Considering Steve Elliot’s parents were always public- and civic-minded – and instilled those values in their family – it’s no surprise that he has dedicated his professional life to advocacy and justice.
Steve has been an Administrative Law Judge, team leader, and mediator for the Texas State Office of Administrative Hearings since 2017. He previously worked as executive director of Volunteer Legal Services of Central Texas, a nonprofit that provides pro bono legal services for low-income people. Before that, he was a Senior Attorney at Disability Rights Texas (formerly Advocacy, Inc.), a statewide nonprofit that advances the civil and human rights of people with disabilities, following positions as a Staff Attorney and then a Supervising Attorney at the Minnesota Disability Law Center. Both organizations provide legal representation, individual advocacy, and policy reform.
As a judge and mediator, Steve must remain impartial but says the special education-related cases he hears are especially important to him.
“It’s up to the parties to present their case to you,” he explains. “One of the things I tell people about presiding over special education cases is that there is a passion on both sides – I’m passionate about it, too. Parents are passionate about the rights and needs of their child, and people go into teaching special education because they care about kids with disabilities.”
Learning Advocacy from an Early Age
Steve is never quite sure if the people whose cases he hears are aware that he’s blind. Sometimes, he has to explain why it’s taking him a little longer to navigate videoconferences, which is how the hearings he presides over are held. But he’d never let his personal experience influence a decision he makes.
Steve lost his vision due to Stargardt disease and was considered legally blind from the time he was eight years old. He didn’t let his vision stop him from participating in activities such as riding his bike and running cross-country for one season in college. Over the years, his vision has continued to decline. Although he still has some vision, he doesn’t consider it functional.
“It took me a while to get over my denial, but once I did, I knew it was time to get my guide dog, Laird, in 2021,” he says. “That meant having Orientation and Mobility training both for working with him and for getting around on my own.”
Yet, he never let his vision get in the way of his ambitions.
Steve was mainstreamed throughout his education, and because he never learned braille – something he regrets – he relied on large print, magnifiers, and cassette tapes. He later bought a personal computer with a screen reader. After earning his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, he graduated from University of Minnesota Law School with cum laude honors.
Ensuring Fairness for Others
One of the reasons Steve has always been a disability advocate is because he doesn’t think anyone with a disability can go through life without facing discrimination.
“I graduated with honors from a top-15 ranked law school, and it took me nine months after graduation to find a job,” he says. “I don’t think that’s accidental. Fortunately, I landed right where I belonged, so maybe there’s some destiny that the job I did land was as a disability lawyer.”
Although he can’t advocate professionally as a judge, he still does so as a volunteer. For example, he’s advocating for legislation in Texas regarding guide dogs. As he explains, especially since COVID, the use of fake service animals has increased exponentially.
“It can make people suspicious of real service animals,” Steve says. “Fake service animals aren’t trained to properly behave, so they might go after a service animal, which isn’t safe for the service animal or the handler.” It also can increase public access issues for legitimate service animals.
He’s been part of trying to pass legislation in Texas that would limit the ability of people to purchase items like vests that say “service animal” even when their pet doesn’t qualify. The legislation failed to pass two years ago, but Steve says they plan to keep trying when the legislature convenes.
“We don’t want anyone to interfere with the rights of people who legitimately need service animals,” he says. “It’s really important for people to have advocates because it’s often difficult to do on your own, and advocacy helps get things accomplished.”
Learn More
Steve has even more to share about his career experiences. Join the APH ConnectCenter for a Career Conversation on January 9, 2025 at 6pm Eastern as we interview Steve and provide time for the audience’s career-related questions! Register here.