California’s Disability Action Coalition (DAC) is made up of people with all types of disabilities, organizations, families and allies. Our mission is to organize people with disabilities and allies to protect and advance our civil rights, self-determination and life opportunities. We pursue our mission through education, community building, and advocacy, which culminates in an annual day of Disability community action in California’s Capitol city: Sacramento.
Our History
Disability Action Coalition was launched over 15 years ago, when multiple disability organizations and advocates decided to collectively claim our power through action. We, people with disabilities, needed a day to unite, exercise our power and educate statewide policy makers on priority issues.
This statewide mobilization event became the annual Disability Capitol Action Day (DCAD). From the beginning, DCAD has been one of the nation’s largest grassroots, cross-disability events. As the Disability Action Coalition grew, so did the annual DCAD. Every year, there was a Disability Community Resource Fair, an Educational Rally, March and Legislative Visits. DCAD was founded with the spirit of welcoming all people committed to advancing independence, freedom and equality for people with disabilities.
Over the course of its history, Disability Capitol Action Day has evolved and changed. In 2019, the Disability Action Coalition partnered with California Alliance of Retired Americans to produce the first Disability and Aging Capitol Action Day, bringing together more than 900 people with disabilities and older adults to promote expansion of California’s services for people with disabilities and older adults.
In 2020, the Disability Action Coalition adapted to produce a virtual event for California’s disability community. This virtual event brought together California’s legislators as well as community members to celebrate our strength and resilience during the COVID-19 “Stay at Home” Executive Order issued by the Governor.
Our Future
This year — 2024 — will further the evolution of Disability Capitol Action Day. We will be producing a hybrid live virtual and in person event, centered around a California legislative Town Hall Forum. This year also represents a rebuilding of the Disability Action Coalition, the coalition of organizations committed to producing the annual event.
Please monitor this website for updates as we get closer to Disability Capitol Action Day 2024: Monday, June 10, 2024.