Raleigh, N.C. – Legal Aid of North Carolina is proud to announce that staff attorney Cody Davis, J.D., M.P.A., has been elected chairperson of the North Carolina Commission for the Blind/State Rehabilitation Council (SRC). Gov. Roy Cooper appointed Davis to the board in 2019; he was reappointed to the board this summer, and nominated for the top position by peers. In this role, Davis will advise the NC Department of Health and Human Services for the Blind on issues relating to services for persons with disabilities, especially vocational rehabilitation, independent living and medical eye care programs. The council also develops and submits a state plan to monitor, review and evaluate these programs. More information can be found on Gov. Cooper’s website.
“I am blind, and in high school and college, I received services that made my education, training and livelihood possible,” said Davis. In addition to work-related vocational rehabilitation services, he has received support from independent living programs that help those with disabilities learn skills to improve daily living and mobility. “I will lean on my experience to develop a more active and engaged membership for the Commission for the Blind/State Rehabilitation Council. Additionally, I hope to create more opportunities for public input.”
Working out of Legal Aid NC’s Concord office, Davis works on the organization’s Medicaid Appeals Technical Team serving clients across the state. Davis and his colleagues help North Carolinians with appeals related to Medicaid eligibility, which includes helping someone prove that they meet the State’s disability threshold, or income and resource requirements. They also help those who have Medicaid with appeals related to denial for a needed service. Learn more about Legal Aid NC’s work to increase access to healthcare.
Davis attended North Carolina State University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science, philosophy and criminology, and a Master of Public Administration in policy analysis and management. After graduating from the Campbell University School of Law in 2018, he served the school as a Wallace Public Service Fellow. His work in public service continued as a program evaluator and legal analyst with the North Carolina General Assembly and as a fellow at the UNC School of Government. He joined Legal Aid NC in 2021 as an intake attorney and was promoted to the Medicaid Appeals Technical Team four months later. He has served on the North Carolina Commission for the Blind/SRC in various roles since 2019.
“Living with hearing and vision loss can be incredibly challenging, but there are so many people like Cody who turn their personal experience into a passion for advocacy,” said Legal Aid NC CEO Ashley Campbell. “We are proud of Cody. He’ll bring valued leadership to these organizations and increase their impact.”
Legal Aid of North Carolina is a statewide, nonprofit law firm that provides free legal services in civil matters to low-income people in order to ensure equal access to justice and to remove legal barriers to economic opportunity. Learn more at legalaidnc.org. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.