Janni Lehrer-Stein is a retired attorney and disability rights advocate. Progressively blinded by retinitis pigmentosa since 1982, Janni was appointed by President Barack Obama to two terms on the National Council on Disability, from 2011 to 2016. Since that time, she has served as senior disability policy advisor to many Presidential, gubernatorial and state election campaigns.
Janni is currently Vice Chair, Finance for the Democratic National Committee Disability Council and served on the Rules Committee for the DNC National Convention in July of 2020. Her national Board appointments include the Foundation Fighting Blindness and the National Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine Forum on Aging and Disability. Janni publishes frequently on issues related to inclusion and access for persons with disabilities, most recently in the New York Times and on her blog. She currently resides in San Francisco, with her husband and three adult children.
Janni holds a bachelor’s degree from Yale University and a law degree from the University of Toronto Law School, with a visiting year at Harvard Law School.
