2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Commission on Disability Rights, so it's time to celebrate! Watch videos from some of our partners, read recollections from some of our former chairs, and more to come soon!
Take the Challenge today! Learn to become more aware and engaged in the quest for disability equity, as well as about barriers, biases, stereotypes, and discrimination disabled people encounter in everyday life.
We offer many resources for lawyers, law students, legal organizations, and other legal professionals and entities, including toolkits, potential opportunities for law students with disabilities, and much more. Click the link below to go to our resources page!
Learn about our various initiatives and programs, including events for National Disability Employment Awareness Month, our mentor program, the Paul G. Hearne Award, and much more.
See all the Continuing Legal Education programs we have coming up, as well as those we offer on-demand, and learn more about our invaluable books and other publications. All ABA CLEs are now accessible for individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing.
Our Commissioners, Liaisons, and staff are dedicated attorneys and advocates, many of whom practice disability law or have disabilities themselves. Click the button below to learn more about the Commission on Disability Rights and its history.
Read "Developing Disability Cultural Compentency In Your Practice" by CDR Staff Director Amy Allbright. (Link goes to PDF)
A list of some of recent webinars on a wide variety of disability-related topics, sponsored or co-sponsored by the Commission on Disability Rights.
First Phase Findings From a National Study of Lawyers With Disabilities and Lawyers Who Identify as LGBTQ+
Judges and lawyers share their individual experiences living with disabilities in the legal profession, both positive and negative. With a particular focus on courts and the judiciary, the panel discusses how the profession can be more welcoming, accessible, and inclusive for disabled individuals (co-sponsored with the Judicial Division, Civil Rights and Social Justice Section, and Litigation Section)
In 2015, the ABA House of Delegates passed a resolution urging state bars to remove questions asking about mental health as part of their Character and Fitness checks. Since then, 17 states have done so, and law students are still seeing the benefits. Click below to read more, and see a video describing the resolution's impact! (CW: discussion of suicidal ideation in the video)
Click here to - learn more
The Commission on Disability Rights has partnered with several leading corporations to establish internships for disabled law students. Click to read more, and hopefully take advantage of these unique opportunities to grow and advance your legal career. The deadlines for 2023 have passed, but watch this space for next year's internships!
Learn about the work the Commission on Disability Rights is doing to ensure that schools create a safe environment for students, including those with disabilities, and reduce the use of seclusion and restraints. Review our policies, letters to the government, webinars, and more.
Click here - For more information
With the COVID-19 pandemic affecting all of us in many ways, the ABA and its Commission on Disability Rights are working hard to help lawyers with disabilities adapt to the "new normal." Visit our resources page to see our programs, articles, a Zoom accessibility guide, and more!
Why should employers prioritize hiring lawyers with disabilities? In honor of the 30th anniversary of the ADA and the 75th observance of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, the ABA and LSAC spoke with a diverse group of legal professionals to demonstrate why disability inclusion is so vital.
Evaluating demographics of members is critical to the ABA’s goal to promote full and equal participation in the association, our profession, and the justice system by all persons, and to eliminate bias in the legal profession and the justice system.
Your support of the Commission on Disability Rights is greatly appreciated and will help us continue our work to promote the ABA's commitment to justice and the rule of law for persons with mental, physical, and sensory disabilities and their full and equal participation in the legal profession.
The official e-mail list of the ABA Commission on Disability Rights, providing information and discussion on disability law and disability rights.
American University Washington College of Law
Washington, DC
Staff Director
Program Specialist
