Marty Ford

Marty Ford is Senior Advisor for Public Policy at The Arc of the United States, a national community-based organization advocating for and serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. She served The Arc’s Senior Executive Officer for Public Policy from 2011–2019, leading the public policy team representing The Arc on Capitol Hill and before federal agencies. With 40 years on The Arc’s policy team, she is a nationally recognized leader in federal public policy affecting people with disabilities, particularly long term supports and services, Medicaid, and Social Security disability issues, including Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), and the potential impact on people with disabilities of proposals to privatize the Social Security insurance programs. 

Ford has testified before Congress regarding these issues numerous times. Ms. Ford served three years as Chairperson of the Consortium for Constituents with Disabilities (CCD), a coalition of over 100 national organizations, and served as Co-Chair of several Task Forces, including the Social Security Task Force, for over 25 years. A member of the Academy since 2000, Ms. Ford has served on its Board of Directors, as Secretary, and on the Executive, Membership, and Finance Committees. She also served as a Member of two Academy study panels: Uncharted Waters: Paying Benefits from Individual Accounts in Federal Retirement Policy, 2002 – 2005, and Economic Security for the 21st Century: Ensuring Economic Security Draws on Four Pillars of Policy: Labor, Benefits, Protection, and Equity, 2020 – 2022.

She has played major disability policy leadership roles in numerous Social Security and Medicaid/long term supports & services coalitions, work groups, and legislative efforts. As a member of the American Bar Association, she served on its Commission on Law and Aging and on the Commission on Disability Rights. She received her J.D. from the George Washington University National Law Center; M.S. from Pratt Institute; and B.A. from the University of Virginia.

Marty Ford is Senior Advisor for Public Policy at The Arc of the United States, a national community-based organization advocating for and serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. She served The Arc’s Senior Executive Officer for Public Policy from 2011–2019, leading the public policy team representing The Arc on Capitol Hill and before federal agencies. With 40 years on The Arc’s policy team, she is a nationally recognized leader in federal public policy affecting people with disabilities, particularly long term supports and services, Medicaid, and Social Security disability issues, including Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), and the potential impact on people with disabilities of proposals to privatize the Social Security insurance programs. 

Ford has testified before Congress regarding these issues numerous times. Ms. Ford served three years as Chairperson of the Consortium for Constituents with Disabilities (CCD), a coalition of over 100 national organizations, and served as Co-Chair of several Task Forces, including the Social Security Task Force, for over 25 years. A member of the Academy since 2000, Ms. Ford has served on its Board of Directors, as Secretary, and on the Executive, Membership, and Finance Committees. She also served as a Member of two Academy study panels: Uncharted Waters: Paying Benefits from Individual Accounts in Federal Retirement Policy, 2002 – 2005, and Economic Security for the 21st Century: Ensuring Economic Security Draws on Four Pillars of Policy: Labor, Benefits, Protection, and Equity, 2020 – 2022.

She has played major disability policy leadership roles in numerous Social Security and Medicaid/long term supports & services coalitions, work groups, and legislative efforts. As a member of the American Bar Association, she served on its Commission on Law and Aging and on the Commission on Disability Rights. She received her J.D. from the George Washington University National Law Center; M.S. from Pratt Institute; and B.A. from the University of Virginia.

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