Areta Guthrey has been an attorney for more than 35 years. She was practicing law in a large firm when her first child, a daughter, was born with microcephaly in 1995, resulting in intellectual and developmental disabilities. Ms. Guthrey, herself a person with a disability, also has two sons with autism. She has experienced first-hand what families go through as they search for benefits and services. She has also seen the lack of understanding and the failure to include people with disabilities in the legal system. Better education for everyone, including people with disabilities, their employers, families, and communities, leads to fuller inclusion and less bias.
Ms. Guthrey has been a disability advocate and speaker for more than 25 years and founded The Disability Information Network in 2018. The DIN is a forum for research and sharing tools for advocacy for disabled people within our education, social service and legal systems.
Ms. Guthrey’s presentations focus on ethics, bias, and inclusion in community life for people with disabilities. Topics include elimination of bias in schools, offices, and courthouses; legal representation for people with disabilities; public benefits and services for people with disabilities and their families.