Presenters for the 2011 Symposium

Candice Alder

Candice is the director of technical assistance for the DBTAC Rocky Mountain ADA Center which is managed by Meeting the Challenge, Inc. (MTC), an information services consulting firm that serves individuals and organizations with rights and responsibilities for compliance under federal disability laws. MTC also operates the DBTAC Rocky Mountain ADA Center which provides information, informal guidance and training on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Alder has been with MTC and the Rocky Mountain ADA Center since 2002. In her current role, she gives guidance on ADA-related issues and helps people with disabilities understand their rights under the ADA and how to advocate for themselves. In addition, Alder manages the Center’s training program by coordinating its annual training schedule and providing customized training to various groups. She also serves deaf clients by providing sign language interpretation, performs outreach duties and generates educational materials.

Alder Allensworth

Aldler launched Sailability Greater Tampa Bay, Inc. a volunteer operated, non-profit organization in order to provide sailing instruction and activities to people of all ages and abilities. Alder received a master's degree in Music Therapy and Behavioral Medicine in 1990. In May of 1990, she was diagnosed with cancer of the tear gland, had radical surgery to remove her left orbit and was given a life-limiting diagnosis. Sailing became her therapy, and in 1995 she was given a clean bill of health. Alder has given numerous presentations accessible sailing and has been featured on television and radio programs, and in many newspaper articles with an international distribution.

Geoffrey Ames

Geoffrey has worked for Meeting the Challenge/DBTAC since 2001, and became an Information Specialist for the DBTAC project in April 2002. His areas of specialization are transportation, effective communication for people who are blind or visually impaired, and ADA tax incentives for small business. He has done frequent trainings for bus drivers, advocates, human services providers, and people with disabilities on ADA transportation topics. He has presented for the Colorado Association of Transit Agencies, Easter Seals Project Action Mobility Planning Services Institute, the American Council of the Blind of Colorado, and the National ADA Symposium. He has worked on projects for the Federal Transit Administration and accessibility projects for public and private entities. He particularly enjoys answering technical assistance calls on transportation from all over the country. Before coming to MTC, Geoff had over 20 years experience working in large and small businesses as a buyer, inventory analyst, retail manager, and accountant. He has a liberal arts degree from Lewis University in Romeoville, IL.

Troy Balthazor

Troy is an ADA Information Specialist for the Great Plains ADA Center. He has nine years of experience as an ADA Specialist and has worked in the field of disability issues for the past sixteen years. He is involved in a number of groups that promote Universal Design principals and teaches a class on disability and recreation issues at the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Peter Berg

Peter Berg is the Project Coordinator of Technical Assistance and Employer Outreach for the DBTAC Great Lakes ADA Center located at the University of Illinois Chicago. He has been providing technical assistance and conducting trainings since he joined the Center in October of 2000. Peter graduated in 2000 from North Central College in Naperville, IL with a bachelor’s degree in History. He has conducted trainings for a wide range of audiences, including government agencies, private employers and for profit and non-profit businesses, as well as for individuals with disabilities.

Brian Black

Brian is President of BDBlack Codes, Inc., a New York State firm specializing in accessibility for persons with disabilities and safety in the building transportation industry. Now the Code and Safety Consultant for the National Elevator Industry Inc. (NEII), Black is a member of the ASME A17 Standards Committee that develops the Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators as well as a member of the ASME A17 Task Group that has established requirements for occupant evacuation elevators. Prior to starting his own consulting firm, Black worked for over thirty years in the field of accessibility for persons with disabilities, including serving as the Director of Building Codes and Standards for the Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Association. Appointed to the federal ADAAG Advisory Committee that drafted the 2004 ADAAG requirements for the US Access Board, he chaired its Accessible Route Subcommittee and was awarded a National Performance Review Award by then-Vice President Al Gore for his efforts. Black has also testified before the US Congress on the efficacy of building codes to promote accessibility for persons with disabilities and served on an ISO committee that developed international standards for accessible elevator controls. A member of the International Code Council (ICC), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), National Association of Elevator Safety Authorities International (NAESAI) and other code organizations, he continues his work on elevators and accessibility as the NEII representative on the ANSI Accredited Standards Committee A117 for Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities. Black is the author of two books: “2006 I-Codes and Federal Disability Law: Through an Accessible Looking Glass” and “Accessibility in State-Owned Buildings and Facilities” and numerous articles on accessibility, vertical building transportation for persons with disabilities, and life safety requirements for mobility impaired persons.

