SPECTRUM INSTITUTE

Spectrum Institute is a nonprofit organization incorporated in California in 1987 & has devoted its attention to a variety of worthy civil rights & human rights issues. The Family Diversity Project (1987-1999) promoted family registries & the use of broad & inclusive definitions of "family" in public policies & private benefit programs. The American Association for Single People, also known as Unmarried America (1999-2006), promoted equal rights for unmarried individuals, couples, & families. The Emancipation Project (2004-2006) sought to end the abuse of teenagers who were being sent by their parents to private "boarding schools" & boot camps outside of the judicial process for "reformation" or "reprogramming." The Disability & Abuse Project (1997-2020) focused on the abuse of people with intellectual & developmental disabilities by promoting risk reduction, effective response, justice, & therapy for these vulnerable victims. The Disability & Guardianship Project (2015-present) promotes reforms in the conservatorship & guardianship systems. It focuses on the rights of seniors & people with disabilities in these cases, promoting access to justice & the use of less restrictive alternatives such as supported decision-making.