Kristen Stratton, J.M.

Kristen has dedicated the past two decades of her professional and personal life to advocacy work. First in her role as a consumer advocate for maternal healthcare and then as a special education advocate. As a public speaker, she most frequently presents on topics such as special education, communication rights of DeafDisabled children, parenting children with disabilities, advocating for compliance and civil rights in the public school system, and informed consent rights of children with disabilities in healthcare. She presents these topics through the lens of an adult with a disability, having grown up with a bilateral severe hearing loss, as well as a professional advocate with an educational background in law and compliance.  Kristen's first language is spoken English and her second language is American Sign Language. Kristen served as a law clerk for Disability Rights California and as an educational advocate with Morton Advocacy Group. She is an advocacy consultant for many nonprofit and educational organizations including NorCal Services for Deaf and Hard of Hearing. She holds a Juris Master of American Legal Studies from Liberty University School of Law. She completed the Special Education Law and Advocacy Certificate program at the University of San Diego School of Law. She is also a graduate of the Partners in Policymaking Program with ARCA. She is currently pursuing the requirements to become a licensed attorney. As a volunteer, Kristen serves on the Deaf Steering Committee for the California Department of Developmental Services. She served for many years as a volunteer special education advocate for California Hands and Voices ASTra program and is now the Director of Deaf Plus Education and Support Services.