Justin Steinberg, MA

He is a research assistant at the Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics and an advocate for disability inclusion. As an individual on the autism spectrum who also has motor nystagmus, a visual impairment, he brings both professional expertise and lived experience to his work.

He graduated with honors from Gunn High School in 2008 before earning an associate’s degree in special education, also with honors, from Foothill College. He went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in history, cum laude, from San Francisco State University, followed by a master’s degree in special education with an emphasis in visual impairments. He received the Graduate Student Award for Distinguished Achievement upon completing his graduate studies.

He is deeply involved with Special Olympics Northern California as an athlete, board member, coach, and athlete leader. He competes in Unified flag football, floor hockey, basketball, track and field, and swimming, and also coaches softball. As a public speaker, he travels throughout the Bay Area sharing his perspective on the power of sports, inclusion, and opportunities for people with disabilities.

In 2019, he was inducted into the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame as the Special Olympics Athlete of the Year. In 2020, he traveled to Washington, D.C., for Capitol Hill Day, where he advocated for federal funding for Special Olympics Inclusive Health and Unified Champion Schools programs.

He also serves on the IDD-TRANSFORM Core Advisory Board, collaborating with fellow members to help advance health and healthcare for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Outside of his professional and advocacy work, he enjoys spending time with friends, playing video games, participating in sports, and making music. An accomplished percussionist, he has performed with ensembles at Gunn High School, Foothill College, the Palo Alto Adult School, and San Francisco State University.