Friends, 

Recently, we honored the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act and disability pride with a panel discussion at the Organizers Forum complete with wonderful insights and powerful experiences from Morenike Giwa Onaiwu, Nidhi Jaisoor, and Marisol Ferrante. In case you missed it, the video, transcript, and links can all be found here.

We are also celebrating the continued great work of the SDA Masks for Equity group who recently won a continuation of the mask mandate on BART until October 1st (at least)! To get involved with this issue, or any of our other organizing, please reach out over email or leave us a message at 415-546-1333.

And as always, we have exciting events coming up, including a press conference for the Free Wifi Campaign on August 18th, actions for mask equity and transit justice, and our 10th Anniversary Celebration on October 13th. While we won’t be coming together for our General Meeting this month, we encourage all to join us instead for a celebration of the movement for Long-Term Supports and Services in California on the afternoon of August 11th. More information below.

– SDA Staff

SAVE THE DATE!
Senior & Disability Action turns 10

SDA’s 10th Anniversary Celebration

Thursday October 13th, 6-8 PM

Hybrid: Online and in-person at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.

Look out for details very soon!!!

Advocacy Agenda Campaign Update: 
Free Wifi & Digital Equity

Members of the Free Wifi Campaign, working closely with Supervisor Preston’s office, have been hard at work on a draft resolution to hold internet corporations accountable to higher standards of service to the public! 

Save the date to join us at the Richardson Apartments (365 Fulton Street) on August 18th at 2pm for a special press conference to announce the resolution and highlight the work being done by community organizations like HomeRise and others to ensure internet access for all, co-hosted by Supervisor Preston’s office and HomeRise. 

Date: August 18th

Time: 2:00pm

Location: 365 Fulton Street (between Franklin and Gough), in the outdoor courtyard

More info: email Dasom@sdaction.org 

AND, the weekend before the press conference join us for a day of outreach to let people know about the press conference! Training and food will be provided. Tentatively scheduled for the morning of Saturday, August 13th. Email Peter@sdaction.org for more information. 

Email Dasom@sdaction.org and Peter@sdaction.org if you want to be involved in the campaign and attend monthly meetings.

Learn more here.

SDA Campaign & Organizing Updates

Masks for Equity

Thanks to the hard work of SDA’s Masks for Equity group, BART has officially extended the mask requirement until (at least) October 1st! Great work!

While BART continues to lead the way among our transit systems, we will continue to make the case to local leadership to bring back mask requirements so that seniors, disabled and immunocompromised people, children under 5, and all people can be protected.

Why are we organizing around this? These actions are necessary because of the dramatic rise in COVID cases and hospitalizations over this extended surge. While public officials say that most people will recover, many disabled people, older people, and immunocompromised people may die if they get COVID. Plus, one in five people who get COVID shows symptoms of long COVID. The lack of a mask requirement on Muni puts people at risk just to get to work or a doctor’s appointment. If masks are not required, many of us are excluded from public spaces.

What can you do? Join us in speaking out. Take action with the Masks 4 Equity Action Guide or email info@sdaction.org to get involved.

Wheelchair Repair Campaign: another great clinic!

Our third free wheelchair repair clinic last Friday, July 28th was successful, with 9 participants getting minor repairs to their wheelchairs and one participant getting approved for his new wheelchair through the negotiation that Brock Kobayashi from City Wheelchairs had with the participant’s medical insurance. 

If you would like to get more information, and/or would like to help for future “Free Wheelchair Repair Clinic” please contact Ligia Montano at ligia@sdaction.org or (415) 912-8643.

Medicare 57th B-Day Celebration & Action

On Friday, July 29, defenders of Medicare met at the federal building at the corner of 7^th and Mission streets, to celebrate the 57th anniversary of the creation of this social program, which is in danger of being privatized. Privatizing Medicare would lead to a much more expensive program and less health care. The event featured members of California Alliance for Retired Americans, Senior & Disability Action, Physicians for a National Health Program-CA, The Movement to End Privatization of Medicare, SF Gray Panthers, & SF DSA, OWL-SF, Health Care for All, Healthy California Now. Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s legislative aides came to receive a letter that will be presented to Secretary Xavier Becerra to urge the Biden Administration to stop the rampant privatization of Medicare through the Accountable Care Organization Realizing Equity, Access, and Community Health (ACO REACH), which will open Medicare to Wall Street speculators.  

If you would like to get more information, and/or would like to get involved please contact Ligia Montano at ligia@sdaction.org or (415) 912-8643.

Transit Justice: Gimme Shelter

Members, Volunteers, Colleagues, Friends

Lend me your time by

Completing SDA Survey on Bus Stops

Last year, the MTA , Municipal Transportation Agency, deemed 2022 the year they would fully restore Muni services. AND to start the process of creating a Muni service network that truly meets the needs of its post pandemic San Francisco transit riders.  With that in mind, SDA is conducting a survey on bus stops.  We are looking for feedback from the senior and disability communities on how important it is to have bus stops with shelters and seating.

So please help us by clicking on the following link and completing our survey.

Chinese

Spanish

English

Need a hard copy? Just contact Pi Ra at srira@sdaction.org or (415)225-2080

Not a senior or a person with disability(ies)?… That’s okay. We do accept surveys from future seniors also known as “seniors in training”.

Survey entry deadline is August 31.

Oh did I mention … In appreciation of those who took the time to fill out our survey, SDA is raffling off 4 – $50 Safeway gift cards.  All they have to do is enter their name and contact information at the bottom of the survey.

Thanks everyone

– Pi Ra

East Bay Transit Justice

Please join us on Friday, August 12 at 3 pm, in north Oakland, for a fun Rally and Street Party for Safe Streets!

