October 22, 2018
DREDF and co-counsel Disability Rights California (DRC) and Disability Rights Advocates (DRA) filed a class action lawsuit this morning on behalf of California Council of the Blind and individuals in three California counties who have long sought their Medi-Cal notices in accessible formats that they can independently read. Federal laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as well as state nondiscrimination laws, require effective communication for people with disabilities so that they an equally participate in state programs. California’s Medi-Cal program is a complex healthcare system run by a single state agency, the Department of Health Care Services, who oversees counties, health plans, and providers. Blind low-income Medi-Cal applicants and participants are at great risk of having critical services and supports interrupted or cut off when they receive only standard print notices and letters concerning those services.