Welcome to the CCB Courier for September 4 , 2026

Urgent Action Needed: Protect DOR Services for Blind and Low-Vision Californians

Dear CCB Members and Community Partners,
California’s blind, low-vision, and DeafBlind community must come together and speak with a strong, unified voice about the California Department of Rehabilitation’s move into Order of Selection!
Order of Selection is used when DOR determines that it does not have sufficient resources to serve every eligible applicant. Applicants are placed into priority categories based on the significance of their disabilities, and those in categories that are not open may be placed on waiting lists indefinitely.
For blind, low-vision, and DeafBlind Californians, this could mean being denied timely access to orientation and mobility instruction, adaptive technology, employment training, job-retention assistance, and other essential services. These delays could jeopardize people’s safety, independence, education, and employment.
Order of Selection also threatens the specialized organizations and professionals that serve our community. If referrals stop and this service network is dismantled, rebuilding it will be extremely difficult. This policy could set our community back many years.
We need your involvement now. Please take these actions:

1. Participate in the community-led letter-writing campaign. Ask your state senator and Assemblymember to support an urgent joint legislative oversight hearing concerning DOR’s implementation of Order of Selection. Click this link for a template to have your voice heard: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/hearing-request?source=direct_link
2. Contact Assemblymember Alex Lee and Senator Jesse Arreguín, chairs of the Assembly and Senate Human Services Committees, and urge them to hold this hearing before irreversible harm occurs.
3. Share this message and the letter-writing campaign with consumers, families, advocates, service providers, and community organizations throughout California.
4. Attend the next State Rehabilitation Council meeting and tell council members that DOR must reevaluate this policy and protect timely access to specialized services.

Wednesday, September 16 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Thursday, September 17 9:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Although virtual participation will be available, we encourage everyone who can attend in person to do so, particularly on Wednesday morning. The Director’s Report and Order of Selection update are scheduled from 9:40 to 11:30 a.m. This will be an important opportunity to hear directly from DOR leadership, ask questions, and provide public comment.
In-person location:
California Department of Rehabilitation
721 Capitol Mall, Room 169
Sacramento, CA 95814
Virtual participation:
Join the September 16–17 meeting by Zoom
https://dor-ca-gov.zoom.us/j/93645736915?pwd=KyL0VaGflT7H33XtvwqORzhvovw...
Meeting ID: 936 4573 6915
Passcode: eMi%4hL^
A strong community presence matters. It will demonstrate that concerns about Order of Selection are shared broadly by blind, low-vision, and DeafBlind Californians, their families, advocates, service providers, and others who understand the policy’s real-world consequences.
Our collective voices can make a difference—but only if we act. Please participate, speak out, and help ensure that Californians with vision loss continue to receive the services necessary for safety, independence, education, and employment.

From ACB:

We are pleased to share that the We Can't Wait Act has been introduced in the House of Representatives by Rep. Carol Miller of West Virginia and co-sponsored by Rep. Suzan DelBene of Washington and Rep. Susie Lee of Nevada. This bill was introduced in the Senate earlier this year, and we are excited that the companion bill has now been introduced in the House.
As a reminder, this bill would amend the Social Security Act to allow individuals who are applying for disability benefits to elect to receive a portion of their SSDI benefits during the waiting period in exchange for a moderate reduction in their monthly benefit amount. Instead of having to wait up to five months for payments to begin, SSDI beneficiaries could opt to receive a portion of their benefits right away.
We have updated our We Can't Wait Act Speak4 campaign to reflect the introduction of this bill. Now your messages will go to both your Senators and your House Rep. You can access the updated Speak4 campaign here:
https://speak4.app/lp/fn01vsao?ts=1788289686

CCB Members & friends! Join us for Friday Night Live!

Friday, September 11th, 7PM PT
Relax and connect with CCB friends on the second Friday of each month at 7PM PT.
Enjoy casual conversations, current events, share personal news, comedy, or your favorite music. Pop in, pop out.
All ages welcome! We look forward to seeing you there! For Zoom link and more info email:
Joe.green@ccbnet.org or call (916)393-0662

From the Technology Committee:

Have you ever wanted to know how to fill out online forms? Well, it’s true more forms are accessible, but we are still having trouble filling them out. The technology committee welcomes you on Tuesday September 8 at 7:30PM as we present “how to work with online forms. Please email joe.green@ccbnet.org for the Zoom link.

IDC (Inclusive Diversity of California)

IDC (Inclusive Diversity of California) Social and Games Committee welcomes everyone on September seventeen at six thirty pm for a night of games and camaraderie. We will be playing game such as trivia, hangman and name that tune. hope everyone can join us!!!
For the Zoom information
Email joe At Joe.green@ccbnet.org or Call Allie at )559)351-4797.

From Jeff Thom

I have recently become a member of the Statewide Council that makes recommendations concerning persons with access and functional needs, which includes people with disabilities, relating to Public Safety Power Shutoffs. These issues involve people who, due to medical or other reasons, face serious issues during these power outages. I am representing CCB on this council. Whether or not you are aware of this program, I am interested in your input on outreach, the programs to assist people impacted by these shutoffs and other relevant concerns. You can phone me at
916-995-3967 or email me at jsthom@comcast.net.

Courier submissions:

In order to submit an item, please provide the message either to the office or to Andrea DeKlotz directly at 714-921-0289 or
submit.courier@ccbnet.org by 5:00 pm on Wednesday before the Courier is recorded. Also, please make sure your message states in the subject line that it is for the Courier, or it may be missed.
In the interest of providing as much information to our members as possible, we ask that you limit submissions to 75 words or less.
Please note that any ads will run for no longer than three weeks, and CCB is not responsible for any transactions between persons resulting from these ads.

Thank you for reading.