The crosswalk at 55th Street and Martin Luther King Jr Blvd. does not allow enough time for disabled people, seniors, and others to get across the street safety. SDA members in San Francisco fought for increased street crossing time — and won! Let’s do the same in Oakland. We will cross the street together, enjoy snacks from Earthly Coffee, and build towards the friendly, safe neighborhood we all deserve. We will invite City officials to meet with us, and we will honor the Black Panthers, who fought for safe street crossings in this neighborhood 50 years ago. 

Questions or RSVPS can go to Tristan at Earthly Coffee at 510-788-7998 or earthlyoakland@gmail.com, or to jessica@sdaction.org. For ASL or language interpretation, or other accommodations, please email jessica@sdaction.org. 

The above image is the flyer for the event. Please print and post! (And email us if you have trouble printing the image.) You can also share the event on social media!

See you on August 12!

Announcements

Though the SDA General Meeting is canceled for August, we invite all to come on August 11th from 1-3pm for the NorCal #LTSS4All Celebration at the Yerba Buena Children’s Garden (Howard St and 4th St, San Francisco, CA 94103)! Celebrate and build the movement for Long Term Services and Supports (LTSS) in California. 

Calling all elders, people with disabilities, family caregivers and long-term care workers! Join us for an in-person gathering to connect and celebrate, enjoy food and music, share our care stories with one another, and make art that helps us envision and prepare for a just and universal long-term care system where we can all live, age and work with dignity.

What: NorCal #LTSS4All Celebration

When: 1-3pm, August 11th

Where: Yerba Buena Children’s Garden (Howard St and 4th St, San Francisco)

Who: you! 

Outdoors, Wheelchair Accessible, COVID Safety Protocol (masking and testing). Spanish Interpretation Provided. More information on Facebook here.

The General Meeting will return in September with our first hybrid General Meeting (more information to come)! 

How much do you pay for home internet?

Several organizations and funders around the state are conducting a survey on cost of internet service. By using this link to take this short 3-minute survey you will be helping document price discrimination and helping get closer to internet justice!

Please take the survey at this link and send it throughout your networks.

Link to survey

La encuesta esta disponible en español tambien. 

Superfest lineup announced! 

Superfest, the over 30-year running disability film festival hosted by the Longmore Institute at SF State, has announced their lineup for 2022! The festival will be from Thursday October 20th through Sunday October 23rd, with options to watch in-person or online. 

Check out the Superfest website for more info.

Upcoming SDA Meetings

Click here to view the full SDA Calendar of Events

**Please note meetings continue to be remote until further notice**

Tuesday, August 2 and September 6: Free Wifi Campaign. 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm. Hybrid over Zoom and in-person at 222 8th Street in San Francisco. Email Peter@sdaction.org and Dasom@sdaction.org for more information.

Friday, August 5: SRO Workgroup (first Friday of the month). 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm. Email Yesi@sdaction.org for more information.

Tuesday, August 9: Healthcare Action Team (HAT) (2nd Tuesday of every month). 11:00 am – 12:30 pm. Email Ligia@sdaction.org for more information.

Thursday, August 11 and August 25: SDA in East Bay. 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm. Email Jessica@sdaction.org for more information.

Wednesday, August 17: Housing Collaborative. (3rd Wednesday of every month). 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm. Email Edith@sdaction.org for more information. 

No meetings in August:

• General Meeting: no meeting in August, will resume in September with a hybrid format. Email info@sdaction.org for more information. 
• Transit Justice: no meeting in August, will resume in September. Email Pi (srira@sdaction.org) for more information.
• Mad Mob SF: Email Raia to get the information to join or to find out about future meetings.

Let’s build this movement together.
Please become a member or donate today!

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Friends,

Mayor Breed released her budget for the next two years – there is much to work on, but we also have some significant victories in housing to celebrate! More details below.

In other good news, yesterday Alameda County moved to reinstate it’s indoor mask mandate, and it goes into effect today! The organizing work many SDA members new and old have been doing around masks on transit contributes to this important decision. 

SDA members – we are looking forward to being with many of you next week in-person for our outdoor gathering. Please RSVP asap!  

– Jessica & the SDA Staff
P.S. Did you participate in an SDA program or campaign group this past year? Take the SDA Member/Participant Survey and help us grow!

Estate Planning: Who needs it and Why?

SDA is happy to announce that Alice K. Dueker, friend to SDA and Elder Law attorney, will be holding a free Estate Planning workshop for SDA members and donors on Thursday June 23rd at 5 PM on Zoom. She will discuss the basics of estate planning, who should make sure they have an estate plan in place, what a complete estate plan includes, and what choices are available to help you meet your goals for your estate. She will also provide time to answer your questions. Please register here.

If you already have your estate plan and plan to remember SDA, please fill out this form. We want to know!

Updates from the Mayor’s Budget Release

HOUSING

Mayor Breed just released her proposed budget for the next two years, and it includes significant wins for housing for seniors and people with disabilities! The budget adds $4 million for Senior Operating Subsidies and $10 million for capital improvements to nonprofit housing, which includes elevator replacement. Congratulations to all the SDA members, and housing organizers Yesi and Edith, who have been working so hard to get the Mayor to listen to seniors and people with disabilities.

SDA went to the Mayor’s office on May 24 with dozens of postcards urging her to fund Senior and Disability Operating Subsidies and SRO Elevator Repairs. As a part of the Anti-Displacement Coalition, we have met with Supervisors to ask them to support deeply affordable housing for seniors and people with disabilities this budget cycle. Next, we will push for the Board of Supervisors to add $10 million for portable rental subsidies for seniors and people with disabilities. But for now, we celebrate this victory that will mean stable, accessible, affordable housing for more seniors and disabled people in San Francisco!

Want to be part of advocating for deeply affordable and accessible housing? Contact Edith at edith@sdaction.org or yesi@sdaction.org, or attend a Housing Collaborative or SRO Workgroup meeting (dates and times listed at the end of this post).

