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    Lawyer Spotlight: Ariana Aboulafia

    Ariana Aboulafia on Creating a Disability-Inclusive Workplace.

    Ariana Aboulafia on Creating a Disability-Inclusive Workplace.

    You lead the Disability Rights in Technology Policy Project at the Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT). According to CDT’s website, the project “focuses on the ways in which certain technologies—including automated employment decision systems used in hiring, as well as algorithmic tools used in benefits determinations, healthcare, and more—impact disabled people.” Can you tell us some benefits and disadvantages of automated employment decision systems and tools for the disability community? What, if anything, is being done to address these disadvantages? And can you describe the specific projects you’re currently working on or have recently completed?

    CDT’s disability rights project aims to center people with disabilities in the creation of technologies and tech policies, in furtherance of its overarching goal of advancing civil rights and liberties in the digital age. My work provides a disability rights and justice lens to much of the other work that CDT does, including on the intersection of disability, technology, and workers’ rights as well as voting rights. This year, I’ve been a coauthor on three major reports: one on the need for more inclusive data collection practices for the design of better algorithmic systems, one on misinformation from chatbots related to voting with a disability, and one on the impact of automated employment decision systems on disabled job-seekers. This last report found that disabled job applicants felt that the tools were often inaccessible and could lead to disabled applicants being “screened out” from potential jobs during the hiring process. I don’t think that much is currently being done to mitigate these concerns, but there are ways to reduce the discrimination and bias faced by disabled people in these contexts, and to improve equity for disabled workers, including making digital tools more accessible and implementing better human oversight.  

    You previously worked as a fellow for the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative, and, later, as an assistant public defender in Miami-Dade County for clients facing misdemeanor and felony criminal charges. You also served as an officer to the journalism program at the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. How has your previous experience prepared you for the position you’re in now?

    Thus far in my career, I’ve focused on building both subject matter expertise and transferable skills necessary to become a well-rounded and effective advocate. The Cyber Civil Rights Initiative (CCRI) is committed to combating online image-based sexual abuse. As a fellow, I was exposed to the ways that technology can be used as a lever of discrimination against marginalized populations – a lesson which has informed so much of the work that I do now. After graduating from law school, I became a public defender to help people with disabilities who are disproportionately incarcerated; the position was also an incredible opportunity to enhance my oral advocacy skills. At Knight Foundation, I enhanced my First Amendment knowledge – which remains relevant to my understanding of issues related to technology and tech policy – and learned about philanthropic funding.

    What does an officer serving a journalism program do?

    Generally, officers to particular programs in philanthropic foundations can have a variety of responsibilities, including managing existing grants and reviewing new grant proposals. At Knight Foundation, my portfolio focused on grants related to the maintenance of the free press, including those funding legal services for journalists. Our overall program focused on funding the sustainability of local journalism, which is vital for the preservation of an informed and engaged democracy.  

    You attended the University of Miami School of Law. Why did you decide to go to law school? What was your experience in law school as a disabled student like?

    I began engaging in disability advocacy as an undergraduate student. I thought that law school would allow me to pursue a career in disability activism. I think it is difficult to be a disabled person in any law school. I was lucky to find people on campus – friends and mentors, many of whom I met through the HOPE Public Interest Resource Center – who helped me find the community and solidarity that made the difficult times much easier. If I had the opportunity to do it all over again, I absolutely would.  

    How would you describe the state of the legal profession for people with disabilities?

    It is incredibly difficult for disabled people to become attorneys, but once we are barred, there is a significant privilege that attaches that is important to recognize. Notwithstanding that privilege a 2023 National Association of Law Placement (NALP) survey found that less than 1.4% of attorneys at law firms identified as having a disability. This speaks to a culture of exclusion.

    How can legal employers embrace disability, create a sense of belonging, and encourage workers to bring their full selves to the workplace?

    Employers must recognize that disabled workers add significant value to their workplaces. They bring not only their lived experience, but also their individual expertise to their jobs, in the legal field, and beyond. Employers can also allow employees who may need to work differently to do so, regardless of whether or not that need is due to a disability. The best way to foster an inclusive environment for disabled workers is to utilize principles of inclusive design. Building better workplaces for disabled people also allows other workers, particularly those who are marginalized, to enjoy better workplace conditions.