Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer Appoints Andrés J. Gallegos to National Council on Disability

WASHINGTON, Feb. 22, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Council on Disability (NCD) – an independent federal agency that makes policy recommendations to the President, Congress and other federal agencies – welcomes its newest Member, Andrés J. Gallegos, who was appointed to NCD by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. Minority Leader Schumer announced the appointment on February 7, and Mr. Gallegos swore his oath of office and began work with NCD today.

"The Council extends a warm welcome to its newest Member. We look forward to putting Mr. Gallegos's legal and healthcare expertise to work for our current NCD projects as well as for ongoing policy discussions happening on Capitol Hill," stated NCD Chair Clyde Terry. "I am also glad to have Mr. Gallegos's experiences and perspectives as a veteran and as Board Chairman of Access Living of Metropolitan Chicago."

With the incoming of Mr. Gallegos, NCD also sends its collective gratitude to outgoing NCD Council Member Bob Brown of Las Vegas, Nevada for his three years of service on behalf of the Council and his commitment to public service.

Appointments to NCD are made by the President of the United States, the Senate Majority Leader, the Senate Minority Leader, the Speaker of the House, and the House Minority Leader pursuant to Section 451 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (Pub. L. 113–128).

Biography of Mr. Andrés J. Gallegos, Esq.:
Andrés J. Gallegos, Esq. is a shareholder with the law firm of Robbins, Salomon and Patt, Ltd., in Chicago, Illinois, where he focuses his practice on disability rights and healthcare law. Andrés founded and directs the law firm's disability rights practice, which has as its emphasis on improving access to healthcare and wellness programs for persons across all types of disabilities. Andrés is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Access Living of Metropolitan Chicago, Chicago's Center for Independent Living, and is a recent two-term past-member of the Statewide Independent Living Council of Illinois, having been appointed by the governor. Andrés is the 2015 recipient of the Paul G. Hearne Leadership Award from the American Association of People with Disabilities. He has written numerous articles for national and state professional healthcare and legal organizations on matters relating to the application of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act to healthcare providers, and is a highly-sought out lecturer on accessible healthcare and disability rights. Andrés graduated with Honors from the University of Southern Mississippi, with a B.S. in Business Administration, and he attained a Juris Doctorate from the St. Louis University School of Law. He is a veteran of the United States Air Force, serving honorably for 14 years.

About the National Council on Disability: First established as an advisory Council within the Department of Education in 1978, NCD became an independent federal agency in 1984. In 1986, NCD recommended enactment of an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and drafted the first version of the bill which was introduced in the House and Senate in 1988. Since enactment of the ADA in 1990, NCD has continued to play a leading role in crafting disability policy, and advising the President, Congress and other federal agencies on disability policies, programs, and practices.

SOURCE National Council on Disability