Array
(
    [0] => Array
        (
            [id] => 19
            [date] => 2021-02-03
            [status] => Active
            [new] => 
            [title] => We are a preparedness team!
            [author] => Nathan Lungu
            [article] => 
“Moving into my own place for the first time in two years I may have forgotten the importance of being ready for any possible disaster that may arise and unfortunately a little unprepared. The teachings of safety and preparedness from my own parents went over my head as I was more focused on moving into my place than the dangers that can always come up unexpectedly. I was thankful to have ACC with a team of well-prepared and knowledgeable staff to help cover the things I had forgotten.  Lauren Utterback went out of her way to bring me extra face masks and gloves during this uncertain time amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. With her help I was able to leave my home with a feeling of being better prepared to stay safe and healthy. Also, her help with putting together a list of emergency contacts and doctor information is now easily readable and hangs on my fridge for anyone that may need it in a hurry. Her suggestions for putting together an ‘emergency preparedness kit’ and the items to include helped me tremendously through a process I started to feel overwhelmed by. I now know I have a team I can go to for anything relating to preparation and safety among a list of other services they provide. 

"Thank you, Lauren, and thank you ACC”

-Nathan Lungu, Consumer of Lauren Utterback, Independent Living Advocate 

        )

    [1] => Array
        (
            [id] => 2
            [date] => 2025-12-07
            [status] => Active
            [new] => 
            [title] => Kyle and His Journey Towards Independence
            [author] => Jacob Lesner-Buxton
            [article] => 

In 2020, at just 35 years old, Kyle was diagnosed with a condition that caused total paralysis and was told he might never live independently again. After three years of hard work in therapy, he was determined to regain his independence. By 2024, Kyle was living in a care home costing $7,000 a month, facing the possibility of being moved to a county facility because he had no family able to care for him. He needed housing that would allow him to continue therapy, cook, maintain hygiene, and work toward walking again—but every affordable or subsidized option he found was inaccessible. Narrow doorways, small bathrooms, inaccessible kitchens—most apartments listed as “accessible” were not truly accessible. 


After a year and a half of searching, Kyle finally found one apartment that worked: first floor, with wide hallways and doorways, and a kitchen and bathroom he could actually use with his wheelchair. The rent is $3,300—still far from affordable, but half of what the care home costs. With this housing, he has been able to build a workout space, cook for himself, and continue his recovery. 


Kyle’s experience highlights a critical gap: accessible housing is almost never aligned with affordable housing. People with disabilities are often excluded from low-income options simply because they aren’t built with accessibility in mind. Independence shouldn’t cost extra—it should be a baseline. Alongside ACC, Kyle was able to apply and receive in-home care, find an apartment, and be connected with continued supports to help him with his journey towards independence.

        )

    [2] => Array
        (
            [id] => 1
            [date] => 2025-12-21
            [status] => Active
            [new] => Yes
            [title] => Note to Readers About the Word “Ableism”
            [author] => Jacob Lesner-Buxton
            [article] => 

Note to readers about the word “ableism”. In short, the word ableism means discrimination against people with disabilities.


An example of ableism is a two-story office building without an elevator. The designers of the building consciously or unconsciously assume that people with mobility issues wouldn’t need to access the top floor of the building. Their ableist assumptions caused them not to build an elevator.


Another example of ableism happened at Cal-State East Bay earlier this year. A group of students with intellectual and developmental disabilities enrolled in a certificate program were denied a chance to participate in the school's commencement ceremony.


While the school claimed that only those who were receiving degrees were allowed to cross the stage, activists provided examples of others who received certificates who were allowed to take part in past ceremonies. They suggest that the school administration was acting on an ableist assumption that students with disabilities weren’t supposed to graduate from college. Despite public pressure, the school administration still wouldn’t let the students cross the stage.


We hope that through reading these articles, you begin to notice ableism in society and look for ways to advocate against ableism by becoming an ally to people with disabilities.

        )

)
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