Bill Botten

Bill is an exercise physiology graduate from the University of Kansas. He joined the US Access Board in May of 2000 as an Accessibility Specialist in the Office of Technical and Information Services. Previously, he was director of the Office of Accessible Seating/Services for Centre Management, a national sports arena management company. Mr. Botten has 16 years of experience in training local, state, and national audiences concerning injury prevention, disability awareness and sensitivity, as well as accessibility issues. He is now part of a team developing combined guidelines for the ADA and Architectural Barriers Act. Mr. Botten specializes in recreation facilities and provides technical assistance to the building design and construction industry, state, and federal agencies, and consumers with disabilities.

Don Brandon

Don is the Project director of the Northwest ADA Center and an expert on reasonable accommodation, accessible design and implementation, and systemic program review and evaluation. He has advanced skill in mediation of ADA disputes in employment and accessibility. Don is a gifted trainer and motivator of professionals, bringing a down-to-earth style that invigorates and enlightens participants on disabilities issues. Don initiated the farthest north independent living center with Access Alaska in 1984 and served as Assistant Director of Programs at the Hawaii Independent Living Center. He served as the ADA Coordinator and Affirmative Action Officer for the University of Alaska as was serving as the Alaska State ADA Coordinator prior to working for the CCER/Northwest ADA Center.

Jennie Bourgeois

Jennie works at Louisiana State University as the Deaf and Hard of Hearing services coordinator. In addition, she serves as a PEPNet-South outreach coordinator serving the states of Louisiana and Texas. As one of the outreach coordinators for PEPNet-South, she provides extensive training and technical assistance to individuals and institutions regarding transition and postsecondary services for Deaf and hard of hearing students. She has served as one of the national C-Print trainers and she holds several sign language interpreting certifications including the NIC, EIPA and NAD. Ms. Bourgeois is the past vice-president for the Speech-to-Text-Network and is currently serving on the board for the Louisiana Assistance Technology Access Network (LATAN) as well as serves as Chair of the Image and Resource committee for LATAN. She is currently pursuing a master's degree from Northeastern University in Adult and Organizational Learning.

Jana Burke

Jana is the director of research and development for Meeting the Challenge, Inc. (MTC), an information services consulting firm that serves individuals and organizations with rights and responsibilities for compliance under federal disability laws. Her main role is to serve as project director and principle investigator of the DBTAC Rocky Mountain ADA Center, managed by MTC, which provides information, informal guidance and training to those with rights and responsibilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Dr. Burke has been with MTC and the DBTAC Rocky Mountain ADA Center since 2001. She is a researcher, trainer and consultant who specializes in the ADA employment provisions and workplace strategies for ADA compliance. She has conducted more than 200 ADA-related training sessions for employers, businesses, professional organizations, attorneys, state and local government entities, disability organizations, and people with disabilities. In her current role, Dr. Burke provides strategic planning and visioning for the DBTAC project and monitors daily project operations. She oversees proposal preparation and writing, training, and provides technical assistance for individuals and organizations with ADA-related questions. In addition, she manages the development of materials and products, and directs research programs and projects.

Sally Conway

As Deputy Chief of the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, Ms. Conway directs the Department’s wide reaching ADA Technical Assistance Program, which carries out a wide variety of activities to promote voluntary compliance with the ADA, providing free information and technical assistance directly to businesses, State and local governments, people with disabilities, and the general public. These activities include the development of a broad variety of technical assistance materials and the operation of the Department’s nationwide ADA Information Line and the popular ADA Website. Ms. Conway has worked in the fields of disability and civil rights for more than 30 years. She has conducted training sessions, workshops, and presentations on the ADA for representatives from the public and private sectors, and people with disabilities throughout the country. She also oversees the Department's innovative ADA Mediation Program, which provides businesses, State and local governments, and people with disabilities an efficient, effective, and voluntary alternative for resolving complaints under the ADA and serves as Congressional Liaison for ADA and other disability-related matters. Prior to coming to the Department in 1994, Ms. Conway worked as a program director for Granite State Independent Living in New Hampshire, as an investigator for the NH Commission for Human Rights, as the director of medical social work in a hospital, and as a music teacher in the public schools.

Susan Duncan

Susan transitioned in 2009 from a private consulting practice for 30 years focused on accessibility to a position with the City of Bend, Oregon as Accessibility Manager. She is also founder and principal of The ABCs of Accessibility, Inc., and former founder and owner of ADAptations,Inc. The ABCs of Accessibility is a firm committed to developing the most powerful design tools to support the fields of Universal Design and construction and providing design and consulting services for professionals and consumers seeking information about Universal Access. She brings her unique experience as both a designer and a Registered Nurse to create a company that is vitally needed for the 21st Century. Ms. Duncan taught at Seattle Pacific University a required course she developed, Universal Design in Housing, for the Interior Design program. Continuing her passion to teach she currently teaches an online course with USC National Resource Center on Supportive Housing and Home Modification. Susan is a respected lecturer who speaks Nationally and Internationally on issues including the practical applications behind Universal Design and The Americans with Disabilities Act, of 1990 (ADA). In her spare time, she is executive producer of an award winning educational video series on accessible design and construction for living environments. Ms. Duncan has also invented and patented a space planning design tool, the Visualizer Set, which was introduced to the market 2004.

