Stockton ADA Roundtable

05/28/2026

Accessible Sidewalks for All

A little reminder to be mindful of where we park, place our garbage/recycling bins, or leave bikes/scooters. It might seem like no big deal if your vehicle is blocking the sidewalk, even for just a minute but for many people, especially those needing to use mobility devices, who have balance challenges, are aging, walking with small children or who are blind. A clear path is essential.

If your legs work, be grateful you can easily walk to where you need to go! But for others, navigating off route or stepping off curbs may not be an option for us.

When parking, even in your own driveway, please take a moment to ensure your car isn’t blocking the sidewalk. By keeping these paths clear, we help create a safer, more accessible environment for everyone.

Remember we hope, we ALL will live to be 80 years old one day and either ourselves or a loved ones mobility, balance, strength will change.

It takes very little effort to be helpful, when we are mindful of how our actions can impact others. Let's work together to make our community more inclusive

Gina Martin

Diverse Abilities programs and training offers both in person and online training. We teach practica, respectful, easy to impliment strategies, that make workspaces classroom, and communicate, more inclusive and accessible. Check out our programs to see what is right for you. 👇🏽
DiverseAbilities.ca

Photo descriptions
Both these photos have vehicles parked in driveways and both are blocking the path, making it unaccessible.

05/27/2026

Transitioning to adulthood can feel uncertain, but the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Section 504, the Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as available resources, help ensure our high school students begin preparing for a thriving and successful life after high school, no matter what that looks like.

Join Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF) for a free webinar, What Comes Next? Transition for High School Students with Disabilities, on Monday, June 8 from 7 to 8:45 p.m. In this session, DREDF advocates will guide parents and students through the special education transition process from start to finish. Click the link below to register:
https://bit.ly/3QXKBn4.

05/27/2026

The San Joaquin County Commission on Aging will be holding their monthly meeting on Monday June 1, 2026, at 1:30pm. The Commission serves as the principal advocacy body for older adults in San Joaquin County. The Commission advises the Area Agency on Aging, City Councils and the Board of Supervisors on programs and services that affect older adults. Please visit www.sjcommissiononaging.org for the agenda and more information.

05/27/2026

05/24/2026

As we mentioned in one of our posts recently, some vote centers will be open for in-person voting and other voting services started yesterday in counties running their elections under the California Voter’s Choice Act (VCA).

What if you are not in a VCA county but you would like to go to an in-person voting location on a Saturday? Under a new law, you will have that option next Saturday, May 30!

To plan ahead and see the locations and hours of operation for these new in-person voting options, check the materials your county elections office mailed to you, your county’s elections website, or https://caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov.

If you have questions or are having difficulty voting because of a disability, DRC’s voting hotline is open year-round on weekdays during business hours (9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.) (and longer hours on Election Day). Call us at (888) 569-7955.

We will continue to share voting resources on DRC social media as Election Day gets closer!

05/16/2026

05/16/2026

What if the problem is not disability, but what we have been taught to believe about it?

We have all seen these words before. Weak. Less than. Lazy. Incapable. Incompetent. Unworthy. A burden. Entitled. A problem.

These are not truths. These are assumptions.

They are learned through language, reinforced through systems, and repeated often enough that they begin to shape how we treat one another. The real impact is not just in the words themselves, it is in the lowered expectations, the missed opportunities, and the quiet ways people are excluded before they even have a chance to show who they are.

Disability does not define capability. It does not determine worth. It does not limit potential.

What does create barriers is when spaces are not usable, when communication is unclear, when people assume instead of ask, and when they decide what we can or cannot do without ever giving us the opportunity to show them.

When we shift our thinking, everything changes.

We begin to see ability instead of limitation.

We begin to design spaces that more people can use.

We begin to speak in ways that invite connection instead of create distance.

This is where real inclusion starts, not with policies alone, but with awareness that turns into action.

Let’s challenge the labels we have accepted for too long and replace them with something far more powerful, understanding, respect, and opportunity.

“Having a disability does not change who we are, it changes our interactions with the world.” – Gina Martin

At Diverse Abilities we offer tailored programs, rooted in IDEAL principals, Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility & Language. When we know what to say and do we move from uncomfortable to confident. Disability is just a different way of navigating life. Learn more👇🏽

DiverseAbilities.ca

TY Jamie Shields from Disabled by Society for the image

Image description Heading says disability does not mean
An Animated image accompanies these words on a black background. Weak. Less than. Lazy. Incapable. Incompetent. Unworthy. A burden. Entitled. A problem.

05/14/2026

A bill idea brought to me by a Stockton paraeducator to help students with disabilities have a smoother transition to college is now one step closer to the Governor’s desk!

Thank you, Madellyn, for bringing forward this thoughtful legislation. Together, we’re going to get it across the finish line

05/14/2026

The San Joaquin Regional Transit District Board of Directors will meet on Friday, May 15th, at 10:00 AM. This public meeting offers a chance to hear updates, learn about agency priorities, and follow decisions that shape RTD service across our communities.