DIGITAL EQUITY: KEEP US CONNECTED

SDA’s Free Wifi Campaign is participating in the Dignity Fund Coalition’s Keep Us Connected campaign – as of now, it looks like the Keep Us Connected asks were not funded in the Mayor’s budget. The budget for the Department of Disability and Aging Services (DAS) does include some money to help senior centers host hybrid activities, but we know that is far from enough to meet the need. We will turn our focus to working with the Supervisors to fund these critical programs.

Learn more about the Keep Us Connected campaign and sign the petition HERE. 

WHEELCHAIR REPAIR

SDA is also asking for money for wheelchair repair in the city budget!

Thousands of San Francisco residents who use wheelchairs and scooters have no way to get emergency repairs on their mobility devices, and many do not have access to repairs at all. Wheelchair users find themselves stranded when a battery dies or their wheelchair malfunctions. SDA has worked with City Wheelchairs to provide several successful free Wheelchair Repair Clinics.

We are asking for $200,000 in the city budget for a pilot Wheelchair Repair Program to provide free wheelchair repair and battery replacement and charging. To advocate for wheelchair repair, please contact Ligia at ligia@sdaction.org.

SDA Campaign & Organizing Updates

MASKS ON TRANSIT

Today, June 3, Alameda County reinstates an indoor mask mandate! This means that people must wear masks on buses and in pharmacies, grocery stores, and all shops. SDA’s Masks 4 Equity group has been working hard to bring back mask requirements so that seniors, disabled and immunocompromised people, children under 5, and all people can be protected: dozens of people advocated for the BART Board to reinstate the mask mandate, and, recognizing the importance of protecting ALL community members, they listened! Now, we applaud Alameda County’s health officials for reinstating the indoor mask mandate and urge them to keep the mandate until it is clearly safe to relax it. We urge health officials and transit officials in San Francisco and around the bay area to take the same action.

These actions are necessary because of the dramatic rise in COVID cases and hospitalizations. While public officials say that most people will recover, many disabled people, older people, and immunocompromised people may die if they get COVID. Plus, one in five people who get COVID shows symptoms of long COVID. The lack of a mask requirement on Muni puts people at risk just to get to work or a doctor’s appointment. Many of us are excluded from public spaces because of the lack of masking. 

Join us in speaking out. Take action with the Masks 4 Equity Action Guide, speak out next Tuesday, June 7 at the SF Health Commission or Alameda County Board of Supervisors meetings, or email info@sdaction.org to get involved.

Wheelchair Repair Campaign: July Clinic and June Legislative Visits!

In addition to scheduling legislative meetings for our Wheelchair Repair and Battery Replacement Program to push for funding in the city budget, we are also getting ready for our next Free Wheelchair Repair Clinic on July 8th.

If you’d like to get more information on the clinic or to represent SDA to advocate for additional funding for this new program, please contact Ligia Montano at (415) 912-8643 or email at ligia@sdaction.org

Register for the clinic here and sign the petition here to support the campaign!

Remote Participation

“Remote accessible meetings provide a lifeline for seniors and disabled persons who wish to participate and remain active in their communities.”

– remote participation survey participant

During the pandemic, as meetings were held remotely, many seniors and people with disabilities who had not been able to come in person were able to participate in public meetings. As a result, countless seniors, people with disabilities, and others have been able to participate in meetings that were previously difficult or impossible to access and to share our experiences, insights, and knowledge on issues that affect our lives: affordable housing and land use, vaccine equity, technology, and much more.

Now that government bodies are starting to meet in person again, we need to make sure they keep providing a remote option for public meetings so that we can all continue to participate. Please share your story or lend your support through this survey.

Laguna Honda

Laguna Honda Hospital is in crisis. Due to problems with patient overdoses, it lost its certification with the federal government and is being required to move out all 700 residents in the next 4 months. They may be recertified but are still required to make plans to move people out.

But where will people go? There are not enough skilled nursing facility beds in San Francisco or even in the Bay Area. To complicate the issue, Laguna Honda is the largest skilled nursing facility (nursing home) in the country and has in the past been a focus of organizing by disability rights activists who want disabled people to live in community settings, not institutions. Some see Laguna Honda as a place where San Francisco warehouses people with mental health disabilities, but many people also see it as an important place where people can go when they don’t have anywhere else to go.

We know that, with support, many people in nursing facilities can live in the community, and this crisis may be a moment to imagine new community options and push city leaders to come up with the funding. We could envision some kind of intensive supportive housing, with extensive services such as IHSS, case management, therapy, and activities. People who live in Laguna Honda are scared and need options. We invite Laguna Honda residents, or others who want to discuss this issue, to contact Jessica at jessica@sdaction.org. 

Announcements

June 20 SDA Teach-In: “The Plan to Privatize Medicare, and What You Can Do About It”

Members of the Healthcare Action Team are organizing a teach-in panel discussion on the threat of Medicare Privatization. The event will be held on Zoom. Please spread the word and share this shortened registration link with others who want to join: bit.ly/620TeachIn 

Date and Time: June 20, 5-6:30 pm

Zoom Registration: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMucOitqT4qH9WeCUyJJ3QmUD4akF8NgTSe 

Panelists confirmed:

• Barbara Commins: A simple introduction to Medicare and Medicare Advantage
• Melanie Grossman: A simple explanation of Medicare Direct Contracting and ACO-REACH
• Dr. Claire Cohen: What seniors and people with disabilities can do to fight back
• Moderator: Dr. Ana Malinow

June 7th Election!

There is an election happening right now – and election day is on Tuesday June 7th! Don’t forget to register if you haven’t – and to vote ASAP.

In San Francisco, there are 8 Propositions, including a measure for public transit and the measure proposing to recall District Attorney Chesa Boudin (Prop H). The California Alliance of Retired Americans hosted a forum last month that included a Pro/Con on the proposition to recall DA Boudin. You can watch the forum here. SDA cannot take a position on candidates so has no position on the recall measure; the SDA Board has taken a position on one measure: Support for Prop A. Check the full list out here.

