Disabilities

Disabled Patients Sue Anaheim For Closing Dispensaries

A group of medical marijuana patients has filed a lawsuit against the city of Anaheim alleging that the city's cooperation with the federal government's crackdown on dispensaries violates state law. According to the lawsuit, the law in question, the California Disabled Person's Act, (CDPA), "prohibi ... More >>

Raul Barrientos Gets 30 Years for Raping Severely Disabled Woman at Fullerton College

Anaheim 23-year-old Raul Barrientos was convicted Monday of raping and sexually assaulting a woman with severe mental and physical disabilities in a Fullerton College men's restroom.After pleading guilty to two felony counts of forcible digital penetration and one felony count each of forcible rap ... More >>

Disneyland Slammed By Federal Judges For Dissing Disabled Visitor

Anaheim, oh dear, Anaheim. You've had to endure the insufferable Curt Pringle, Harry Sidhu and the Rams. Lately you've watched your city literally on fire as cops clash with outraged residents alarmed over continual evidence of police brutality and hoodlum antics. How bad are things now in Anah ... More >>

Will Segways be Newest Rides at Disneyland and California Adventure?

You'll see all kinds of folks at the Disney resorts in Anaheim: really fat people, others who wish they were as skinny as the really fat people, and grandmas (generally fat) faking disabilities so they, their wheelchairs and their families (generally fat) can cut to the front of long Disneyland and ... More >>

Letters From OC Weekly Readers

Raul Barrientos in Court for Allegedly Raping Disabled Woman in Fullerton College Restroom

​You can imagine Raul Barrientos telling a lady, "Look into my bedroom eyes, liebchen, and I will take you places you've never been before." But the Anaheim 22-year-old has a pre-trial hearing scheduled this morning tied to something more disgusting than that line: raping a young woman with sever ... More >>

Newport Beach Hotel Company Dishes Out $132k for Firing of Front Desk Clerk with Autism

​Comfort Suites and its parent company Tarsadia Hotels of Newport Beach have agreed to pay $132,500 to settle a discrimination lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on behalf of an autistic front desk clerk who was fired.The companies must also change its employment p ... More >>

[UPDATED with Sentencing:] Robert Bedolla Ambriz Convicted of Luring Boys With Potato Chips, Toys and Cigarettes, Then Molesting Them

​UPDATE, OCT. 31, 2011, 11:59 A.M.: Roberto Bedolla Ambriz was sentenced on Friday to 55 years to life in prison for sexually assaulting two boys, one who was mentally disabled. According to prosecutor Heather Brown, he molested the mentally disabled child at least five times. Ambriz told inv ... More >>

Starbucks Gets Sued by The Feds for Firing Worker with Dwarfism

Reuters reports that Starbucks has been slapped by a lawsuit from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for firing a barista-in-training with dwarfism in El Paso, Texas. The barista was terminated because she asked for a stool or a small stepladder to perform her job.The feds argue that this v ... More >>

Raul Barrientos Charged with Rape and Sex Assault of Severely Disabled Woman at Fullerton College

​A 22-year-old Anaheim man was charged today with raping and sexually assaulting a woman with severe mental and physical disabilities in a men's restroom at Fullerton College.Raul Barrientos could get up to 150 years in state prison if convicted of the laundry list of charges the Orange County Dis ... More >>

Artists Village Alliance of Santa Ana Formed to Combat City Hall Meddling in City's Downtown

​Are radical, questioning civic politics finally arriving to SanTana's Artists Village? And all over a valet service? Readers will recall that earlier this month, a pilot valet parking program introduced by City Hall at the request of Downtown SanTana's restaurant association raised the hackles of ... More >>

Shandie Marie Lacsamana Rosete Gets 7 Years for Stealing $100,000 From Developmentally Disabled Adults and Blind Woman, 93

​Shandie Marie Lacsamana Rosete, a former caretaker for developmentally disabled adults, was sentenced today to seven years in state prison for stealing more than $100,000 from her clients by writing checks from their accounts. The 34-year-old Placentia resident, who worked at the Orange County n ... More >>

Does it Offend You, Yeah? What do You Think of the Dance 'Wheelchair Shawty'?

​Remember "The Bernie"? It was ridiculous, sure, but at least it was poking fun at a dead person in a movie, and not any segment of the population in particular. "Wheelchair Shawty," another dance move from down south pioneered by D Money N Smoove, isn't exactly the same. Yes, it apes something th ... More >>

Shandie Marie Lacsamana Rosete Guilty of Stealing $100,000 From Developmentally Disabled Adults and Her Blind 93-Year-Old Aunt

​Shandie Marie Lacsamana Rosete turned up both in our vision of hell and our Christmas holiday round-up of folks convicted or accused of ripping off charities and the needy people they serve.Today, the 34-year-old Placentia resident pleaded guilty to four counts of stealing more than $100,000 from ... More >>

UPDATED: Wheelchair-Bound Fan Sues Angels and Anaheim for Discrimination

​Originally posted 2:45, June 15. Updated 4:59 p.m. with non-comment comments from the city and the Angels. See bottom of post. J. Paul Charlebois says that he wanted to watch a Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim game from the Anaheim stadium's club level, which is the swanky tier with box seats ... More >>

"Back on Track" Walk-a-Thon

Saddleback College

Hello, Special Place in Hell? I'd Like to Make a Reservation

FreeFoto.com Welcome. ​The Orange County District Attorney's office shot over the release after the jump about a former caretaker for developmentally disabled adults facing arraignment Thursday for allegedly stealing more than $100,000 from her clients by writing checks from their account ... More >>

Big Week for the ADA and the Disabled

Eddie Rea, 21, an emerging disability rights leader from Fresno, is the youth speaker at the Sacramento forum's luncheon.​It's a big week for the disabled in Sacramento--and, no, that was not a timely dig at the governor and legislature.Well, not this time.The 18th annual Youth Leadership Forum fo ... More >>

Art Exhibit's 3 R's Are "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle"

Photo by Austin Roman PhotographyGeorge V. Deneff Gallery in Long Beach "3R Concepts--Reduce, Reuse, Recycle," an exhibition of works produced by individuals with disabilities, opens Thursday at George V. Deneff Gallery in Long Beach.The exhibit was organized through Arts & Services for Dis ... More >>

Murderballesque Activities At Abilities Expo In Anaheim

Is it just me, or does this commercial make the Anaheim Abilites Expo look kind of cool?I mean, a dude in a wheelchair flips off a half pipe!The event starts today at 11:30 a.m. and runs through Sunday. It's intended for anyone in the "disabled community," including caregivers, vendors and people wi ... More >>

Surf City Marathon

Huntington Beach

Passare I Popcorn

Cinema Italiano: Le Chiavi de Casa

ACLU Sues Laguna Beach for Giving Homeless the Boot

The ACLU filed a federal civil rights lawsuit today against the city of Laguna Beach for its "unlawful and inhumane policy of harassing and intimidating disabled homeless people." The suit alleges that the city's prolonged arrests of its small, disabled homeless population under the guise of an anti ... More >>

Roll Player

Charles Monson works the system to help fellow quadriplegics get the high-tech wheelchairs they need

The New Crips

An ex-drug dealer and burglar leads a wheelchair posse terrorizing Southern California businesses. Would you believe he has the law on his side?

Courting Disaster

Patient: I Am Sam

Killtastic!

This Weeks Featured Game: Philadelphia Eagles (0-0) vs. Dallas Cowboys (0-0)

Congenital Asshole