resourcing access and functional needs in emergency planning, training and response. Stephanie continued working with communities, volunteers and public education for the City of Aurora developing emergency plans and response capabilities within the city. Since 2012, Stephanie has been the Emergency Manager in Brighton, CO facilitating emergency planning, response, training and educational efforts among government entities and whole community partners including local emergency planners, first responders, local advocates and volunteers around the Denver metro area. Stephanie develops and manages the Brighton Emergency Operations Center, serves as a coordinator for the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), and has worked on numerous local and national level disasters.
SINAN KHAN
Associate Director·Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management
Sinan Khan is the Associate Director, for the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management. In this capacity, Mr. Khan is responsible for overseeing Readiness of the County Emergency Operations Center (CEOC), Emergency Operations for OEM, Training and Exercises for the Operational Area (OA), Management of Emergency Management Grants and Integration of Plans with OA Partners. Mr. Khan previously served as the Operational Integration Supervisor and the Access and Functional Needs (AFN) Coordinator for OEM focusing on integration of the needs of people with disabilities and others with access and functional needs (DAFN) and the needs of people experiencing homelessness into emergency planning and response. Prior to his appointment at OEM, Mr. Khan worked as the Medical Countermeasures Manager for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health overseeing mass prophylaxis and points of dispensing planning. Mr. Khan also serves as an Adjunct Instructor for the California State University, Long Beach and the California Specialized Training Institute (CSTI). Mr. Khan is an alumnus of California State University, Fullerton, graduating with a Bachelors in Biological Sciences and a minor in Anthropology. Mr. Khan holds a Master’s degree from the Naval Postgraduate School in Security Studies (Homeland Security and Defense) and a Master’s degree from the University of Southern California in Public Health (Epidemiology and Statistics). In 2021, he completed his Masters in Business Administration and became a Certified Emergency Manager (CEM). Mr. Khan has been published several times in various peer review journals and books related to emergency management, public health and operations research. Mr. Khan has also served on several national committees and planning groups at the American Public Health Association and the Association for State and Territorial Health Officials that develop frameworks, guidelines and strategies for emergency planning.
SAGE LIMPP
Supervising Hazard Mitigation Coordinator·County of Sonoma, Department of Emergency
Sage Limpp began her career in domestic and international disaster relief, working with non-governmental organizations to support communities impacted by crisis. She later transitioned to local government and has spent the past three years with the Sonoma County Department of Emergency Management, first as an Emergency Services Coordinator and now as the Supervising Hazard Mitigation Coordinator. For the last 2.5 years, Sage has led Sonoma County’s Access and Functional Needs Advisory Committee, where she focuses on advancing equitable, community-driven emergency planning for people with access and functional needs.
DR ROSEMARY MCDONNELL
Program Manager·DC Health Office of Emergency Preparedness and Resilience
Dr. Rosemary McDonnell serves as a Program Manager in the DC Health Office of Emergency Preparedness and Resilience where she leads a team dedicated to ensuring the District of Columbia remains ready to respond to, withstand, and recover from the public health impacts of both natural and manmade disasters. Dr. McDonnell was formerly the Senior Accessibility Program Manager at DC Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency where she worked on statewide resiliency strategies rooted in concepts of accessibility and inclusion. Dr. McDonnell holds a Doctorate of Professional Studies in Homeland Security from St. John’s University, and is also a graduate of the Center for Homeland Defense and Security’s Emergence and Radiological Emergency Preparedness Programs. She teaches a variety of homeland security and emergency management classes as an Adjunct Associate Professor at both St. John’s University and Idaho State University.
NOAH REITER
Director of Customer Success & Field Support·Motorola Solutions
Noah Reiter, MPA is Director of Customer Success & Field Support for Motorola Solutions, where he and his team are responsible for empowering customers to impact emergency response, critical communications and community safety through technology. Noah has previously served in various public sector and public safety roles, including Assistant City Manager for the City of Sandy Springs (GA), EMS Director for Grady Health System (Atlanta), and as the Director of EMS, Security, and Emergency Preparedness for Lenox Hill Hospital (NYC). Noah holds degrees from Rice University and the University of Houston and resides in Fort Collins, Colorado.
