A World Class City for Residents and Visitors with Disabilities

The Bay Area is known as the birthplace of the U.S. disability rights movement and a number of prominent national disability advocacy organizations are located in Oakland, such as the Center for Independent Living, Protection and Advocacy, and World Institute on Disability. In keeping with this legacy, the City of Oakland is a leader in Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) implementation and many of our ADA programs are emulated by other cities.

Our up-front investment in programmatic and physical access improvement programs is helping to make Oakland a world-class city for residents and visitors with disabilities. The City's ADA activities include capital improvements (buildings and facilities upgrades, curb ramps, and audible pedestrian traffic signals), auxiliary aids and services programs, equal employment opportunity programs, inclusive recreation services, residential access improvement grants, and various support programs for seniors and people with disabilities, such as OPED, Oakland Paratransit for the Elderly and Disabled, Oakland Public Library Extended Services, and the Access Improvement Program (provides grants for residential access improvements).

The ADA Programs Division's primary mission is implementing and monitoring City of Oakland compliance with the ADA. We conduct a number of activities to serve the disability community and support city staff including: physical access improvement programs, city capital project review, information and referral, complaint investigation and mediation, disability policy and program development, auxiliary aids and services programs, technical assistance and training, and various community partnerships.

In addition, the ADA Programs Division staffs the Mayor's Commission on Persons with Disabilities (MCPD). The MCPD was established by city ordinance in 1980 to represent and address the issues of people with disabilities. It is a 15-member commission with at least 51% membership of people with disabilities. Since 1990, the MCPD has acted as the City's designated advisory body for ADA compliance. The Commission has three active committees: Housing; Education, Employment and Outreach; and Transportation and Mobility. These Committees participate in nearly every aspect of City government and advocate for full inclusion of people with disabilities in city programs and services.

For more information on city and community resources, visit the resource guides on this website:

• A resource list of City of Oakland Programs and Services
• A resource list of local, state, and federal resources

ADA Programs Division Contact Information

Christine Calabrese, City ADA Coordinator
City Administrator's Office
One Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, 3rd Floor
Oakland, California 94612
Voice: (510) 238-5219
TTY: (510) 238-2007
Fax: (510) 238-3304
E-Mail: ccalabrese@oaklandnet.com

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