Partners and Affiliates
Partners
La Familia - Bay Area Spanish Language Outreach Partner
La Familia is a community outreach nonprofit based in the greater Bay Area, CA and a proud partner of the Pacific ADA Center for Spanish-language outreach. As a community partner, La Familia provides locally based services to underserved multicultural communities including technical assistance, information dissemination, and training activities focused on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other disability rights laws.
Norma Gonzalez is the Supervisor for La Familia's Aprende, Promueve y Actúa program.
Norma Gonzalez was born in Mexico and emigrated to the United States 19 years ago. In 2018, she began working at the La Familia agency in the Developmental Disabilities Department, where she currently supervises the Aprende, Promueve y Actúa program(APA). Initially, Norma started as a Parent Leader Coordinator, overseeing six support groups.
The program APA, formerly known as the Disparity Funds Program, is funded by the Department of Developmental Services (DDS) through the SAE Grant. Its mission is to support Latino families who have a child or relative with intellectual or developmental disabilities, helping them access necessary services from the Regional Center or other generic resources.
Since the end of 2022, Norma has been supervising this program, providing her the opportunity to help families access the best services available for their children. As a Latina immigrant, Norma brings a unique perspective to her role, allowing her to deeply understand the cultural needs of the families she serves. Through her work, she continues to support Latino families in navigating and accessing essential resources.
Norma Gonzalez
Supervisor – Aprende, Promueve y Actúa
La Familia
Edda Bañuelos is the Developmental Disabilities Director at La Familia.
Edda received her BA in Business Administration and MA in Family Science at Universidad de Guadalajara in Mexico. As an immigrant, she understands the need of the Latino community and the struggles they face due to language barriers and the lack of resources available to this population. In 2001, Edda began working with La Familia as a Case Manager in the department that she now leads. At present, she supervises nine Case Managers who provide supportive services to more than six hundred Alameda and Contra Costa County residents with developmental challenges.
Edda represents La Familia by taking leadership roles in the organization and participating in various community outreach events, such as Congreso Familiar and participates as a spokesperson in Spanish-speaking workshops for parent support groups providing general information regarding available services for the population her department serves. Her primary goal is to continue to provide outstanding services to the Latino community and improve their access to resources in order to achieve equality in social services.
Edda Bañuelos
Developmental Disabilities Director
La Familia
Friendly Accessibility – Silicon Valley Business Outreach Partner
Friendly Accessibility is a California social enterprise and certified diverse supplier specializing in innovative digital accessibility training and sensory-friendly environments training. As a proud partner for Pacific ADA Center, Friendly Accessibility extends the Center's reach into the Silicon Valley business community, helping organizations reach over 70 million Americans with disabilities through more accessible content, services, and spaces.
Julie Steele is the founder of Friendly Accessibility, and Silicon Valley Outreach Partner for the Pacific ADA Center.
As Digital Accessibility Ambassador for the Sunnyvale Chamber of Commerce, Julie brings both professional expertise and personal advocacy to help organizations prepare for upcoming ADA compliance deadlines. As the mother of two young adults with disabilities living in Silicon Valley, she brings deep personal understanding to her mission of making digital content accessible for all community members.
Julie transforms complex ADA digital accessibility requirements into practical, actionable skills through a unique "Learn in Minutes Library" — an engaging learning format that delivers bite-sized, beginner-friendly understanding for busy professionals. Her time-saving training requires no technical background and provides immediate impact while building lasting digital accessibility awareness throughout organizations.
Julie is expanding beyond digital spaces to curate sensory-friendly physical spaces that welcome neurodiversity. Many environments create barriers for neurodivergent people and those with sensory sensitivities — leading to sensory overload in settings like workplaces, travel, hospitality, social events, universities, and conferences. Friendly Accessibility's new Neuro-Ready Spaces system makes sensory-friendly spaces easy.
Julie Steele
Founder
Friendly Accessibility
Affiliates
Ability 360
Arizona Center for Disability Law
Phoenix, AZ 85034
Communities Actively Living Independent & Free
Los Angeles, CA 90014
Community Resources for Independent Living
Hayward, CA 94541
Disability Community Resource Center
12901 Venice Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90066
Independent Living Center of Kern County
Telephone: (661) 325 – 1063
Video Phone: (661) 369 – 8966
Bakersfield, CA 93309
Independent Living Center of Southern California
14354 Haynes Street, Van Nuys, CA 91401
Independent Living Resource Center, Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA 93101-3619
New Horizons Disability Empowerment Center
Prescott Valley, AZ 86314
Placer Independent Resource Services
Auburn, CA 95603
Rural Center for Independent Living
Carson City, NV 89702