Emily Hartley, Missouri Developmental Disabilities Council Deputy Director, was appointed to the Missouri Advisory Committee by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, effective Feb. 18, 2022.
Advisory Committees have recently examined water affordability, school discipline disparities, policing practices, mental health and the criminal justice system, legal financial obligations, fair housing, hate crimes, voting rights, maternal health, and solitary confinement. In addition to advising the Commission, Advisory Committee reports have contributed to policy changes at the national, state, and local levels.
Hartley brings knowledge to the committee including, but not limited to, voting, housing, guardianship, self-determination, victimization, health, and dental care. Her work has led to advocacy, systems change, and capacity building for the intellectual and developmental disabilities community. With 20 years of experience, Hartley will use her role on the Advisory Committee to bring the disability voice to the conversation of civil rights.
The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, established by the Civil Rights Act of 1957, is the only independent, bipartisan agency charged with advising the President and Congress on civil rights and reporting annually on federal civil rights enforcement. The Commission’s 56 states and territory Advisory Committees offer a broad perspective on civil rights concerns at state and local levels.
The Missouri Developmental Disabilities Council is a federally-funded, 23-member, consumer-driven council appointed by the Governor. Its mandate under P.L. 106-402, the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act, is to assure that individuals with developmental disabilities and their families participate in the design of and have access to needed community services, individualized supports, and other forms of assistance that promote self-determination, independence, productivity, and integration in all aspects of community life.
(Emily Hartley photo courtesy Missouri Developmental Disabilities Council)
