NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams Keynotes Sixth Annual Disability and Civil Rights Clinic Roundtable

On Feb. 21, New York City Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams addressed the sixth annual Disability and Civil Rights Clinic Breakfast Roundtable at Brooklyn Law School, a gathering sponsored by the Law School’s Disability and Civil Rights Clinic that drew more than 140 city and state officials, disability advocates and activists, and community leaders. The theme of this year’s roundtable was “Mobilizing and Amplifying Voices in the Disability Community to Create Change."

Professor Stacy Caplow, associate dean of experiential education, kicked off the morning, greeting participants who represented “a cross-section of stakeholders and members of the community concerned with the wide-ranging issues that affect individuals, families, and the networks our clinic assists.”

In his keynote address, Williams spoke of his own experiences living with ADHD and Tourette’s syndrome. He highlighted the importance of developing alternatives to a police response in mental health emergencies and the problems of “inequality of access” to resources among different communities.

“I’m glad that places like Brooklyn Law School’s Disability and Civil Rights Clinic exist to make resources accessible, particularly to low-income communities,” said Williams. “Many people think they are facing these challenges alone. It is so important for us to organize, to reach out, and to bring people together under common concern.”

Participants broke into working groups focused on different subject areas, where they shared knowledge and concerns and discussed strategies to enact progress. Subjects included criminal justice, special education and transitional services, systematic legal challenges, relationships and sexuality, the right to family, and the New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities. At the end of the program, each working group shared its findings with the entire group.

“The Roundtable exists as a safe space to have a stimulating discussion about the issues that concern the disability rights community, to allow for cross-pollination of ideas and to build coalitions,” said Professor Prianka Nair, director of the clinic. “It is exciting and a privilege for the clinic to be part of the process of facilitating that process.”

Professor Sarah Lorr, deputy director, agreed. “A theme I heard throughout the discussions was how we personalize these experiences to the broader community, reorienting ourselves as the disability justice community from fighting ‘against’ things to joining a broader community fighting ‘for’ things.”

Among the attendees was Howard Rothman ’71, a partner at Kramer Levin and president and chairman of the board of the Taft Foundation, who was instrumental in securing the initial grant from the foundation to support the development of the clinic and its first roundtable in 2014. The Taft Foundation renewed the grant in 2018, increasing its total support to $1.6 million.

The Disability and Civil Rights Clinic focuses on protecting and advancing the civil rights of adults with intellectual disabilities. As one of the few law school clinics in the country specializing in this area, it functions as a pro bono law firm, with students representing low-income New Yorkers and their families in a variety of civil legal matters, including housing, public benefits, access to healthcare, special education, parental rights, alternatives to guardianship, asylum, and discrimination concerning access to programs and services. 

View photos of the event here.