GERMAN PARODI
Co-Executive Director·The Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies
Germán Parodi is a Co-Executive Director of The Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies - the nation’s Disability and Disaster Hub. Germán’s involvement in disability rights and independent living began after he acquired his spinal cord injury in Puerto Rico in 2001, and relocated to Philadelphia in 2004 where he got involved with his local Center for Independent Living and Philly ADAPT. His involvement in disability inclusive emergency management began when he was part of a disability-led team, and one of the first notably disabled people to provide direct relief to other disabled people in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria in 2017. Since 2019, Germán, along with his Co-Executive Director, Shaylin Sluzalis, has been leading The Partnership to further advance the rights, needs and inclusion of people with disabilities before, during, and after disasters and emergencies across the US and around the world.
DAWN BRANTLEY
Director·Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency
Director Dawn Brantley has dedicated over 17 years to advancing inclusive emergency management (EM). As an attorney, certified emergency manager, and certified ADA Coordinator, she currently serves as Director of the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA). She also chairs the National Emergency Management Association’s (NEMA) Whole Community Committee, leads NEMA’s World Cup 2026 Task Force, and founded the online communities Inclusive Emergency Management Community and Women in Emergency Management. Director Brantley’s extensive career spans local, state, and federal roles, including Emergency Programs Manager in Anchorage, AK, Disability Integration Advisor for FEMA, and State Sheltering Coordinator and Strategic Planning Branch Chief in Virginia before becoming MEMA Assistant Director for Planning and Preparedness, and then MEMA Director. Her work focuses on ensuring emergency management programs are inclusive and accessible, which she considers her professional calling. She has co-chaired FEMA and EMI’s Integrating Disability into Emergency Planning Working Group, contributed to national EM guidance, and co-founded the International Association of Mass Care Professionals. Her efforts have been featured in National Academies of Science publications, and she has authored articles on accessibility in EM. Director Brantley holds degrees in human services, psychology, and law, with a legal focus on applying non-discrimination laws to emergency management, ensuring inclusion and accessibility remain at the forefront of her mission.
ANGELA WRIGGLESWORTH
Teacher / Disaster Survivor·Houston Independent School District
Angela Wrigglesworth is a fifth-grade teacher in the Houston Independent School District. Angela has an undergraduate degree in Elementary Education from Texas A&M University and a master’s degree in Multicultural Urban Special Education from the University of St. Thomas. Angela is also the Lead Consultant for Cobble & Stone Consulting, a firm that specializes in maximizing independent living opportunities for people with disabilities. Angela is the founder of the Ms. Wheelchair Texas Foundation, was a sixteen-year member for the National Task Force on Public Awareness through the Muscular Dystrophy Association and sits on the Advisory Board of the Camp for All Foundation. Angela and her husband, Justin, are avid travelers, SEC football aficionados, and Tex-Mex restaurant enthusiasts. Angela enjoys speaking about living with Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type II and sharing John Wooden’s philosophy that, “Things turn out best for those who make the best of the way things turn out.”
ADINA FAYE KARTEN
Disability, Access, and Functional Needs Planning Coordinator·Office of Emergency Management, City of Philadelphia
Adina Faye Karten ensures all aspects of the City of Philadelphia’s emergency management is inclusive of the whole community. In her role as the Disability and Access and Functional Needs Planning Coordinator for Philadelphia's Office of Emergency Management, Adina continually engages with community groups to identify how disasters and other emerging hazards may disproportionately impact those with existing needs and coordinates with city departments to mitigate secondary impacts. Her portfolio also addresses needs that emerge immediately before, after, or during an emergency. Adina believes that in order to meet people's needs effectively, providers must meet with the community on their own terms. Adina is a believer in community-driven capacity building, informed by her previous work conducting participatory action research in India, England, Italy, and United States. Adina sits on several working groups, including the Southeastern Pennsylvania Access and Functional Needs Task Force, as well as the Inter-Agency Standing Committee's Disability Reference Group, which benchmarks best practices in disability inclusion in humanitarian response globally. Her advocacy contributed to the development of the Amman-Berlin Declaration, a joint commitment of over 90 international actors to commit 15% of all country-level funds to go to programs planning with and for people with disabilities. Adina holds a Master of Arts in Poverty and Development from the Institute of Development Studies in Brighton, England and a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and Sociology from Goucher College in Towson, USA.
