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Did you know that the California Community Colleges serve over 125,000 students who have reported a disability?
As we wrap up Disability Pride Month this July, we reflect on a month-long observance commemorating the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26, 1990. Disability Pride Month is a time to uplift the disability community, celebrate disability culture, and recommit to the ongoing work of dismantling barriers to full inclusion and equal rights, this month and throughout the year.
That commitment has deep roots in the California Community Colleges (CCC) system. In 1976, Assembly Bill 77 (Lanterman) established Disabled Student Programs and Services (DSPS), funding support services and instructional programs for students with disabilities at every CCC campus. Fifty years later, DSPS still does that work: helping colleges provide the accommodations and services students need to succeed, in line with federal and state civil rights protections for people with disabilities.
Today, DSPS supports nearly 6% of CCC students systemwide. The colleges receive dedicated categorical funding under Education Code Section 84850; a direct investment to ensure every campus has the resources to help students with disabilities reach their educational goals.
To learn more, read the 2026 DSPS Legislative Report from the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office for a systemwide perspective. Then, explore our research, which takes a deeper look at what these numbers mean for students. Here are a few reports worth exploring:
- RealCollege CA: Basic Needs Among California Community College Students in 2025
- AB 705 Supporting Students With Disabilities In Transfer Level English Math
- Preparatory Pathways and STEM Calculus Completion For Special Populations - Implications of the AB 1705 Standards
- Enrollment and Success in Transfer-Level English & Math for Special Population