Disability Voices United

Movement buildingin 2024, disability voices united organized people with disabilities and familymembers and laid the groundwork for building a disability rights and justice movement in california. Dvu launched our ambassador program and recruited dozens of self-advocates and family members to help provider oversight of regional centers. Dvu spoke at various community-based organizations' meetings and assembled diverse coalitions representing the broad range of people with disabilities and families affected by discrimination and disparities.

Advocacyin 2024, disability voices united educated the public and advocated for systemicchanges, including improving transparency in the regional center system. Dvu successfully made regional centers subject to the california public records act. Dvu also advocated for elimination of persistent racialand geographic disparities in the developmental disabilities system and increased oversight and accountability over systems that serve people with developmental disabilities. Dvu testified before various policy committees to call for equity, accountability and transparency.

Narrative changein 2024, disability voices united led efforts to change the narrative around a range of disability issues and eliminate societal ableism. Dvu worked to change the public perception of disability through our self-advocates speakers bureau made up of over 150 people with disabilities whom we have trained in presentation skills. Dvu also appeared extensively in the media on a range ofdisability issues with extensive coverage of the racial, ethnic and geographicdisparities for people with developmental disabilities.