Janni Lehrer-Stein

Position: Retired Attorney & Disability Rights Advocate
Advisory Board

Janni Lehrer-Stein is a nationally recognized disability rights advocate, retired attorney, and nonprofit leader with a longstanding commitment to advancing inclusion, accessibility, and medical research. Appointed twice by President Barack Obama to the National Council on Disability, Janni has shaped national policy on transportation, healthcare, technology, and international disability rights.

Her service includes appointments to the NIH National Advisory Eye Council and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Forum on Aging, Independence and Disability. She served on the Board of Directors for Disability Rights Advocates, the Foundation Fighting Blindness and the American Foundation for the Blind, and continues to provide leadership in disability research and advocacy through advisory roles.

A longtime strategist in national politics, Janni co-chaired the Biden-Harris 2020 disability campaign, led the campaign’s disability policy task force, served as Vice Chair, Finance for the DNC Disability Caucus, and later advised Vice President Kamala Harris through 2023. She currently serves on the Advisory Board for Disability Power and Pride, a national organization supporting emerging disability leaders and inclusive political appointments.

Janni is also a founding member of the Stellar Sisters, a support and leadership group for women with disabilities. She holds degrees from Yale University and the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, and studied at Harvard Law School. Legally blind since her 20s, she brings both lived experience and deep expertise to every table she serves.