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By Greg deGiere, Civil Rights Advocate, The Arc of California
We are very excited to announce that AB 1906, a bill sponsored by The Arc & United Cerebral Palsy California Collaboration, has been signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom. Passage of this bill is the first major step on a long road to eliminating the terms “dependent adult” and “dependent person,” which are considered misleading and confusing terms for adults with disabilities.
Many people feel using the word “dependent” to refer to all adults with disabilities is insulting and even disrespectful, as many adults live independently. AB 1906, authored by Assemblymember Mike Gipson, will also minimize confusion and increase safety. The terms “dependent persons” and “dependent adults” too often lead police, social workers, and even people with disabilities themselves to think they aren’t covered by the state’s legal protections because they live independently.
“I stand in support of some of our most vulnerable communities to eliminate misleading and offensive terms from statute. We must continue to advocate for these communities and work together until language in statute is inclusive and no longer offensive,” said Gipson during a hearing in support of AB 1906. The bill passed the Legislature with unanimous support last month.
The bill begins a process leading to replacing the old terms with new ones to be selected after hearing from the disability community. It directs the Law Revision Commission, in cooperation with a working group including disability community representatives, to settle on the new terms, develop detailed amendments to the law codes, and recommend them to the Legislature. The commission and working group may take up to two years or more to begin the study due to workload backup and state budget limitations.