The Equality Committee on Disability Rights presents
Disability Rights Strategies for Unhoused Residents
Using the Americans with Disabilities Act and Related Laws to Ensure that Responses to Homelessness Respect the Rights, Needs, and Dignity of Unhoused Residents with Disabilities
| Date |
Wednesday, June 17, 2026 |
| MCLE Registration |
1:30 - 2:00 p.m. |
| Virtual Program |
2:00 – 3:15 p.m. |
| MCLE |
1 Hour of Recognition and Elimination of Bias |
Across the United States, the criminalization of homelessness has intensified. Cities are expanding anti-camping ordinances, conducting large-scale
encampment removals, and increasing police involvement in public space management. These practices fall hardest on people with disabilities, who are dramatically overrepresented among unhoused adults nationwide and who face heightened risks when enforcement escalates.
Yet disability is rarely centered in policy responses to homelessness—even though disability civil rights laws offer some of the strongest protections available to unhoused residents. Strict relocation deadlines, inaccessible shelter systems, the seizure of medically necessary equipment, and the failure to offer reasonable modifications can violate the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Fair Housing Act and related state laws. Recent case law confirms that, even after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Grants Pass v. Johnson narrowed some constitutional arguments, disability rights claims remain a powerful avenue for challenging harmful enforcement practices and securing meaningful accommodations.
This webinar will explain why disability and homelessness are deeply interconnected, how criminalization compounds disability-based inequities, and how the ADA and related anti-discrimination laws can be used to protect unhoused people and ensure that responses to homelessness respect the rights, needs, and dignity of disabled residents.
Speaker
Topics
- How disability and homelessness are connected
- How criminalization of housing status compounds disability-based inequities
- How the ADA and other disability rights laws can be used to protect the rights, needs, and dignity of unhoused disabled people
- Summary of recent, relevant case law
- Practical strategies for lawyers
Committee Chair
Ben Bien-Kahn, Rosen Bien Galvan & Grunfeld
Interested in sponsorship opportunities? Email events@sfbar.org
For a printable sponsorship form, click here.
Event Code: G261613
For a printable flyer, click here.
For related events, click here.
Cost
| FREE |
BASF Law Student |
| $50 |
Section Member |
| $60 |
BASF Member |
| $75 |
All Others |
| |
All prices increase $10 on the day of the program |
| |
Join or Renew Today and Save! |
To Register
- Sign in to your account, then select Register Myself at the bottom of the page.
- Don't know your account information? Click Forgot username? or Forgot password? at the top right-hand corner.
- Don't have an account? Select Create Account at the top right-hand corner.
- Simply want to register for an event? Select Register for an Event at the top right-hand corner.
- Select Proceed to Checkout to enter payment information, then Submit Order to complete the registration process.
Program Access
A link to access the Zoom webinar will be sent in your confirmation e-mail prior to the start of the event. If you do not receive login credentials, please double check your Spam Folder. If you have any trouble, please contact cle@sfbar.org as soon as possible before the program starts so we can assist with troubleshooting. You may need to consult your local IT technician for connection issues.
Program recordings are not guaranteed and/or included with this registration, nor immediately accessible to registrants. Approved recordings of live programs are converted to On-Demand CLE Courses and available for separate purchase through a third-party library 30 business days after the live recording. Thank you for your support.
Substitution, Cancellation, and Refund Requests
For CLE events of 1.5 hours or less, Lunch & Learn programs, Happy Hours, Receptions, and Mixers, a refund is available if you submit your cancellation request at least 48 hours prior to the event. A $10 handling fee will be deducted from your refund. Please complete the Event Cancellation Form.
If you are unable to attend, you may send a substitute. Please complete the Event Cancellation Form.
MCLE Notice
To receive MCLE credit, you must sign in during the designated MCLE registration period. This activity is approved for Minimum Continuing Legal Education credit by the State Bar of California. BASF is a certified provider: Provider #103
Accessibility
People with disabilities and/or special requests should contact BASF regarding reasonable accommodations.