Posted: May 15, 2024
After nearly two years of advocacy by Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF) and other disability rights organizations, the State of California’s abortion information portal (Abortion.CA.Gov), now includes information specifically for people with disabilities about how to access abortion care.
When the online portal was first launched in 2022, it was not fully accessible to people with disabilities and did not include information relevant to the needs of disabled abortion seekers. In response, DREDF and a coalition of other disability community stakeholders wrote a letter to Governor Newsom and Secretary Ghaly of the California Health and Human Services demanding that the website be made relevant and accessible to abortion seekers with disabilities. In December 2022, Secretary Ghaly responded in a letter and committed to six action items to be more inclusive and accessible to people with disabilities.
Thanks to DREDF’s continued advocacy, disabled abortion seekers can now learn about their rights to reasonable accommodations (including using supported decision-making) during their abortion appointments, to have effective communication, and to attend appointments in facilities that are accessible and have accessible medical equipment. The updated page also includes information for people under conservatorship arrangements who want to get an abortion.
DREDF will continue advocating for more accessibility improvements on Abortion.CA.Gov and will work to ensure that people with disabilities have access to the full range of accessible information about their abortion options.