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    Commission on Disability Rights

    The Commission works to promote the ABA's commitment to justice and the rule of law for people with mental, physical, and sensory disabilities, and to promote their full and equal participation in the legal profession.

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    About Us

    Our Commissioners, Liaisons, and staff are dedicated attorneys and advocates, many of whom practice disability law or have disabilities themselves. Learn more about the Commission on Disability Rights and its history.

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    Support Us

    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.

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    Featured

    Save the Date: ABA Giving Day 2024

    Support the Commission on Disability Rights on October 24 – ABA Giving Day on Thursday, October 24th, is a day when supporters of the American Bar Association invest in its charitable programs that advance democracy, equity, and justice. This year, we hope that you’ll give to the Commission on Disability Rights, which advances the civil rights of all individuals with disabilities to secure their access, equity, inclusion, and participation in society. With your gift, the Commission can continue its critical work. Watch this space for more information coming soon.

    Implicit Bias Guide: Implicit Biases & People with Disabilities

    Want to learn about implicit biases about persons with disabilities? This newly updated resource provides a series of questions and scenarios that will allow you to examine your biases.

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    Recent News

    Aug. 13

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    Aug. 02

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    Resources

    Law School Disability Programs

    This first-of-its-kind online directory contains the best available information from ABA-accredited law schools concerning their disability-related programming, such as disability support services/offices, curricular and co-curricular options for disability law and disability rights, and relevant clinical programs.

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    State and Local Bars: Disability and DEI Groups Directory

    This Directory was created to help lawyers find information about committees, sections, etc. that focus on disabled attorneys, disability law, mental health law, and diversity in general or specific to women, LGBTQ+ people, and marginalized racial and ethnic groups.

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    Accessibility Resources

    No matter what you're working on, ensuring universal accessibility for people with disabilities is key. Our free resources and guides can help you understand how to approach accessibility, compliance with the ADA and other laws, and how to make sure no one is left out.

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    All Resources

    We offer many more resources for lawyers, law students, legal organizations, and other legal professionals and entities.

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    Policy

    Resolution 506

    Resolution 506 urges national, state, local, territorial and tribal law and policy-making bodies to adopt the provisions of the Guardianship Bill of Rights, promulgated by the National Guardianship Network in 2022 and protect the right to Due Process in guardianship proceedings.

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    Resolution 514

    Resolution 514 urges Congress to fund fully the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) at the maximum level that Congress originally authorized, which is 40 percent of a state’s excess costs for educating students with disabilities under the Act.

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    Resolution 604

    Resolution 604 adopts the ABA Nine Principles on Reducing Mass Incarceration, black letter and commentary; and urges federal, state, local, territorial, and tribal legislative, and other governmental bodies to adopt policies consistent with the ABA Nine Principles on Reducing Mass Incarceration.

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    All Policy

    Read more about resolutions passed by the ABA House of Delegates for which the CDR was a sponsor or cosponsor, or which directly address issues in disability law.

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    Events, Initiatives & Awards

    #BeCounted: Express Your Disability Pride

    The American Bar Association’s Commission on Disability Rights invites you to take part in the #BeCounted campaign, which encourages lawyers with disabilities across the country to add themselves to our U.S. map to express their disability pride.

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    Pledge for Change

    In furthering its commitment to diversity in the legal profession, the ABA Commission is promoting A Pledge for Change, a one-page pledge for legal employers to sign that affirms the signatory’s commitment to diversity, specifically disability diversity.

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    Mentorship Program for Law Students and Recent Graduates with Disabilities

    This Program provides mentees the opportunity to gain insight into the legal profession and professional guidance from an experienced attorney who works in a particular practice area, practice setting, or geographical region, and/or who shares similar personal experiences with the mentee, such as having a disability.

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    All Events, Initiatives & Awards

    Learn about our various initiatives and programs, including our Pledge for Change: Disability Diversity in the Legal Profession, a mentorship program for lawyers and law students with disabilities, awards for lawyers and legal employers, and more.

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    Webinars, CLEs & Publications

    Digital Accessibility Law and Procurement [CC]

    September 26 | This CLE webinar targets three groups of legal professionals. Litigation attorneys will benefit from understanding this area of law as it is a common source of ADA lawsuits. Procurement attorneys will also need to understand how their decisions will impact their clients when they buy or sell technology. Lastly, technology attorneys need to be aware of accessibility alongside parallel compliance areas like privacy and security.

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    Empowering Every Voter: Voter Education Webinar Series

    Watch this eight-part video webinar series brought to you by the ABA Standing Committee on Election Law and the ABA Commission on Law and Aging (and co-sponsored by the ABA Commission on Disability Rights), designed to educate voters about the nuances and challenges of navigating the voting process.

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    All Webinars, CLEs & Publications

    View our free webinars, Continuing Legal Education programs (CLEs), and publications. All ABA CLEs are closed captioned.

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    CDR Leadership

    Explore ABA Diversity Groups

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