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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2023 CAP IDEAS Conference Past Event
CAP IDEAS Conference logo

2023 CAP IDEAS Conference

Join the Center for American Progress as we celebrate 20 years of innovative policy solutions and look boldly forward to a progressive future.

A Collaborative Agenda for the Disability and Reproductive Justice Communities in 2023 Fact Sheet
A close-up of the Capitol building

A Collaborative Agenda for the Disability and Reproductive Justice Communities in 2023

The Center for American Progress recently hosted a roundtable of more than 20 advocates from the reproductive and disability rights and justice communities—and has compiled the top five policy priorities important to focus on this year.

Mia Ives-Rublee, Emily DiMatteo, Amina Khalique, 3 More Kierra B. Jones, Anona Neal, Maggie Jo Buchanan

Revolutionizing the Workplace: Why Long COVID and the Increase of Disabled Workers Require a New Approach Report
A doctor holds a patients hand during an appointment.

Revolutionizing the Workplace: Why Long COVID and the Increase of Disabled Workers Require a New Approach

Using new data from the U.S. Census Bureau to examine the impacts of long COVID on the labor market, this report recommends that employers, unions, and policymakers create better workplaces for disabled workers and all workers.

Keeping Americans with disabilities from poverty must remain a priority In the News

Keeping Americans with disabilities from poverty must remain a priority

Mia Ives-Rublee discusses how the Supplemental Security Income program helped her overcome the structural barriers to employment and economic security that millions of disabled people experience and urges lawmakers to strengthen the program.

The Hill

Mia Ives-Rublee

Crossing the Border: How Disability Civil Rights Protections Can Include Disabled Asylum-Seekers Report
The silhouette of a girl walking as the sun rises

Crossing the Border: How Disability Civil Rights Protections Can Include Disabled Asylum-Seekers

Civil rights protections designed to protect disabled people from discrimination, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, are powerful tools for ensuring that disabled asylum-seekers have access to the protection and services they need in the U.S. immigration system.

Trinh Q. Truong, Emily DiMatteo, Mia Ives-Rublee

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