SOME GUIDING PRINCIPLES DURING BUDGET TIMES TO THINK ABOUT: GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR CALIFORNIA HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (as posted March 2022 by the California Health & Human Services agency)
 The following, compiled by CDCAN, are the updated guiding principles of the California Health and Human Services (CalHHS) agency [logo pictured left] athat apply to the work of the agency and all the departments under it - along with other state partner agencies that it works with.
The guiding principles, strategic priorities and North Star applies to the work of all the departments under the California Health and Human Services agency - including all the advisory committees, and councils.
CDCAN is including it here - and urges the department and other departments to include it in all their agendas and handouts:
CALIFORNIA HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CHHS) GUIDING PRINCIPLES
CDCAN NOTE: The following is the California Health and Human Services (CalHHS) "Guiding Principles" document that applies to all of the initiatives the agency and departments under the agency, it implements. It was revised March 3, 2022 to add "Actively Listen" as one of the guiding principles (highlighted below in red).
The use of the word "we" refers to the people within the California Health and Human Services (CalHHS) agency and the people who work in the departments under the agency - and also partners within the state and community:
https://www.chhs.ca.gov/guiding-principles-strategic-priorities/FOCUS ON EQUITY: We must be a leader in the fight for equity and strive to create programs that address persistent and systemic inequities. The COVID-19 pandemic showed us how so many people are far behind and that the distance to make up to achieve equity is driven by historical, deep seated structural factors of racism, sexism and other forms of discrimination. In order to create a state where all of us can have a chance to thrive based on our efforts and hard work, we cannot allow certain groups and individuals to be disadvantaged because of the color of their skin, gender identity, sexual orientation, age or disability. We will seek to lift all boats, but some boats need to be lifted more.
ACTIVELY LISTEN: We must be better and more active listeners. This will require us to take a step back and proactively listen to the individuals and communities we are serving to better understand their conditions and the things they yearn for. As a result, we will formulate better policies, programs and services that truly meet the needs of the individuals, families and communities we serve.
USE DATA TO DRIVE ACTION: We must better leverage our data to understand the current conditions in our communities, the impact of our existing programs and the opportunities to improve service delivery. While we have built good systems to amass data, we find ourselves data rich but information poor. Actionable and timely data will help us advance social and economic mobility and improve the health and well-being of children, families and individuals.
SEE THE WHOLE PERSON: We must always think about what each person needs to thrive, always considering the cultural, economic and social factors that impact people’s lives. We will integrate shared opportunities to meet individual needs across departments – both within government and across our community partners. Our focus will be on the needs of the people we serve, not on the siloed structures of government and its programs.
PUT THE PERSON BACK IN PERSON-CENTERED: We must re-engage individuals and their communities so that programs are informed and structured to meet the diverse and unique needs of each community and person. Too often, “person-centered” programs stopped being about people and became focused on satisfying a specific funding source or administrative process. We will refocus our programs on the people being served.
CULTIVATE A CULTURE OF INNOVATION: We must courageously take new approaches to solve our most intractable problems. The relentless pursuit of innovation, applied thoughtfully, will catalyze our improvement efforts. We will also design programs and services across departments, including those outside CalHHS, in collaborative and partnership.
DELIVER ON OUTCOMES: We must ensure that the delivery of our programs and services yield concrete and meaningful results. We will focus our attention and energy on work which will directly improve the lives of all Californians. We will continuously evaluate and adapt our programs to better address our clients’ unmet needs while furthering our goal of delivering positive outcomes.
NORTH STAR (for the California Health and Human Services agency and departments under it - and the work it does):
We envision a Healthy California for All where every individual belongs to a strong and thriving community.
