PHILADELPHIA — Mayor Kenney today announced the appointment of Koert Wehberg as the Executive Director of the Mayor’s Commission on People with Disabilities. In that capacity, he will lead the Commission, which serves as a forum for discussion on matters related to the disability community, and provides an opportunity for people with disabilities to voice their opinions about City programs and services.
Koert Wehberg received his J.D. from the Syracuse University College of Law in 2008 with a certificate in Disability Law and Policy. After law school, he received a prestigious two-year Equal Justice Works Fellowship—allowing him to represent low-income people of color with disabilities in general accessibility, fair housing, and employment discrimination matters in New York City at New York Lawyers for the Public Interest. Koert stayed at New York Lawyers for the Public Interest as a staff attorney through 2011, when he moved to Philadelphia and joined Disability Rights Pennsylvania. In his position with Disability Rights Pennsylvania, Koert represented children and adults with disabilities in special education, employment, and other disability discrimination matters.
“It is essential that City government is able to properly serve all of its residents—especially those who have historically been marginalized,” said Mayor Jim Kenney. “For our residents with disabilities, City programs, services, resources, and even policy-making, can seem out of reach. We are lucky to have a strong advocate and accomplished professional like Koert Wehberg joining our team. I am confident that Koert’s lived experience and professional background will serve him well in this new role, allowing him to make genuine connections with members of the disability community and to advise our administration on policy or procedural changes that can improve the lives of Philadelphians with disabilities.”
Key responsibilities of the Mayor’s Commission on People with Disabilities include:
- Advancing policies and programs for people with disabilities.
- Providing resources for residents with disabilities.
- Educating the larger Philadelphia community on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Fair Housing Act, and other laws that impact people with disabilities.
- Advocating for people with disabilities.
“I am excited to start my new role with the Kenney administration,” said Koert Wehberg, Executive Director of the Mayor’s Commission on People with Disabilities. “Being given the opportunity to help make change from inside City government is a great honor, and I take the responsibility seriously. I look forward to working with our team to develop programs and policies with citywide impact, while always listening to and respecting the needs of Philadelphia’s disability community.”
The Mayor’s Commission on People with Disabilities is housed within the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities, which also includes the Office of ADA Compliance. Together, they help ensure individuals with disabilities have equal access to Philadelphia’s government services and buildings, behavioral health services, health and human services, employment opportunities, and recreation, arts, and cultural activities. Appointed members of the Commission serve under the direction of the Executive Director, who reports directly to the Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer.
“All Philadelphians deserve to feel as though their voice and point of view is represented in City Hall,” added Nolan Atkinson, the City’s Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer. “Often, our residents with disabilities are excluded from public conversation and policy-making, and that is unacceptable. Koert, in his role with the Mayor’s Commission on People with Disabilities, will be able to connect this community with available resources, advocate on behalf of the community within government, and advise the administration on how we can better serve individuals with disabilities who live, work, and play in Philadelphia.”
Learn more about Koert in this short Q&A on phila.gov. Koert’s headshot is available upon request.