Mike Edwards

Mike is the Missouri Coordinator for the Great Plains ADA Center, which provides information, informal guidance, and training to those with rights and responsibilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Mr. Edwards has been with the Great Plains ADA Center since 2001 where he is a trainer and a technical assistance specialist on all titles of the ADA. For the last 3 years he has been the Session Coordinator for the National ADA Symposium and in 2010 he oversaw the National 2010 by 2010 Campaign. This project collected signatures across the country to support full inclusiveness of individuals with disabilities in their communities. Also in 2010 Mr. Edwards became the coordinator for the ADA Coordinators Training Certification Program. A first of its kind program developed by the University of Missouri School of Health Professions Disability Studies and Policy Center in response to a need for both quality training on the Americans with Disabilities Act and a mechanism to verify completed training and depth of knowledge base on ADA issues.

Barney Fleming

Barney is a training and information specialist with the Northwest ADA Center, University of Washington. Dr. Fleming is a practicing rehabilitation engineer with 20 years of experience specializing in accessibility of the built environment, job accommodation, assistive technology in the workplace, universal design of products and facilities, accessibility of web technologies and multimedia, adaptive computer technology, and augmentative and alternative communication.

Jeff Fuchs

Jeff owns Alder Design Company, an engineering firm based in Bend, Oregon. Jeff is a professional civil engineer with 20 years of experience designing a variety of civil works projects. His consulting company firm specializes in the multiple aspects of ADA, project management, and general civil engineering. Prior to forming his own company Mr. Fuchs worked for more than 6 years as a project manager for Hickman, Williams and Associates (HWA) an engineering firm in Bend. At HWA, Jeff was project manager for the City's Phase 2 ADA Improvement Project that included design and construction of 187curb ramps, 4 downtown ADA head-in parking stalls, and various other sidewalk improvements to improve access in Bend. Jeff's experience stretches back to the early days of ADA where he designed ferry terminals for Washington State Ferries in 1991-1998. Since then he has designed a multitude of projects incorporating accessibility for sidewalks, curb ramps, streets, and facilities. Additionally he has written construction specifications for Oregon and Washington State's Departments of Transportation and several other agencies and municipalities.

Jan Garrett

Jan Garrett, J.D., is employed by the Public Health Institute (PHI), Oakland, California. She currently serves as the Program Manager of the Pacific Disability and Business Technical Assistance Center, called the DBTAC - Pacific ADA Center. A major project at PHI, the DBTAC - Pacific ADA Center is one of ten Regional centers nationally that have been set up to provide information and referral, training, consultation, and technical assistance to the business, state and local government, and disability communities about their responsibilities and rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Center serves California, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii, and the Pacific Basin. Nationally, the Center participates in nationwide training projects and the development of materials for broad base distribution. Prior to joining the DBTAC - Pacific ADA Center, Ms. Garrett held positions as both a lawyer and an executive director in many federal government and non-profit agencies. For more than 25 years, Ms. Garrett has worked and established connections within the independent living and disability community.

Michael Patrick Gibbens

Michael Gibbens, CASp, ICC, ACE, ACD, is a nationally recognized author, instructor and consultant on the interpretive and technical aspects of disabled accessibility compliance in commercial and residential applications for both public and private sectors. He has developed and presented hundreds of seminars on compliance with State and Federal access laws and guidelines throughout the country and has more than 25 years experience as a disabled accessibility compliance consultant. In California, he was the first to develop and publish compilations of the more stringent provisions between State and Federal accessibility mandates for the design and construction of Public Accommodations and Commercial Facilities (Federal ADA/State Title 24 standards) and multifamily residential projects (Federal FHAA/State HCD standards) in 1991. Mr. Gibbens’ thirteenth book on disabled accessibility compliance, the CalDAG 2009 (California Disabled Accessibility Guidebook) began national distribution in January 2009. The CalDAG is the only publication in existence that documents the most stringent requirements between the California State accessibility requirements and the ADA. The California Council of the American Institute of Architects (CCAIA) has recognized the CalDAG as the foremost subject source on combined state and federal disabled accessibility compliance in the State of California. Mr. Gibbens’ expertise in the interpretation of the legal and technical provisions of disabled accessibility standards is regularly utilized by law firms for the resolution of complaints, allegations of non-compliance and lawsuits. He has both designed and constructed improvements for the retrofit of facilities to provide compliance with State and Federal accessibility mandates, and is a consultant to a broad range of private businesses and governmental agencies.

