Biography
Stephanie Duke is the Supervising attorney of the Disaster Resilience and Outreach team at Disability Rights Texas (DRTx). DRTx is the Protection & Advocacy agency for Texas and operates to ensure Texans’ with disabilities rights are upheld by affording equitable opportunities across all societal domains. Ms. Duke focuses on mitigating barriers that disaster survivors with disabilities face in response and recovery programs, services and activities by affording access to justice and remedying discriminatory practices. Ms. Duke works to build resiliency for the disability community by advocating for inclusive planning processes with local and state entities and educates the community about individual preparedness and resources to promote independence and autonomy during any event. Ms. Duke also addresses systemic barriers in federal and state disaster and emergency programs to ensure meaningful access to all disaster survivors via legal advocacy and policy reform. Ms. Duke is an Equal Justice Works Disaster Fellow alumni; committee member of the American Bar Association Standing Committee on Disaster Preparedness and Response, Chair of the Board of Directors for Texas Volunteer Organization Active in Disasters; Chair of the State Bar of Texas, Disaster Law Task Force and is an appointed member to the Governor’s Task force on Disaster Issues Effecting Older Persons and Persons with Disabilities.