Ricki Sabia, is the Senior Education Policy Advisor for the National Down Syndrome Congress. Ricki graduated with a B.A. from Georgetown University and a JD from University of Maryland School of Law. Her work over the past two decades has focused on increasing state accountability for academic performance and improving educational opportunities and post-school outcomes for students with disabilities, especially those with Down syndrome. To achieve these goals, Ricki has worked on increasing access to quality inclusive education and the implementation of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). She founded and chaired the National UDL Task Force and was a member of the National UDL Council. In addition, Ricki has worked with a number of federally-funded projects on alternate assessment and access to the grade-level general education curriculum. Most recently she was the parent liaison to the TIES Center. TIES is focused on inclusive education for students who take alternate assessments.

Ricki has received local, State and national awards for her advocacy. Local awards were the Montgomery County Maryland PTA Outstanding Parent Award and the Least Restrictive Environment Leadership Award. A State-wide award was the Family Leadership Award from the Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education. On the national level Ricki received the Champion for Every Student Award from CAST (the Center for Applied Special Technology) for “leading America to Universal Design for Learning.” Ricki also received the NDSC Exceptional Meritorious Service Award, which recognizes an individual whose service and contributions to people with Down syndrome and their families have had local, State, and national significance.

Ricki lives in Maryland with her husband. She is a member of the Maryland Down Syndrome Advocacy Coalition and was a board member for the Down Syndrome Network of Montgomery County. Ricki is lucky to live near her younger son who has Down syndrome, as well as near her older son’s family. When not working on education advocacy Ricki enjoys spending time with her family, including her grandchildren and 3 Boston Terriers!