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    Lawyer Spotlight: Victoria M. Rodríguez-Roldán

    Victoria M. Rodríguez-Roldán is the Coordinator of State Autism Strategy for the Maryland Department of Disabilities

    Victoria M. Rodríguez-Roldán is the Coordinator of State Autism Strategy for the Maryland Department of Disabilities

    We first interviewed you for the CDR Lawyer Spotlight back in 2019, when you were the Senior Policy Counsel, Trans/GNC Justice and Disability Justice Projects Director at the National LGBTQ Task Force. Since then, you’ve worked as the Senior Policy Manager for AIDS United, the Director of Public Policy at Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network and now you’re the Coordinator of State Autism Strategy for the Maryland Department of Disabilities. How have you changed over the years?

    The cliché answer is to say I’ve matured, but I feel like the question requires more detail than that. Since then, my goal remains the same as when I was selected a Harry S. Truman Scholar at 22 years old: be an agent of change. But the question becomes, how do we do that? What are the tools necessary to effect positive change in the world? While I’ve effected change in many ways, including in both government and various non-profit positions, I’d say one key lesson I have learned is to pace myself as much as possible. In 2019, I was still engaging in the “burn the candle at both ends” habit. Now, five years later, I feel the need to reflect on how to remain effective as I age.

    Also, somehow, I’ve acquired more disabilities lately.

    Tell me about your work on autism strategy at the Maryland Department of Disabilities. What does your day-to-day work life look like? What projects are you working on?

    The Maryland statute that created the role to which I was appointed by Governor Moore mandates the creation of a strategic plan on autism-related needs. In essence, I lead the planning of what is going to be Maryland’s comprehensive policy when it comes to autism throughout the state government. We’re still in the process of working with the advisory stakeholder group to develop that plan (that I hope will come out soon). After that comes the hardest part: coordinating the efforts of the state government to implement the plan’s recommendations. I hope to lead that process throughout at least the duration of the Moore-Miller administration, whose support and commitment to autism policy I appreciate. 

    Beyond that, I sit as a member of the Maryland Commission on Disabilities, providing guidance as needed to the various agencies, members of the General Assembly, and the Governor and Lt. Governor, among other stakeholders, about autism policies and needs. 

    You’re an autistic, transgender Latina woman. What is something you wish more people knew about regarding disabled people who belong to multiple communities as you do?

    Since the days of Ed Roberts in Berkeley, a critical goal of the disability rights movement is ensuring that disabled people are integral members of society. With the disability justice movement came the acknowledgement that disability will, by definition, be just as diverse as the entirety of society. The same way that there are autistic people, there are LGBTQ+ autistic people, trans autistic people, Black and Latinx autistic people. I can keep going. Issues like racism, homophobia, transphobia and so forth are integral issues to ableism towards autistic people. In fact, autistic people are more likely to identify as LGBTQ+.

    Another crucial aspect is the need to ensure that people with all types of disabilities have a seat at the table as part of the “nothing about us without us.” The values of self-directed independent living, as equal members of society, apply to all disabilities, including autism. Those values are a constant guiding star of my work.

    You wrote in your 2021 review of Disability Visibility edited by Alice Wong that her vision is informed by disability justice rather than disability rights. You add that the disability justice movement’s “goal is not legal but liberatory.” For our readers who may be wondering about the distinction, can you talk about the ableist injustices that current laws fail to address? And what does liberation look like?

    The law is a fundamental integral part of disability liberation, but there are limits to what people like me can do in the governmental and legal system. Ultimately, it is up to advocates to effect social change. When I worked in pro-LGBTQ+ and disability rights lobbying on the Hill, getting the policy passed is the easy part while getting it to have the impact in society that it needs to have is the hard part. That’s part of why I’m so excited about my role. The mandate is to coordinate the implementation of the plan, not just to draft it and then risk it sitting on a bookshelf somewhere.

    As far as liberation, I think it means that no one should face greater restrictions imposed by society or law because of their disability.

    What are some good books related to disability rights and/or disability justice that you’ve read lately?

    My Kindle is a massive collection of stuff I hope to read. Lately I’ve been re-reading Neurotribes by Steve Silberman. I’ve also been trying to read about the history of intellectual and developmental disability (I/DD) throughout the ages, from the days preceding institutions and antiquity to now. I’ve already written a bit on that history regarding mental illness, so I am interested in exploring it with I/DD.

    What advice do you have for disabled law students and recent law school graduates entering the legal profession?

    At the risk of sounding weird, the law school years were among the best of my life. My advice to law students is to do the required reading and study for exams, but do not torture yourself trying to be the top of the class. You don’t want to burn out. Additionally, find community by joining the National Disabled Law Students Association, which I wish had existed when I was in law school. As far as entering the profession, do not feel obligated to go into disability work if that’s not your jam. Many in career services pigeonhole students with marginalized identities into doing rights work related to those groups. As a result, these students struggle to break out into mainstream legal fields.

    Have you experienced challenges with accessibility or inclusion in the workplace in the years since we conducted the last interview? Can you talk a little bit about them?

    While I’ve had the relative privilege of working in spaces that are progressive or disability focused, I’d say there’s always room for improvement when it comes to accommodation and such.

    How do you think the legal profession is doing in creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment for persons with disabilities? What could be improved?

    I think the profession needs to understand the overall need for a genuinely diverse field. That requires proactive introspection for firms and organizations as to how to do that. How easy do you make it for employees to get accommodations? How many people with disabilities do you have? How many of them hold leadership positions? And in the case of service and non-profit organizations, how does that legal staff reflect the community you’re serving?