Rights and Justice

Disability Justice Initiative

We promote policies to ensure disabled people of color and those most marginalized by ableism and other forms of oppression can participate in the economy and democracy.

View of demonstrators as they hold a banner that reads "Disability Rights are Human Rights" during a march inside Grand Central Station in New York. (Getty/Barbara Alper)

What We're Doing

Ensuring an equitable economy for people with disabilities

We broaden the public discourse by decision-makers to increase the focus on consequences of poverty and inequality for people with disabilities and their families. We also coordinate collaborative discussions between the reproductive justice and disability communities on issues of inclusive economic growth.

Repairing the social safety net for people with disabilities

We advance legislation and executive action to streamline access to programs and optimize effectiveness in serving people with low incomes, particularly people with disabilities. We defend Medicaid, Social Security, the ADA, and other policies that support people with disabilities and their families.

Centering multimarginalized identities

We develop research, policy analyses, and messaging tools to raise awareness around the specific challenges that multimarginalized disabled individuals face, particularly focusing on Black, Indigenous, people of color, LGBTQ individuals, women, and immigrants.

Advancing disability-forward, pro-voter legislation

We advance legislation and executive action that expand voter access, particularly for the disability community, and increase collaboration between the disability community and democracy groups.

The Disability Justice Initiative promotes policies to ensure disabled people of color and those most marginalized by ableism and other forms of oppression can participate in the economy and democracy.

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Featured work

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The 32nd Anniversary of the ADA Past Event
Salvadoran Walter Aguilar, 33, --who lost his leg in a car accident in 2001-- a polypropylene prostheses maker, attends a patient of

The 32nd Anniversary of the ADA

Improving the U.S. Asylum System for Disabled Noncitizens

Expanding Education Access for Black Girls With Disabilities Report

Expanding Education Access for Black Girls With Disabilities

To create more equitable education systems, policymakers must understand how racism, ableism, and sexism intersect and negatively affect Black disabled girls’ ability to attain an education.

Megan Buckles, Mia Ives-Rublee

How To Make Policies Work for Black Women With Disabilities Article
Transit riders, elected officials, and advocates, including Access-a-Ride organizer Eman Rimawi, rally outside Cuomo's office

How To Make Policies Work for Black Women With Disabilities

To create more equitable systems, policymakers must take an intersectional approach that includes Black women and girls with disabilities.

Megan Buckles

10 Policies To Improve Economic Security for Black Women With Disabilities Report
A teenage girl sits at a desk to take part in remote distance learning on a laptop, while her mother stands behind

10 Policies To Improve Economic Security for Black Women With Disabilities

To advance economic security for Black disabled women and girls, policymakers must make intersectionality central to modernizing the social safety net and to dismantling the barriers that contribute to inequality.

Megan Buckles

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Interactive: Mapping access to abortion by congressional district

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