Learn

A rule bar that is made up of 4 colors as an accent to the page design.
Watch how to sign ‘learn’ in American Sign Language

Learn from DMC written in white lettering on blue background with outline image of a person at a chalk board. Blue DMC logo in upper-right hand corner with dark blue border around entire graphic.

Learning is a part of life.  At DMC, we understand that life can change and anyone at any time can become a member of our disability and older adult community. 

Whether you are new to our community due to an acquired disability from illness, injury, disease, or Long COVID, a lifelong member navigating your unique journey, or an older adult experiencing disabilities as part of the aging process – joining our community is an ongoing opportunity for growth, connection, and learning!

If you are a community partner, corporate business, government agency, educational institution, or healthcare facility seeking to deepen your understanding amidst the growth and diversity of our expanding disability community, DMC is here to support you! We provide comprehensive education, practical tools, and essential resources on disability rights, accessibility, etiquette, support services, and more—empowering you to foster inclusivity and equity in all you do!

We’re here to help share our knowledge in two capacities – Learn for Free or Learn for a Fee.  Learn about both by reading below.

Kevin and Ana at Resource Fair table top interacting with consumers and educating on DMC services.

As Orange County’s only Independent Living Center, our impact has extended far beyond county lines. Over the years, our dedicated team has traveled to meet the growing needs of our consumers, providing vital support not only within Orange County but also in Los Angeles, the Inland Empire, and beyond! This commitment reflects our dedication to empowering individuals wherever our expertise is needed.

We have been proud to provide resources, tools, and education to thousands of people who know us, and lately, many newcomers who have joined our community through newly acquired disabilities and those acquired through aging.

We’re here to help you create a deeper connection and awareness to what we do and who we are and would love to help you expand your own education to improve our communication and relations with our community.

Pictured ILS Instructor Anita Oseguera Becerra and PAS Recruitment Specialist Kevin Dinh at 2025 Resource Fair

Events

Did you know DMC has many free events you can join as we share information and support to our community?

Our events are designed to inform, educate and bring you to a place where you belong. Here you can learn about your own community, connect with others, learn something new and also feel a sense of camaraderie and important support connection to a shared disability to know you are not alone.

Join us for these regularly scheduled events designed with you in mind.

Check out our FREE EVENTS: http://daylemc.org/events/

Pictured: Standing in front of beige wall at DMC, Information and Referral’s Bianca (left) and Front Office Volunteer Johan (right) both doing ASL sign for “Help” with thumbs up sitting in palm of hand.

DMC is unique in that our front office reception area is more than what it appears. We are the ultimate resource hub for all those who call us directly at (714)621-3300 and we have been a source for walk-ins as well. Our website Information and Referral link above also is a one-stop place to learn about some of the other resources which can be helpful in navigating specific needs as a person with disabilities or as an older adult.  We provide more than just support, our information and referral is about connection to opportunities where one can learn more to navigate one’s life toward access and independence.  This is a free service and we’re proud to offer it to our community.

V-O-L-U-N-T-E-E-R finger-spelled in ASL with rainbow of colors behind the BIPOC hands at top of image. Collage of Volunteer photos featuring Volunteer being shown how to work in DMC’s mailroom with Volunteer Coordinator Raquel, Volunteer working at reception signing in ASL with front office team member Bianca; Volunteer working at Deaf Nation Expo with Deaf Services Advocate, Jet and Volunteer with DMC Youth Connect Services Team Members Nelly and Alan during outing

DMC is welcoming new volunteers! Did you know if you volunteer at DMC not only will you make a huge impact in our community, but you’ll also learn things you’ve never learned before? As A DMC volunteer you can learn new skills, gain insight to many of our programs and services, learn about accessibility and tools for independence, work with our community of people with disabilities and older adults, and even make friends.

You can Learn For Free by checking out our open Volunteer Opportunities

DMC Volunteer Program Download Flyer CLICK here bar featuring animated people with different disabilities on blue background image has yellow border.

 

Image Description: DMC Youth Connect Team Alan and Nelly smiling wearing DMC staff shirts sitting at table going over program plans

Youth Services

DMC’s Youth Program offers two opportunities to learn for free. 

The Independent Living 101 Workshop Series, the program provides outreach at different school sites to provide education and recruit interested youth participants for the program.

The Let’s Talk Disability presentation is for youth without disabilities, the goal is to create a more inclusive atmosphere which provides opportunities for high school students with disabilities to thrive both socially and academically.

Learn about both free programs by clicking on the flyers below:

Let’s Talk Disability written in black text on yellow click-to-flyer button with silver border

Let’s Talk Disability written in black text on yellow click-to-flyer button with silver border

Learn for a fee written in steel with blue outlines on white background with light blue border

Fee-for-Service (FFS) PROGRAMS

Our Fee for Service Programs (FFS) are not new to DMC, However, our offerings keep expanding into different program service areas.

As Orange County’s only Independent Living Center since 1977, we have served thousands of people since our doors opened.

Some of our earliest Fee for Service programs initially started as small workshop classrooms long before the digital age. They included community education days, as well as open discussions to share our lived experiences as people with disabilities, older adults and Veterans.  In the beginning, we started expanding our reach as word got out that we could even educate our fellow non-profits who were experiencing surges of people from our community requesting greater knowledge about both visible and invisible disabilities. 

We are pleased to be able to provide these programs to grow awareness, education and involvement to provide access, open dialogue and create a better future for generations to come as we create impact with our services.

Download our General Fee for Service Flyer:

General Fee For Service FFS Flyer written in black text on lime green click through button to flyer with silver border

Pictured DMC’s Paul Brennan Lead IL Advocate and BreeAnna Adner, Systems Change Advocate at 2025 CSUN Conference.

Advocacy Training Fee for Service Program

This training emphasizes advocacy for people with disabilities and older adults to create an understanding about both visible and invisible disabilities and what that means navigating day-to-day living, employment, reasonable accommodations, and disability rights education.  Whether you are needing training on one or more segments of our community – we at DMC are able to help!

Here are the various segments of our community you may need training for:

  • Meeting the needs and demands of the community for those who were born with a disability
  • Understanding the changes and transitions of working with individuals who have acquired a disability through accident, illness, disease or through aging.
  • Navigating disclosed or undisclosed invisible disabilities, including the impacts of Long COVID
  • Learning about Advocacy from the place of Diversity, Equity, Equality, Inclusion and Belonging – the DMC Way – and how that looks different from the traditional understanding of what DEI means in our changing world.

To inquire about Advocacy Training and related fees, please complete this form:

DMC Training and Consulting Inquiry Form

Lizette, Assistive Technology Coordinator (right), and Michelle, Director of Care Services (left), demonstrating how to use AT Speakers.

Assistive Technology (AT) FFS Program:

DMC is happy to be working directly with Department of Rehabilitation with our AT Fee for Service Programs for the Orange and San Gabriel regions for Assistive Technology Assessments and Training. To learn more call us at (714)621-3300 or email atprogram@daylemc.org

AT Fee for Service Flyer in black text on red click button with silver border.

Consumer Testimonial

“My experience at the Dayle McIntosh Center has been amazing! When I started at the Dayle McIntosh Center, I felt comfortable and relaxed, and I was actually paying attention. I really began to enjoy attending computer classes for the first time since losing my vision.

Alan and Liz, who have been helping me, are incredibly supportive. Alan reassured me that if I make a mistake, he’s there to fix it and guide me. That gave me so much relief and confidence. I used to be scared to touch anything on the computer, but now, with Alan’s help, I feel comfortable exploring and using it.

Alan is patient and never pushes me. He encourages me to move forward at my own pace. I love how he even emails directions and summaries of what I’ve learned—it’s so helpful! The program is fantastic, and the staff is top-notch. Out of all the places I’ve been for help, this has been the best experience by far.

Thanks to Alan and Liz, I no longer feel intimidated by computers. Instead, I feel empowered and supported. You guys are doing incredible work—thank you!” – Rene V.

Four masked disabled people of color sit at a table outdoors, immersed in arts and crafts. Two people are working on a puzzle, one wearing arthritis gloves and the other with noise-canceling headphones. One person is shaping modeling clay, and one person is filling in a coloring book while wearing wrist support wraps. Two stim fidgets rest on the table, and a portable air purifier can be seen in the foreground to the right.

This photo was taken by Gritchelle Fallesgon. Credit affiliated with https://AffectTheVerb.com/disabledandhere

Disability-Friendly Community Initiative (DFCI)

Trainings Offered to the Community

One of the things we’re most proud of is our disability related trainings, such as our Disability Acceptance and Etiquette training which further educates about inclusion and equity. As one of the rare peer-based organizations led by and for people with disabilities and older adults, we bring more than just lived experience to our training—we bring culture, identity, and the diverse perspectives of both visible and invisible disabilities to provide many lenses to share with our community.

The Disability Friendly Community Initiative (DFCI) aims to make Orange County more inclusive and accessible by providing Disability centric training for service providers and offering presentations to their program recipients to further support independence and self-sufficiency.

The program includes Staff and Volunteer Training opportunities and an Independence at Home Series. Additionally, DFCI provides Accessible and Inclusive Services Training to focus on.

DFCI flyer in black text on orange click button with silver border.

https://daylemc.org/disability-friendly-community-initiative-dfci/

Collage of younger and older BIPOC adults with different disabilities.

Disability Acceptance and Etiquette Training

This training will provide participants with essential knowledge on definitions of disability, accessibility, appropriate interaction practices, and recognizing ableism. This comprehensive training equips staff to serve people with disabilities more effectively, ensuring respectful, inclusive, and empathetic service delivery. Each session is two hours long, with a break halfway through.

TESTIMONIAL:

“The Disability Etiquette and Acceptance workshop offered by DMC is a must-take for anyone who is involved in education and community service. It gave a clear definition of disability and accessibility, and presented different ways that someone can become an ally of the disability community. This was a fantastic training that enhanced our knowledge and dedication to accessibility and inclusivity for all.”

– Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties, Community Education and Outreach

Deaf Sensitivity Training
Pictured Left to right BIPOC hands doing ASL Service signed over a blue background; Learn signed with hands over a hot pink background, Support, signed with hands over a dark green background; Success signed with hands over a yellow background. Four areas divided with black lines and border.

This training is presented by our Deaf Team members and covers best practices for working with d/Deaf individuals including Deaf Culture, using an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter, audism, the role of a service provider, and basic ASL signs for effective communication. This session will enhance DOR’s support to the Deaf Community, including individuals who born Deaf or experiencing newly acquired hearing loss by equipping staff with effective communication and an understanding of cultural competent communications. Each session is 2 ½ hours long, with a break halfway through.

The Person-Centered Approach Training

 

Deaf Services Pamela and Jet at Deaf Awareness Riverside event talking at booth.

This training emphasizes understanding disability history and the significance of adopting a person-centered approach in service delivery through a focus on cultivating a deep appreciation for individual experiences and needs. By prioritizing this approach, staff are better equipped to provide personalized, empathetic care that respects and responds to the unique circumstances and preferences of people with disabilities, ensuring an environment of trust, inclusivity, and effective support. Each session is 1 ½ hours long, with the option for a break.

Training Customization Options

DMC has experience in creating training programs tailored to the specific needs of community partners. Should a community partner wish to customize or modify the general training content listed above to better serve their client base and staff, DMC can provide a detailed quote before the work begins. The total number of hours will depend on the extent of the requested customization.

To inquire about any of the above training opportunities and related fees, please complete this form: DMC Training and Consulting Inquiry Form

Pictured Younger adult showing compassion and care to community member older adult seated outside.

Consulting Offered to the Community

Through our customized in person and virtual consulting services, DMC collaborates with community-based organizations and for-profit companies to elevate their business practices, focusing on advancing accessibility and fostering equity and inclusion for individuals with disabilities and older adults. Our tailored consulting services are designed to help organizations enhance their client, employee, and public-facing processes, ensuring they deliver personalized, impactful, and inclusive experiences.

DMC’s Community Living Advocate Esme greeting community member at DMC’s door.

To inquire about consulting services and related fees, please complete this form:

DMC Training and Consulting Inquiry Form

Pictured DMC’s Youth Transition Services Team from DMC Youth Connect – Alan on the left in a blue plaid shirt and Nelly on the right wearing a yellow blouse. Both are smiling outside in front of a set of double green doors.

Youth FFS Program

DMC is working directly with Department of Rehabilitation to offer Pre-ETS (Employment Transition Services) for the Orange and San Gabriel regions. Our Self-Advocacy trainings will help youth with disabilities to learn about self-advocacy, communications, accommodations, and their rights and responsibilities to prepare for competitive integrated employment.

If you or anyone you know is interested in Pre-ETS, you may reach out to Alan Cruz, Youth Community Liaison, at acruz@daylemc.org

 

 


An image button that links to the Covid InformationAn image button that links to the Services page.An image button that links to the Event Calendar page.An image button that links to an email newsletter sign up form.An image button that links to the Contact page.

An image that is long like a banner that has several photographs of people doing activities.