Spotlight on Education and Communication
The Right to Learn: A Webinar on Student Rights to Receive Communication and Other Supports During the Pandemic
Friday, November 20, 1-3 PM PT
Join us for a webinar led by CommunicationFirst and Disability Rights California on the rights of students to communication and other supports in online education. Many students who need in-person support to communicate in order to access education are struggling with virtual learning during the pandemic. Our webinar will include presentations on a Virtual Learning Access Rights Toolkit as well as recent special education developments in California. We will also hear from families about their experiences with remote education during COVID.

This webinar is held by Disability Voices United and Disability Rights California as part of the Communication Disabilities Access Network (CDAN) project funded by Ability Central Philanthropy.

Presenters:

  • Michelle Del Rosario, parent
  • William Del Rosario, student
  • Taymour Ravandi, Senior Attorney, Disability Rights California
  • Tauna Szymanski, Executive Director and Legal Director, CommunicationFirst
  • Additional presenters to be announced
The webinar ID is 871 7206 3719.
There is no password.
Spanish translation will be available through Zoom.
The Communication First logo. A blue and green text bubble overlap, and the overlap is black with white lines to indicate communication.
The Disability Rights California logo. A large green lowercase "drc" is written on the left, and the black text "Disability Rights California" is written on the right.
Ability Central's logo. A large green "A" is surrounded by the smaller green text "Ability Central."
Disability Voices United logo, featuring the text "Disability" in blue, "Voices" in gray, and "United" in orange.

Are you a person with a disability
who needs support to communicate?

Are you a family member of a person who does not speak, speaks a few words, or has trouble using speech to communicate effectively?

Are you a professional working with people with disabilities who need support to communicate?

We want to hear from you!
SURVEY ON BARRIERS TO RECEIVING SUPPORTS TO COMMUNICATE

Disability Voices United and Disability Rights California are leading a project called the Communication Disabilities Access Network (CDAN). The project explores the various problems that people with disabilities face when trying to access communication supports. We want to know the problems you are facing so that we can develop informational materials and advocacy efforts to break down the barriers. Last year, CDAN began gathering information about the experiences of some groups of people with disabilities. This year, we are expanding the project to include all Californians with disabilities who need support to communicate.
 
For this survey, "communication supports" means all aspects of a communications system that helps a person with a disability communicate. This could include Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and assistive technologies (AT). 
 
Communication supports could be equipment, such as a letterboard, iPad, smart phone, DynaVox, JAWS, and PECs. It also consists of services, such as sign language interpreters and communication partners. It can also include communication methods, such as gestures, sign language, braille, facilitated communication, Rapid Prompting Method, and others. This survey also covers the need for assessments, training, and ongoing supervision.
 
 
There are three versions of this survey: 
 
1) For people with disabilities who need communication supports
 
2) For family members of a person with a disability who needs communication supports, and
 
3) For professionals (direct care providers, agency service providers, speech therapists, educators, etc.) who serve people with disabilities who need communication supports
 
Click on the correct link below to take the survey.
Please forward this survey to others!
Image of a photo collage of self-advocates and family members at the California State capitol and various other places around California.
Disability Voices United works for:

  • Choice and control over our lives

  • Meaningful outcomes that matter to us

  • Systems that are equitable and accountable to us

Please consider donating today to support our important work!