In Alameda County, there is a parcel tax measure to support city libraries for Oakland voters, a bond for schools, and a competitive race for the open seat in Assembly District 20 (register for a candidate forum HERE – happening tonight). Also tune in to the Alameda County District Attorney’s race, where there is lots of discussion among candidates about who to charge and who not to charge, resentencing, as well as the DA’s power to choose alternatives to incarceration such as diversion programs that include restorative justice or substance abuse recovery. This is the first fully open DA race in Alameda County since 1938 where neither the incumbent nor someone from their office is running. This means that Alameda County voters have a fresh field of candidates from which to choose. More info on candidates, ballot measures, and more here.

At the state level, CalMatters offers a nonpartisan breakdown of the different races. Check it out here!

Join our team!

The Attendant Employer Organizer will coordinate SDA’s work to organize seniors and people with disabilities who hire home attendants or caregivers. This new role is part-time (15-18 hours/week) with pay starting at $25/hour, and paid sick time. The job description and information on how to apply are here. For more information, email ligia@sdaction.org.

Seniors and people with disabilities and Black, indigenous, people of color are encouraged to apply to any and all positions with SDA.

SDA Feedback

Are you an SDA member? Have you participated in SDA programs? Please take the SDA Survey! Use 10 minutes to share what you think of SDA’s programs and have a chance to win a Target gift card! Your feedback and thoughts help us grow as an organization. 

Defend the Warm Line!

A call to action from Mental Health Association SF: Don’t let the clock run out on providing zero-cost, accessible mental health care for all! The California state legislature MUST continue to fund the California Peer-Run Warm Line and expand its budget. That way, this not-for-profit resource can continue to keep up with the growing demand for mental health care services — rather than leave people out in the dark.

We can’t desert 39.5 million Californians and deprive them of a mental health service that has become essential — especially during the pandemic and whatever new challenges lay in store for 2022. Sign the petition now!

Sign the petition to refund the Warm Line today and learn more here.

How much do you pay for home internet?

Several organizations and funders around the state are conducting a survey on cost of internet service. By using this link to take this short 3-minute survey you will be helping document price discrimination and helping get closer to internet justice!

Please take the survey at this link and send it throughout your networks.

Link to survey

La encuesta esta disponible en español tambien. 

Upcoming SDA Meetings

Click here to view the full SDA Calendar of Events

**Please note meetings continue to be remote until further notice**

Friday, June 3: SRO Workgroup(first Friday of the month). 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm. Email Yesi for more information.

Friday, June 3 & 24: Transit Justice Meeting. 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm. Email Pi for more information.

Tuesday, June 7: Masking Campaign Strategy Session. 1:00 – 3:00 pm. Email Jessica or Raia for more information.

Tuesday, June 7: Free Wifi Campaign. 3:00 – 4:30pm: Email Peter and Dasom for more information.

Thursday, June 9: General Meeting (2nd Thursday of every month). Join at 9:45am for Zoom support, 10:00am for General Meeting. Captioning and Spanish Interpretation provided. Email SDA or leave a message at 415-546-1333 mentioning the General Meeting with any questions. 

Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85282401205 

One-tap mobile: +16699006833,,85282401205# US (San Jose). 

Toll-Free Dial In: 888-475-4499; Meeting ID: 852 8240 1205. 

Tuesday, June 14: Healthcare Action Team (HAT) Meeting (2nd Tuesday of every month). 11:00 am – 12:30 pm. Email Ligia for more information.

Wednesday, June 15: Housing Collaborative Meeting (3rd Wednesday of every month). 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm. Email Edith for more information. 

Thursday, June 23 and July 1: SDA in East Bay (typically 1st and 3rd Thursday of every month). 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm. Email Jessica for more information.  

Mad Mob SF: Email Raia to get the information to join or to find out about future meetings.

Let’s build this movement together.
Please become a member or donate today!

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Dear friends,

We are looking forward to our annual collective visioning process, that last year brought us the successful rental subsidies campaign and the ongoing high energy campaign for free wifi. At our December General Meeting, we’ll come together to dream a brighter, healthier, fuller future and start the work of determining our priorities for the year to come.

Before we get there, tomorrow is Giving Tuesday!

As part of this international day of giving, all donations made on Facebook throughout the day will be matched, so your impact can spread further. Please help keep our important work going and growing so that we can continue making our collective dreams reality!

Donate on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/donate/4827099860673594/,

or donate on Action Network: https://actionnetwork.org/fundraising/support-sda.

Advocacy Agenda Campaign Updates

Free Wifi Campaign Drumbeat is Steady!

Free Wifi members have been taking the campaign directly at AT&T – on October 18th, over 60 SDA members and allies occupied the flagship AT&T store at Market and Powell with another 25 participating on Zoom – peacefully holding a rally in the grand lobby of the building and negotiating with store officials to get in touch with Ken McNeely, President of AT&T’s Western Region to discuss our demands for Free, Fast, Reliable internet for seniors and people with disabilities.

Unfortunately, AT&T’s Public Relations team intervened and prevented Mr. McNeely from speaking with campaign leaders and then brought police in to disperse our protest. As the dispersal order was given, campaign members strategically moved the rally outdoors to public space. To read the coverage from the Chronicle and Examiner, click here.

Since the rally, we have heard from AT&T officials but they have not yet agreed to the demands – in response, campaign members have continued to take steady action with a series of visits by delegations to smaller AT&T stores throughout the city and a phone blitz day where over a hundred calls were made. We’re preparing to take the next step with another larger action in mid-December.

Before the action, join us at 1pm on Friday, December 3rd, to prepare materials and plan the action at the SDA office (1360 Mission St). We will have the air purifiers running and the windows open. If you plan to come, please wear a mask and contact Peter or Dasom to let them know. 