Where all our children can play and learn, and where we are confident that we have done all we can to pass to them a state they can lead into the future.
Where older and disabled Californians can live with purpose and dignity, and where they are supported and valued.
Where equity is not just a word or concept but the core value.
Where we constantly pursue social and racial justice by not only lifting all boats but especially those boats that need to be lifted more.
Where health care is affordable, accessible, equitable and high-quality so it drives toward improved health.
Where we prioritize prevention and the upstream factors that impact an individual’s health and well-being.
Where we are committed to tackling the economic inequalities that force many Californians to live on the street.
Where necessities like housing and childcare are complimented by access to physical and behavioral health services.
Where we see the whole person and where programs and services address the social, cultural and linguistic needs of the individuals they serve.
Where climate threats collide with forward leaning health practices and policies that visibly turn the tide toward community resilience.
And where we see our diversity as a strength, and where we embrace a joint responsibility to take care of one another. | CALIFORNIA DISABILITY-AGING COMMUNITY ACTION NETWORK AND CALIFORNIA PERSON CENTERED ADVOCACY PARTNERSHIP DISABILITY-AGING  RIGHTS REPORT
Advocacy Without Borders: One Community – Accountability With Action - Person Centered Advocacy [Photo of Marty Omoto and Lois Curtis at the State Capitol speaking before over 1,500 people. Curtis was one of the two women with developmental disabilities from the State of Georgia who filed a federal lawsuit under the Americans with Disabilities Act that resulted in the landmark 1999 US Supreme Court ruling known as the "Olmstead Decision"]
 CDCAN Reports go out to over 75,000 people with disabilities, mental health needs, seniors, people with traumatic brain and other injuries; Alzheimer's and other disorders; people with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue syndrome; people with MS; veterans with disabilities and mental health needs, families, workers, community organizations, facilities and advocacy groups including those in the Asian/Pacific Islander, Latino, American Indian, Indian, African-American communities; policymakers, and others across the State.
CDCAN Website:Under revision [pictured right is Marty Omoto - dad - with his son Alex Brown Omoto, November 2024 after a nice Thanksgiving Dinner in Sacramento]
To Receive the free CDCAN Reports send email request to: Marty Omoto marty...@att.net
To reply to THIS Report write:
Marty Omoto (dad and family member & advocate - photo above) at marty...@att.net
CDCAN Cell Phone: 916-757-9549
PLEASE CONSIDER HELPING AND SUPPORTING THE CONTINUING WORK OF CDCAN - YOUR HELP IS NEEDED!
CDCAN Townhall Telemeetings, CDCAN Reports and Alerts and other activities cannot continue without YOUR help. To continue the CDCAN website and the CDCAN Reports and Alerts sent out and read by over 65,000 people and organizations, policy makers and media across the State, and to continue and resume CDCAN Townhall Telemeetings, trainings and other events, please send your contribution/donation (please send to "CDCAN" or "California Disability Community Action Network" and mail to:
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Many, many thanks to all the organizations and individuals for their continued support that make these reports and other CDCAN efforts possible!
This report can be posted or re-produced without permission if full credit is given to CDCAN
MARTY OMOTO YOUTUBE CHANNEL
CDCAN youtube channel was set up to eventually have various videos covering issues important to people with disabilities, mental health needs, the blind, seniors and low income families and individuals. Currently videos posted are from past events or presentations.
To see the current videos, including March 2014 San Andreas Regional Center Aptos Legislative Breakfast, January 2014 panel discussion on services for adults with autism spectrum and related disorders in Palo Alto, and older videos including video of April 2003 march of over 3,000 people with developmental disabilities, families, providers, regional centers and others from the Sacramento Convention Center to the State Capitol (to attend and testify at budget hearing on proposed massive permanent cuts to regional center funded services, go to the CDCAN (Marty Omoto) Channel at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEySEyhnr9LQRiCe-F7ELhg
More videos – including new current videos (an interview with longtime advocate Maggie Dee Dowling is planned, among others) – plus archive videos of past events – will be posted soon.
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