Rob Gilkerson

Rob works for the Rocky Mountain ADA Center where he reviews building plans for architects and business owners to see if they comply with ADA Standards for Accessible Design. Rob earned his B.A. in Sociology from Colorado State University. As a student he received a recognition award for outstanding efforts in making higher education more accessible to persons with disabilities from the Association on Higher Education And Disability (AHEAD). Rob has an extensive background in accessibility related issues and has authored numerous wheelchair access guides. He has worked with several organizations to survey facilities for ADA compliance including Colorado State University, the White River and Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forests, Colorado Springs School District 11, Kaiser Permanente, and the City of Golden. Rob was instrumental in creating a DVD based on the Existing Facility Checklist by providing both photos and technical interpretation of the ADA Standards for Accessible Design.

Kathy Gips

Kathy is Director of Training and Technical Assistance at the New England ADA Center, a project of the Institute for Human Centered Design.  She provides trainings and technical assistance on the Americans with Disabilities Act, the federal Fair Housing Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and related state and federal laws. Kathy also provides technical assistance nationally through Fair Housing Accessibility FIRST, another project of the Institute for Human Centered Design. Prior to working at the Institute she was Assistant Director for Community Services at the Massachusetts Office on Disability.  She has over 20 years experience in the field of access for people with disabilities.

Patrick (Pat) Going

Pat is the Senior Advisor at the Rocky Mountain ADA Center. Mr. Going was in the select group who received the intensive ADA training from DOJ/EEOC/DREDF in the early 90's. Prior to joining the Rocky Mountain ADA Center, he served as the director of the Arthritis Foundation for Southern Colorado. Mr. Going has over 20 years of experience in the disability field and has served on the RegNeg Committee for Developed Outdoor Recreation for the US Access Board and was a Board member of the Colorado Governor's Advisory Council for Persons with Disabilities, the Colorado Business Leadership Network, and the Pike's Peak Center on Deafness. He currently serves on the Board for the Colorado State Independent Living Council (SILC) and Partners for Access to the Woods (PAWS). Mr. Going graduated from the University of California-Berkeley, with an MBA degree and served on the faculty at the U.S. Air Force Academy for three years. He is also the inventor of Great Grips, a low-cost device that makes it easier to grip and turn round doorknobs.

Marilyn Golden

Marilyn is a Policy Analyst at the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF), a leading national law and policy center on disability civil rights based in California. She has been closely involved with the Americans with Disabilities Act throughout all the stages of its proposal and passage and now during its implementation. Since the ADA’s passage, Golden has continued to play a key role in ADA transportation policy development on the national level. She has authored or coordinated many ADA-related transportation papers and projects, including the recently-published Topic Guides on ADA Transportation, funded by the Federal Transit Administration to provide technical assistance to transit agencies, riders, and advocates, and available at http://www.dredf.org/ADAtg/. Golden was a two-term presidential appointee to the U.S. Access Board and has represented DREDF for fifteen years on the ANSI A117 Committee, which develops standards that form the basis for model building codes adopted by most U.S. states. A highly lauded ADA trainer, she has directed and led numerous in-depth programs on the ADA which have given thousands of people comprehensive knowledge on how to make this law a reality.

Dan Goldstein

Dan is a partner in the law firm of Brown Goldstein and Levy in Baltimore. Mr. Goldstein has had a wide-ranging practice that includes complex commercial matters, high-impact public interest litigation, personal injury, white-collar criminal defense, and court appointments to represent defendants charged federally with death-eligible offenses. As counsel for the National Federation of the Blind, Dan has initiated a national legal campaign to ensure access to technology. His settlement of a class action against Cardtronics, which provides for tens of thousands of voice-guided ATMs, constituted a major step toward making this ubiquitous convenience accessible to the blind. His suit against Target.com set precedent regarding the application of access laws to websites, and his suit against America Online has made AOL accessible to the blind. In litigation from Maryland to Florida, he has helped ensure the right of the blind to vote independently and in secret. This work has gone beyond litigation to partnerships, including the negotiation of joint technology agreements with technology developers such as Amazon.com.

