Nearly one quarter of adults in California have a disability. 1 It is the public policy of the State of California to ensure equal access for all Californians with disabilities. The Disability Rights Bureau (DRB) within the Civil Rights Enforcement Section protects and advances the rights of all people with disabilities in California.
DRB handles investigations pursuant to Government Code section 11180 et seq. and cases addressing systemic failures, a pattern or practice of violations, and/or discriminatory policies, procedures, or practices that broadly impact people with disabilities.
DRB does not handle individual complaints or inquiries, and does not represent individuals or provide individuals legal advice. DRB is not mandated to pursue cases involving isolated violations of law, matters against state-level public entities, or out-of-state conduct, but rather pursues systemic violations of law by local governmental entities or companies directly impacting the general public or large groups of individuals.
For individual matters, please submit a complaint with California’s Civil Rights Department (formerly California Department of Fair Employment and Housing) here: CRD File a Complaint.
DRB has broad jurisdiction to enforce all state laws protecting people with disabilities from discrimination, including:
DRB focuses its enforcement and advocacy efforts on several areas, including:
The work of DRB intersects with many other areas of expertise within the Civil Rights Enforcement Section, including the Bureau of Children’s Justice and Racial Justice Bureau. It also converges with the work of other sections within the Department of Justice, including consumer protection and healthcare.
If you have a potential matter for DRB’s consideration, please contact DisabilityRights@doj.ca.gov. Please note that DRB may follow up to request further information, however, it cannot respond to every inquiry and cannot provide ongoing updates regarding an investigation and/or litigation, even to individuals who provided information regarding those matters. The information provided to DRB should include as much detail as possible about the facts of the matter. All inquiries will be kept confidential to the extent permitted by law.
You may also contact the Public Inquiry Unit with your inquiry: