People with disabilities love this program. Why are Latinos underrepresented?

And being in the program at all remains a rarity for Californians with disabilities: Only about 1% of eligible people are enrolled.

"It's not that people don't want it or aren't interested in it," said Vivian Haun, a senior policy attorney with Disability Rights California. "It's a testament to how poorly it's been implemented and how high the barriers to entry have been."

Disabled people and their families laud the program, but complain that getting in can be "time consuming, labor-intensive, and demanding," a report from the UCLA Tarjan Center, the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities and other groups found.

One family member told researchers they had reduced their work hours to handle the program but still struggled with it. Some also complained that regional center staff knew little about the program or discouraged them from pursuing it, with hurdles differing from center to center.

Amy Westling, executive director of the Assn. of Regional Center Agencies, said regional center staff are committed to the program, but are also tasked with following government rules — and that much of the bureaucracy that has bogged down the program is tied to requirements for federal funding.

The "ancient technology" at regional centers doesn't help, she said. Then there are state rules surrounding budgeting. "You end up with this very clunky process," Westling said, "that is intended to increase freedom."

In Pasadena, Allison Fuller said she had been trying to get her 6-year-old daughter into the program for seven months. It's "an exercise in your tolerance for frustration," said Fuller, who is Latina and works as a consultant.

Fuller has flexible hours because she owns her own business. She sits on a regional center committee and knows the system. Even with those advantages, she has wondered if she should give up.

How much more difficult is it, Fuller wondered aloud, "if you have a second job or your first language isn't English, or God forbid, if you don't know what you're entitled to?"

People participating in the program are required to undergo an orientation before starting. They must choose a "financial management services" provider that helps manage their budget and track expenditures. Some told The Times they had struggled to find a financial provider willing to take them.

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