Meetings

Come to our planning meetings! Meetings are usually the last Tuesday of the month, but the next meeting will be on Tuesday December 7th from 3:00-4:30, by Zoom and phone. Spanish interpretation will be provided – please let us know if you’d like to join and have any other requests for interpretation or accommodation.

To get involved by attending a meeting and/or joining outreach efforts, email Peter[at]sdaction.org or Dasom[at]sdaction.org or call 415-546-1333 and leave a voicemail on the main line mentioning the Free WiFi Campaign.

SDA Campaign Updates

Housing: SRO Workgroup

Thanks to the organizing of Cadillac Hotel tenants and the SDA SRO Workgroup, the elevator at the Cadillac Hotel has been working for two weeks now! After a rally and many phone calls and emails to the building owner and manager, people power won. The work continues, though, and the workgroup is currently doing a paper survey on other access issues people living in SROs have to determine the next priorities.

If you’d like to take the survey or want to help get surveys filled out, contact Yesi@sdaction.org and come to the SRO workgroup meeting on Friday!

Mad Mob: Mental Health Group Rallies Against Conservatorship

SDA member Joyce Calagos led chants, including “Hey hey, ho ho, conservatorship has got to go!”. Fancher Larson spoke about her experience as a patient and patients’ rights advocate, and the need for community support beyond medical treatment. Cheryl Shanks spoke about her experiences being held on 72-hour holds, and how long it took to get into ongoing treatment. “I was one of the lucky ones,” she said. “I actually got the mental health I needed. Why did I have to be lucky? Everybody should be able to access the mental health they need.” Rebecca Ruiz from Mental Health First, a program of the Anti-Police Terror Project, spoke about how conservatorship was used to alienate indigenous people from their land and natural resources, and how the racism of the practice continues today.

Right after the rally ended, Britney Spears was released from her 13-year conservatorship. Mad Mob members celebrated her freedom, but will keep pushing for an end to forced treatment and an expansion of voluntary services, peer respite, and accessible housing. To get involved, contact Raia (raia@sdaction.org) and join our next meeting on December 10, 3-4:30pm on zoom. 

Read or listen here: https://www.sfpublicpress.org/mental-health-advocates-call-for-voluntary-treatment-as-spears-conservatorship-ends/  

Transit Justice

For the last 2 months, SDA’s Transit Justice group has been busy! As part of our Pedestrian Accessibility Campaign, we are working on 4 accessibility issues. They are:

Shared Spaces Program: The Transit Justice group with it’s allies, MEDA, Race and Equity Coalition and the Golden Gate Restaurant Association recently won changes to the city’s Shared Spaces program, to make sure that outdoor tables and chairs don’t block access and benefit everyone. But we are not finished. Currently we are working with the Planning Department to make the program beneficial to all minority restaurant owners.

Golden Gate Park Plan:  As a response to shelter in place mandate in Spring of 2020, Rec and Park closed JFK Drive to provide a safe open space for all local residents. This closure highlighted how inaccessible the park is for seniors and people with disabilities. Now over a year later, there is a proposal to close JFK Dr. permanently.  So we have formed the Golden Gate Park Accessibility Coalition. Our first task is to make JFK accessible for all people.

Restore Muni: Another win! SF Municipal Transportation Agency, SFMTA has finally agreed to fully (actually 95%) restore all Muni routes.  This win was the result of strong pressure coming from the Coalition to Restore Muni, of which TJG is a founding member. We will continue our pressure on SFMTA to address the needs of its’ senior and disabled Muni riders as the SFMTA starts designing the future Muni service network in 2022.

Gimme Shelter Campaign:  Currently only 25% of Muni bus stops have shelter with seating. Our campaign is demanding that all Muni bus stops must have a bus shelter with seating. Presently we are conducting a survey and petition drive and recruiting support for our campaign.

Interested in any of these current campaigns?  Or have an idea for one in 2022? Then join us. Just contact Pi Ra, srira@sdaction.org, (415)225-2080.

Here are the links to the Gimme Shelter survey and petition: 

Access the Survey in English, Chinese or Spanish

Access the Petition in English, Chinese or Spanish

Upcoming SDA Events

November and December General Meeting:
Forming our Advocacy Agenda

As 2021 comes to a close, its time to look back and to dream forward.

On Thursday December 9th from 10-12PM PST, all SDA members are invited to dream together about our hopes and wishes for 2021, as the first step in our Advocacy Agenda Process. Through an open-ended, conversational, collective visioning process, we can come to start the process of determining and affirming our priorities for the year to come.

Join us over Zoom. Info on how to join by Zoom or Phone is at the bottom of this email, in the Upcoming SDA Meetings section.

Wheelchair Repair Clinic

Friday, December 3rd from 10:00am to 1:00pm

Clementina Towers, 320 Clementina St., San Francisco

Senior and Disability Action members and staff, with support from City Wheelchairs, will host our first FREE WHEELCHAIR REPAIR CLINIC. We will invite people to bring their wheelchairs and get basic repairs. The event will take place at Clementina Towers.

The lack of affordable wheelchair repair is a serious issue for people with disabilities of all ages in San Francisco. Medi-Cal has strict rules about who can get wheelchairs and how often people can get repairs and/or new batteries. And for someone whose battery runs out or a part malfunctions while out of their home, there is no one to call for immediate repairs. At the Wheelchair Repair Clinic on December 3rd, trained staff of City Wheelchairs will be present to provide repairs. 

The event will include food and music, and a chance for people to talk about the problem of wheelchair repair. 

Attached is an information sheet about wheelchair repair and below are the graphic and image description for the event. Please start spreading the word, and join us December 3rd!

SDU on Social Media Advocacy

Our Senior & Disability University (SDU): Social Media Advocacy has been a powerful exploration of digital safety and activism. All sessions will be recorded and uploaded to our Senior & Disability University Youtube playlist, for accessible access. Spanish interpretation will be available. We welcome participants from San Francisco as well as the East Bay. Register here: bit.ly/sdawinter

Remaining Sessions: November 30th to December 15th, Mondays & Wednesdays from 3-5PM PST on Zoom.

