It is with great sadness that the family and friends of Dr. Michael J. Ward share news of his passing on April 2, 2026.
Dr. Ward, a former Adjunct Professor at GSEHD, was a nationally recognized leader in disability rights and is widely regarded as the father of the self-determination movement in special education in the United States. Throughout his distinguished career spanning federal service, higher education, advocacy, and public policy, he championed opportunities for people with disabilities to exercise choice, pursue education and meaningful employment, and lead self-directed lives.
Born in Brooklyn, New York, and raised with cerebral palsy at a time when educational opportunities for students with disabilities were far more limited, Dr. Ward became an influential advocate for disability rights. He co-founded New York City's Disabled in Action alongside fellow activist Judy Heumann and participated in Camp Jened, later featured in the Academy Award nominated documentary, Crip Camp.
During his career, Dr. Ward served in the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs, where he helped advance research and initiatives designed to improve postsecondary education, employment, and independent living outcomes for students with disabilities. His lifelong commitment to equity, inclusion, and self-determination leaves a lasting legacy that will continue to influence educators, policy makers, advocates, and students.
Dr. Lisa Hess Rice, Associate Professor of Special Education and Disability Studies at GSEHD, said, “Dr. Ward taught many GSEHD students and faculty about the importance and power of the voices of people with disabilities. We will miss him - his sense of humor, his high expectations, and his advocacy of the idea that, ‘All means all!’ We recognize and are thankful for his impact on all of us and on the world.”