Day Al-Mohamed

Day Al-Mohamed
Born (1979-12-25) December 25, 1979
EducationUniversity of Missouri-Columbia
OccupationsPolicy advocate, writer, and filmmaker
Notable workRENEGADES series, The Labyrinth’s Archivist
Websitedayalmohamed.com

Day Al-Mohamed ([Arabic: الْمُحَمَّد دي]; born December 25, 1975,[1]) is a Bahrain-born policy advocate, writer, and filmmaker based in the United States. Both her policy career and creative work have an emphasis on underrepresented and historically marginalized communities.[2]) She is visually impaired and uses a guide dog to navigate.[1]

Early life and education

Al-Mohamed grew up in Bahrain where she attended Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) Bahrain School, where she graduated with an American high school diploma and an International Baccalaureate diploma. She moved to the United States to attend college at the University of Missouri.[1] Al-Mohamed became blind as the result of a brain injury in 1995, while she was studying social work at the University of Missouri.[1] She fenced at the college level with foil, placing third in the 1997 state fencing championship.[3] After finishing her undergraduate degree, she continued at the University of Missouri as a law student, where she earned her JD in 2003.[1]

Policy career

Al-Mohamed has worked on several well-known pieces of legislation including an active role in the Americans with Disabilities Act ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA).[4] The ADAAA was a response to judicial decisions in the intervening years since passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act that narrowed the interpretation of the ADA and limited the rights of people with disabilities. As a co-chair of the 2005 Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities Rights Task Force, Al-Mohamed worked to develop a consensus Statement of Principles for amending the ADA and hosted early meetings for the disability community in which initial language ideas were considered.[5] She submitted written testimony at the House Committee on the Judiciary subcommittee hearing[6] and lobbied members of Congress and the Bush Administration to garner support for the amendment language.[7] [8] [9]

Based on the successful collaboration behind passage of the ADAAA, Al-Mohamed and Daniel E. Dawes created a National Working Group on Health Disparities and Health Reform to advocate for a health equity agenda in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA).[10] The coalition included more than 400 organizations representing women, children, older adults, racial and ethnic minorities, the LGBT community and those with disabilities, as well as faith-based, industry, and corporate groups such as insurance and hospital associations. This diverse group cooperatively developed specific language and recommendations to address health and healthcare disparities and lobbied successfully for their inclusion in the ACA.[11]

Al-Mohamed also lobbied for the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act and, though it did not pass, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which she fought to make trans-inclusive.[12][13]

In 2022, Al-Mohamed was detailed for 1 year to the White House as Director of Disability Policy.[14] There, she worked on expanding competitive integrated employment opportunities for people with disabilities, increasing funding for school-based support services for disabled children and their families,[15] and overseeing the release of guidance to avoid discriminatory school discipline.[16] Al-Mohamed provided language to strengthen supports for home care workforce, and for the National Action Plan for Long Covid as well as disability language for the White House Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis[17] and the Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights.[18] Among her other activities was implementing efforts to advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA), including specifically highlighting work of the Biden-Harris Administration to support Black disabled Americans.[19] And although the final rule only appeared in the Federal Register on March 27, 2024, Al-Mohamed spearheaded the effort to omit food from in-kind support and maintenance calculations for Supplemental Security recipients, as well as other SSI enhancements.[20]

As of 2020, Al-Mohamed works for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration under the US Department of Labor.[2] One of her major projects with the department has been the Add Us In initiative to increase the employment of disabled individuals through work with small business associations.[2] She also serves in the US Coast Guard Auxiliary and the Montgomery County Commission on People with Disabilities.[2][21]

In the past, Al-Mohamed worked with the American Psychological Association and the American Council of the Blind.[2]

Writing and filmmaking

Al-Mohamed is a founding member of FWD-Doc,[2] a non-profit organization which supports disabled filmmakers and entertainment industry workers. Other co-founders include Jim LeBrecht, Alysa Nahmias and Lindsey Dryden.