Questions? Email bisma@sdaction.org or regina@sdaction.org 

Announcements

Dignity Fund Community Survey

Make your voice heard!

The San Francisco Department of Disability and Aging Services is currently conducting the 2022 Dignity Fund Community Needs Assessment (DFCNA) to understand the strengths, challenges, and gaps in services to older adults and adults with disabilities in San Francisco.

Fill out the DFCNA Community Survey by Friday, December 17 at tinyurl.com/2021DAS

The survey is also available in Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese, and Samoan is coming soon.

Please also share feedback through virtual and in-person forums, held from November 28 to December 15, around the city and in multiple languages. More information is available here.   https://www.sfhsa.org/about/departments/department-disability-and-aging-services-das/help-improve-our-services-older

SF Department of Disability and Aging Services Report:
Affordable Housing for Seniors and People with Disabilities

San Francisco Department of Disability and Aging Services also recently released the 2021 Overview Report on Affordable Housing for Seniors and People with Disabilities. (Table above)

Some key takeaways:

• Across both senior-occupied units and also disability-occupied units, over 75% of households report actual income levels below 20% AMI. (p. 11)
• Most units are designated for … the 30% to 50% AMI level. This indicates most residents require a rent subsidy or else face significant rent burden. (p. 11)
• In practice, most senior and disabled residents rely on a rental subsidy to meet their monthly rent. About 77% of senior-occupied units and 91% of disability-occupied units have a rental subsidy through federal sources (such as Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers or Continuum of Care programs) or local sources (such as the Local Operating Subsidy Program). (p. 11)
• Over the next three years, an additional 925 units for these populations are anticipated to be in development. Almost all are senior-designated units. A small number (27) are units designated for adults with developmental disabilities (Units can only be set aside for disabled occupants if there is a dedicated funding source, such as HUD’s Section 811 program for people with developmental disabilities.) (p. 12)

Read the report in full here: https://www.sfhsa.org/sites/default/files/Report_SFDAS_Affordable Housing Overview October 2021.pdf

Becoming Disabled During the Pandemic

Over the past 18 months of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people have become disabled or chronically ill for the first time– due to COVID-19, mental health effects of the pandemic, lack of access to healthcare, and more. Senior and Disability Action is hosting a training program for people who are new to disability or chronic illness and want to connect with other people and/or change the way disabilities are created and treated in our society.

If you have long COVID or a new disabillity, please fill out our short survey here: https://forms.gle/1cX9aW9bBZmg6hkcA 

If you want to learn more about this cohort, contact Raia at raia[at[sdaction.org.

Remote meeting participation

Do you like being able to join meetings by zoom or phone, rather than having to go in person? Does a remote option make it more possible for you to participate? 

If so, please fill out this form! It’s time to work together to make sure that as people start to meet in person again, disabled people and seniors don’t lose our ability to participate.

Please share widely. Contact jessica@sdaction.org to get more information or to get involved. 

First Hybrid SDSS in the books!

Senior and Disability Survival School (SDSS) October-November 2021 celebrated graduates from our first hybrid course (Zoom and in-person) on November 10th! If you’d like to participate or volunteer for the January 2022 SDSS at Richmond Senior Center in English and Chinese, contact Dasom at dasom@sdaction.org.

Partner Updates

STOP Ellis Act Evictions in San Francisco!

There are tenants being pushed out through the Ellis Act at 3661 19th Street, between Guerrero and Dolores. Half of them are seniors, and some are people with disabilities too. With the Eviction Defense Network and other allies, the tenants are organizing to stop the speculators who have bought the building from evicting them. Call the building’s new owners to show them the community is against these evictions and will fight!

CONTACT:

Jeff Pollack (650) 533-8534, jpollack@tridentequitygroup.com 

Pierre Malak (408) 807-3409, pierre@pierremalak.com 

Ryan Fong (650) 504-8940, rcyfong@gmail.com   

Sample Script:

Hi, my name is ___, and I’m a member of Senior & Disability Action. I heard that you’re evicting people at 3661 19th Street with the Ellis Act and I want to ask you NOT to evict anyone! Housing is a human right and people must be allowed to stay in their housing. Thank you. 

Also, at 40-42 Sycamore Street, Filipinx seniors and people with disabilities and their families are facing Ellis Act evictions from their longtime homes. The tenants are organizing with SOMA Pilipinas, United to Save the Mission, and others to stop these evictions by working with the city to purchase the buildings through it’s small sites program. 

Both fights are tied to the current effort to pass the Emergency Housing Acquisition program at the Board of Supervisors. Stay tuned for more information on how you can support that fight as well. 

Tai Chi and Qigong with SF Village

Every Thursday, 2:30PM – 3:15PM PST

Starting December 2 until December 16, 2021. Held in Person at SF Village Office (3220 Fulton St.).

Tai Chi and Qigong are exercises designed for health of mind and body. Tai Chi is known to be the best form of exercise for elders to practice balance to prevent falls. Practice the first twelve basic movements of the Sun Style form. No experience necessary and you are welcome to join at any time as the moves are broken down and repeated. The emphasis is on improving balance, increasing flexibility and building strength. Led by Caroline Lew, a Certified Instructor through the Tai Chi for Health Institute. Stand or Sit. 

To register visit: https://www.monami.io/calendars/san-francisco-village/events/4201 

Beyond the Bay and Beyond CA

#CareCantWait: a national campaign for action

In alliance with Hand in Hand, the Disability Organizing Network, and the CA Domestic Workers Coalition, SDA members and staff rallied for a Halloween action to call on Congress to pass Build Back Better with full funding for home & community based services (HCBS), to make sure that seniors and disabled people get needed home care. On Friday, November 19th, the House of Representatives passed the Build Back Better plan with $150 million toward Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services and for better wages to address the staffing shortage. Please continue to call your Senators to urge them to increase funding for HCBS, or use this toolkit to get the word out on social media.

