Ralph Black

Ralph Black, who has been blind since childhood, became interested in disability rights as a student at California State University Long Beach and then also graduated from Loyola University Law School. He later worked in the Legal Affairs Division, Chancellor’s Office for California Community Colleges, where he worked as Assistant General Counsel and then as General Counsel.

Along with his success include that he and other students successfully led an advocacy campaign to have the Legislature provide public funding to support programs for students with disabilities at all public colleges and universities in California. His advocacy work eventually led to an invitation to the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990.

Since then, Ralph has been active in several disability rights organizations, including Californians with Disability Rights, the State Bar Committee for Legal Professionals with Disabilities, and the Association of California State Employees with Disabilities.