Since 2007, she has hosted the Day in Washington podcast about disability policy.[22]

She has written the young adult novel Baba Ali and the Clockwork Djinn, and has published short stories in various magazines.[2]

Filmmaking

She directed the Civil War documentary The Invalid Corps, about the contributions of disabled veterans.[2][23] The Invalid Corps was accepted to the American Presidents Film and Literary Festival in 2019.[24]

She was a producer of the 2024 UNSEEN. She is also a creator of Renegades, a docu-series about disabled leaders in history, which is set to release on American Masters/PBS digital in October 2024.[21][25]

Recognition

  • 2021 Documentary New Leader (FWD-Doc)
  • 2022 Original Voices Fellowship member (NBC)
  • 2023 D-30 Disability Impact List (Diversability)

Personal life

As of 2024, Al-Mohamed lives in Silver Spring, Maryland with her wife, daughter, and guide dog.[21]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Soloyvoya, Yulia (March 10, 2002). "She's defying definitions". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. pp. 141, 144. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Day Al-Mohamed". Ability Magazine. October 2020. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
  3. ↑ McCann, Tom (October 5, 1997). "Doing it all despite disability". The Kansas City Star. pp. 33, 34. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  4. ↑ Jennings, Andrea (September 22, 2025). "The Living Legends: How ADA Champions Continue Shaping Access". Easterseals. Retrieved March 29, 2026.
  5. ↑ Feldblum, Chai R.; Barry, Kevin; Benfer, Emily A. (2008). "The ADA Amendments Act of 2008". Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works: 1064, 1064. Retrieved March 29, 2026.
  6. ↑ Hearing before the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties of the Committee on the Judiciary, House of Representatives, 110th Congress, First Session on H.R. 3195 (PDF). House of Representatives, 110th Congress (Report). October 4, 2007. Retrieved March 29, 2026.
  7. ↑ Keita, P (December 2007). "In the Public Interest: Disabilities and discrimination". Monitor on Psychology. 38 (11). Retrieved March 29, 2026.
  8. ↑ Al-Mohamed, Day (March 2008). "Government Relations Update: Making disability issues a priority". Monitor on Psychology. 39 (3). Retrieved March 29, 2026.
  9. ↑ Al-Mohamed, Day (October 4, 2007). Written testimony of the American Psychological Association. Hearing before the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties of the Committee on the Judiciary, House of Representatives, 110th Congress, First Session on H.R. 3195 (PDF). House of Representatives, 110th Congress (Report). Retrieved March 29, 2026.
  10. ↑ Dawes, Daniel E. (2016). 150 Years of Obamacare. Johns Hopkins University Press.
  11. ↑ Dawes, Daniel E. (November 3, 2016). "Dissecting Obamacare and its impact". HealthInsurance.org. Retrieved March 29, 2026.
  12. ↑ "Day Al-Mohamed". Transgender Media Portal. Retrieved March 29, 2026.
  13. ↑ Wade, Carrie. "10 More Disabled Women Who Are Making Political Noise". Autostraddle. Retrieved March 29, 2026.
  14. ↑ Abrams, Abigail (April 15, 2022). "As COVID-Era Restrictions End, Disabled Americans Want to Avoid a 'Return to Normal'". Time Magazine. Retrieved March 29, 2026.
  15. ↑ "FACT SHEET: The Biden-⁠Harris Administration Marks the Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act" (Press release). Washington DC. The White House. July 26, 2022. Retrieved March 29, 2026.
  16. ↑ Positive, Proactive, Approaches to Supporting Children with Disabilities: A Guide for Stakeholders (PDF) (Report). U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. July 19, 2022. Retrieved March 29, 2026.
  17. ↑ White House Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis (PDF) (Report). The White House. June 2022. Retrieved March 29, 2026.
  18. ↑ Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights (Report). The White House. October 2022. Retrieved March 29, 2026.
  19. ↑ FACT SHEET: The Biden-⁠Harris Administration’s Work to Support Black Disabled Americans (Report). The White House. February 23, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2026.
  20. ↑ Helpful SSI Changes Reducing Customer Burden Take Effect (Report). Social Security Administration. September 30, 2024. Retrieved March 29, 2026.
  21. 1 2 3 "Day Al-Mohamed". Ford Foundation. Retrieved 2024-10-09.
  22. ↑ "About". Day in Washington. Archived from the original on 2023-07-12. Retrieved 2023-07-12.
  23. ↑ "Team 1". FWD-DOC: Documentary Filmmakers With Disabilities. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
  24. ↑ "Short film on Civil War accepted to festival". News Herald. 2019-07-25. pp. A2. Retrieved 2023-07-12.
  25. ↑ Chan, Diana (2023-11-02). "American Masters announces Visibility, Inclusion and Accessibility (VIA) Initiative". American Masters. PBS. Retrieved 2024-10-09.
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