Upcoming SDA Meetings

Click here to view the full SDA Calendar of Events on our website!

**Please note meetings continue to be remote until further notice**

Friday, December 3: Transit Justice Meeting. 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm. Email Pi for more information.  

Friday, December 3: SRO Workgroup (first Friday of the month). 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm. Email Yesi for more information.    

Thursday, December 9: General Meeting (2nd Thursday of every month). Join at 9:45am for Zoom support, 10:00am for General Meeting. Topic: Reflecting on our Year and Dreaming for 2022. Captioning and Spanish Interpretation provided. Email SDA or leave a message at 415-546-1333 mentioning the General Meeting with any questions.  Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85282401205  One-tap mobile: +16699006833,,85282401205# US (San Jose).  Toll-Free Dial In: 888-475-4499; Meeting ID: 852 8240 1205.   

Friday, December 10: Mad Mob SF (2nd and 4th Friday of every month). 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm. Email Raia to get the information to join or to find out about future meetings.

Tuesday, December 14: Healthcare Action Team (HAT) Meeting (2nd Tuesday of every month). 11:00 am – 12:30 pm. Email Ligia for more information.

Wednesday, December 15: Housing Collaborative Meeting (3rd Wednesday of every month). 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm. Email Freddy for more information. 

Let’s build this movement together.

Please become a member or donate today!

