WASHINGTON, DC (July 19, 2013) – The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), the nation’s largest disability rights organization, applauds President Obama’s pick, Claudia Gordon, Esq, as the White House’s new Public Engagement Advisor for the Disability Community in the Office of Public Engagement. Claudia Gordon is a former AAPD Board Member and a 2002 recipient of AAPD’s prestigious Paul G. Hearne Leadership Award.

“We welcome Claudia Gordon in her new role as the White House’s top community liaison with the disability community,” said Mark Perriello, AAPD’s President and CEO. “Gordon brings a wealth of experience and is a tireless advocate whose life-long passion and dedication to advancing the rights of people with disabilities will help raise our concerns to our nation’s leaders.”

Gordon was the first deaf African American woman to become an attorney as well as the first deaf student to graduate from the American University (AU) Washington College of Law, in Washington, DC, in 2000. It was her experiences as a deaf child growing up in Jamaica that motivated her to pursue a legal education and career. Since graduating from law school and being admitted to the Maryland Bar, Gordon has conducted numerous empowerment and legal education outreach efforts and training sessions to communities and organizations.

Gordon worked at the National Association of the Deaf Law and Advocacy Center and was the Vice-President of the National Black Deaf Advocates Association (NBDA). She has also worked as an independent consultant for the National Council on Disability (NCD). She later became a senior policy advisor for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. Her appointment comes as she worked as the Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary for the Office of Federal Contracts and Compliance Programs in the Department of Labor.

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About AAPD

The American Association of People with Disabilities is the nation’s largest disability rights organization. We promote equal opportunity, economic power, independent living, and political participation for people with disabilities. Our members, including people with disabilities and our family, friends, and supporters, represent a powerful force for change.