Dear friends,   Summer started off with victory for seniors and people with disabilities in the San Francisco city budget! Congratulations to SDA members and allies who fought for and won funding for rental subsidies, Senior Operating Subsidies, Dignity Fund money, tech devices and training, and critical community services. Click here for more information. We also improved accessibility guidelines in San Francisco’s Shared Spaces legislation, held our first-ever East Bay SDA gathering, started building the Free WiFi campaign, and launched the first Social Media Advocacy Senior & Disability University. Thank you to all who joined SDA to celebrate community at the Annual Celebration on August 11! We had such a lovely time.   Unfortunately COVID is still a major threat in our community and we cannot yet open our office doors and hold in-person meetings. Let’s continue to connect on zoom and phone, and occasional outside gatherings — like this Friday’s action at the SF Federal Building for Home and Community-Based Services!    Together, let’s connect to support each other and build stronger, more just communities. Take care, and take action.  FRIDAY: Urge Speaker Pelosi to lead on funding for care! Friday, August 27th, 11am The Long Term Supports and Services (LTSS) for All Grassroots Coalition will be meeting with Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office to urge her to SUPPORT and LEAD the efforts to win $400 billion in funding for Medicaid Home and Community Based Services (HCBS). Over the last months, members of the LTSS for All Coalition have collected personal stories sharing why CARE Is ESSENTIAL to them. These stories will be presented to Speaker Pelosi in person and on Zoom. Help us urge the Speaker to LEAD on this funding and help us pass the $400 billion in Congress when they return from their August recess. Here is how you can join: In Person (outside): Meet at 10:30 outside Speaker Pelosi’s SF office to drop off the letters at 11 to Speaker Pelosi at the Federal Building in SF (90 7th St). Wear a mask, socially distance. RSVP at www.bit.ly/400forPelosi Zoom: If you cannot be in SF for the in-person event, you can still participate on Zoom at 10:30AM. RSVP at www.bit.ly/400forPelosi For questions: cynthial.cara@gmail.com / 510-663-4086 Thank you for joining us at our Annual Celebration! The SDA Annual Celebration was held on Wednesday August 11th. Thank you to all our sponsors, donors, members, friends and family who help make it a rousing success! We raised over $30,000 for our growing work around housing, healthcare, pedestrian safety, mutual aid, digital organizing and peer advocates! Click here for more information and a full list of sponsors. Do you recall there’s a recall? We hope so! Potential Recall of Governor Newsom Now through poll closings on Tuesday, September 14th Be sure to vote in the recall election! If you need any help, please contact the SF Department of Elections at (415) 554-4375 or SFVote@sfgov.org, or leave SDA a message at (415) 546-1333. Sign your envelope and drop it in the mail, a vote-by-mail dropbox, or a voting site, by September 14, or vote in-person early or on Election Day.   There are only two questions: Do you want to recall (take out of office) Governor Gavin Newsom? (yes – recall him; no – keep him as Governor). And if he is recalled, who do you want to replace him from the list in your ballot? You can but do not have to vote on both questions. Conservatives collected signatures to put the recall on the ballot out of frustration with Newsom’s policies on immigration, COVID, and homelessness. Top contenders include (all Republicans) conservative talk radio show host Larry Elder, reality tv star and former Olympian Caitlyn Jenner, and businessman John Cox. The election will cost the state $276 million. Advocacy Agenda Campaign Updates Free WiFi Campaign We all know how essential for survival staying connected is — survival during and beyond this pandemic. We also know the barriers that lack of access to technology and quality, reliable internet connection poses to staying connected. SDA Members are joining together to call on AT&T to create a high-quality, reliable, Free WiFi program! We are gearing up for a rally in front of the AT&T building in San Francisco on October 18th. Before this, we will gather to prepare materials for the rally at 11am on Saturday, September 18th. Our Free WiFi group has also launched a PETITION to gather signatures in support of the campaign! Join us and sign the petition here: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/we-need-free-wifi. Then, share it with your community! Meetings are the last Tuesday of the month – there is no meeting in August, so the next meeting is on Tuesday September 15th from 3:30-5:00, by Zoom and phone. Spanish interpretation will be provided – please let us know if you’d like to join and have any other requests for interpretation or accommodation. Email Peter[at]sdaction.org or Dasom[at]sdaction.org to get involved by attending a meeting and/or joining outreach efforts or call 415-546-1333 and leave a voicemail on the main line mentioning the Free WiFi Campaign. Recap: Mad Mob Toxic Conservatorship Forum Mad Mob collaborated with the Mental Health Association of SF to host Toxic Conservatorship on August 5, a community forum on guardianship inspired by the case of Britney Spears. We hosted 5 speakers— all of whom have mental health disabilities— including two disability rights attorneys, three people who survived psychiatric incarceration, and two longtime peer advocates. Over 85 people participated in the forum, and discussion was lively, impassioned, and supportive. Mad Mob will keep pushing for autonomy, freedom, and accessible care in mental health treatment. Contact Raia (raia@sdaction.org) to get involved with Mad Mob. Watch the recording of the forum here and check out our Toxic Conservatorship resource list here. Updates from the Transit Justice Committee One of the Programs of the Senior and Disability Movement   Our current Ongoing projects and campaigns to make the city safer, accessible and enjoyable for all seniors and people with disabilities pedestrians and transit rides consist of: Shared Spaces: Making sidewalk dining and socializing accessible for all, Slow Streets: neighborhood streets to be less motorize and more pedestrian-ize and safe, Golden Gate Park: Closing down a street, JFK, is just one of many improvements needed to make the Park safe and accessible for seniors and people with disabilities, City’s Restore Muni Service plan: Create a Muni service plan that is truly accessible and affordable for all riders If any or all of these projects move you or should I say “Walk and Roll”  you, then join us.     Our monthly Transit Justice Meeting is this Friday the 27th at 1:00 pm.   On Tuesday September 14, 2:00 – 3:30, we will be hosting a meeting with the Park & Rec and San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, SFMTA. The topic will the closure of JFK Drive and other city plans for Golden Gate Park. For more information and how to attend our upcoming Transit Justice meetings, please email or call Pi Ra, srira@sdaction.org / 415.225.2080. Social Media Advocacy SDU Kicks Off! Thank you to all those who have participated in the first Social Media Advocacy SDU course so far! We have been able to cover the account basics of Facebook, Twitter, Zoom and digital safety practices, while workshopping the #FreeWIFI campaign together. There are recordings available on Youtube in case you want to see the content that was covered. Stay tuned for a future SDU Social Media course later this year. If you have specific social or digital media requests to cover in the future class, please email Bisma, SDA’s Digital Organizer, at bisma@sdaction.org. Watch the videos here: https://www.youtube.com/user/SrDisabilityAction. Upcoming SDA Events September General Meeting Join us for the September General Meeting (GM) as we celebrate Latinx Heritage Month, discuss immigrant voting rights, and engage in an anti-racist & anti-colonialist discussion. There will be a lot to cover, so come prepared with your thoughts and compassion for each other. The September GM will take place on September 9th, from 10-12PM PST over zoom. Info on how to join by Zoom or Phone is at the bottom of this email, in the Upcoming SDA Meetings section. Disability Book Series is back – starting with Emily Ladau! The Disability Book reading series is back! Join us on October 7th, from 5-6:30 PM on zoom as we discuss Emily Ladau’s upcoming book, Demystifying Disability. Stay tuned for more events in the series. Click here to register. You can preorder Emily Ladau’s book here. Beyond the Bay and Beyond CA #CareCantWait: a national campaign for action On July 13th, SDA Members rallied with allies in support of the proposal to include $400 billion for home and community based services in the federal budget reconciliation package. Seniors, people with disabilities, and caregivers (paid and unpaid) have been fighting for this for years — now is the time to keep the pressure up! Be sure to join us this Friday, August 27th to call on Speaker Pelosi to make sure this critical investment passes. RSVP here. More info here. A Message on Smoke and Wildfire Safety As climate catastrophe induced fires ravage California and the American West, we want to do what we can to help our community stay safe. Stay tuned for updates from more disability and senior-specific resources, but here are a few resources that may be helpful in dealing with wildfire season, especially if you are located in the East Bay: Wildfire Guide: berkeleyside.org/berkeley-wildfire-guide-fire-season-2021   Alameda County Emergency Alert & Notification System: acalert.org  Zonehaven: Know your zone: community.zonehaven.com  CAL FIRE readyforwildfire.org (includes sign up for alerts & evacuation planning app) Info & app also in Spanish – readyforwildfire.org/espanol/bienestar-forestal/ Upcoming SDA Meetings Click here to view the full SDA Calendar of Events on our website!   **Please note all meetings are remote until further notice**   Friday, August 27 and September 24: Transit Justice Meeting. 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm. Email Pi for more information.   Friday, September 3, SRO Workgroup (first Friday of the month). 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm. Email Yesi for more information.   Thursday, September 9: General Meeting (2nd Thursday of every month). Join at 9:45am for Zoom support and interpretation set up, 10:00am for General Meeting. Captioning and Spanish Interpretation provided. Email SDA or leave a message at 415-546-1333 mentioning the General Meeting with any questions. Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85282401205 One-tap mobile: +16699006833,,85282401205# US (San Jose). Toll-Free Dial In: 888-475-4499; Meeting ID: 852 8240 1205.  Friday, September 10 and September 24: Mad Mob SF. 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm. Email Raia to get the information to join or to find out about future meetings. Tuesday, September 14: Healthcare Action Team (HAT) Meeting (2nd Tuesday of every month). 11:00 am – 1:00 pm. Email Ligia for more information. Wednesday, September 15: Housing Collaborative Meeting (3rd Wednesday of every month). 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm. Email Freddy for more information.  Friday, September 24: African-American Racial and Social Equity and Justice Alliance (AARSEJA). 3:30 pm – 5:30 pm. This is a space for African-American/Black-identifying members. Please email Freddy for more information.   Let’s build this movement together. Please become a member or donate today! Stay in touch with us:  Senior and Disability Action 1360 Mission Street #400 San Francisco, CA 94103 http://www.sdaction.org (415) 546-1333 Please let us know if you have any issue with the email format or if there are changes you think we should make. Thank you for reading!