Dolores Gonzalez

Ms. Gonzalez has life-long, self advocacy experience as a person with a disability and has worked in the field for more than 30 years. She was appointed and has served as the ADA Coordinator for the City of Austin since the law became effective in January 1991. In addition, she has led efforts which have resulted in the City of Austin's multiple recognitions for ADA compliance. Ms. Gonzalez was also instrumental in producing a video detailing the City of Austin's early efforts to comply with ADA: "City of Austin: Equal Opportunity for All." As the Liaison for the Austin Mayor's Committee for People with Disabilities, Ms. Gonzalez assists in implementing programs related to employment, housing, youth, cross-disability issues, accessible arts, transportation, and serves in an advisory capacity in policy making. She also assists in planning the Austin Access Awards that celebrates the anniversary of the ADA by showcasing businesses that excel in exhibiting the Spirit of the ADA and a most welcoming attitude for people with disabilities. In the past few years, Ms. Gonzalez, in conjunction with the U.S. State Department, has hosted delegations from Santiago, Chile; Ukraine; Uzbekistan and most recently from Morocco, Syria, Oman, Lebanon, Jordan, and Bahrain, in efforts to share information relating to disability laws and serving person with disabilities. Ms. Gonzalez served on the President's committee for Employment of People with Disabilities and has represented the City across the country. She served two terms in the Goodwill Industries of of Central Texas, Board of Director. She is a native Texan and a graduate of the University of Texas at El Paso.

Wendy Strobel-Gower

Wendy is the Director of the DBTAC Northeast ADA Center. She holds a Masters degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from the Medical College of Virginia at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). Ms. Strobel-Gower has worked extensively in the application and training of issues around assistive technology in work and school environments. She also has a great deal of experience in the area of employment and transition from school to work for people with disabilities. Other areas of interest include person centered planning philosophy and tools, disability legislation and its impact on services, and the identification and accommodation of the functional limitations of disabilities across the lifespan.

Peggy Greenwell

Peggy has been an accessibility specialist with the US Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board) since November l992. Her responsibilities include providing technical assistance and training on the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) and the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS). She specializes in access issues related to recreation facilities and is coordinating the development of accessibility guidelines for facilities such as: sports facilities, amusement parks, play areas, golf facilities, swimming pools, boating and fishing facilities, and outdoor developed areas. Her work includes responsibility for the coordination of the Board's recreation rulemaking and has included three federal advisory committees, two of which were regulatory negotiations. She is also responsible for the agency's training program. She has a Bachelor's in Science Degree from the University of Maryland in Recreation with a Therapeutic Recreation option and a Master's Degree from the University of Maryland, University College in General Administration. She is a frequent speaker before organizations in the design, construction, and facility's management industries and has developed numerous training programs and seminars for those responsible for the application of the Accessibility Guidelines.

Sandy Hanebrink

Sandy Hanebrink, OTR/L is the South Carolina Branch Director of Touch the Future, Inc. and provides computers, medical equipment and other assistive technology to individuals who are disabled, seniors, Veterans, or are from disadvantaged communities. Ms. Hanebrink is an occupational therapist and works as an accessibility and ADA consultant with the City of Anderson, Anderson County and other municipalities, businesses, organizations and individuals across the country. She is very active and serves on many boards and committees including the SC Governor's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, Anderson Mayor's Committee on Disability, SC Assistive Technology Program Advisory Board, Anderson Services Association, Anderson Complete the Streets Committee, Anderson United Way Vision Council, Tour de LaFrance Handcycling and Cycling Committee, NATTAP National Veterans Workgroup, Faithbased and Community Partnership Committee, ATIA Conference Advisory Committee and AOTA's Network of OT Practitioner's with Disabilities. Ms. Hanebrink has multiple publications and presentations at the local to international level on disability legislation, disability culture and assistive technology especially in the areas of effectively educating and employing individuals with disabilities and access and inclusion in healthcare. Ms. Hanebrink has received many honors and awards for her 20+ years of advocacy and work including the Jefferson Award, Social Security Administration's Robert Hindrich Humanitarian Award, American Occupational Therapy Association's Recognition of Achievement for Public Service and Advocacy in OT, and Anderson Mayor's Committee on Disability Service Worker of the Year Award. Ms. Hanebrink is also a Paralympic medalist and national champion athlete.

Eve Hill

Eve is Senior Vice President at the Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University (in the Washington, DC office), where she is responsible for the Institute's Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), disability civil rights, and communications work. Ms. Hill's recent advocacy has focused on accessibility of electronic books, the internet, and information technology; availability of affordable accessible housing; and procurement, affirmative action and subminimum wage employment programs. Previously, Ms. Hill was the founding Director of the Washington DC Office of Disability Rights, a Cabinet-level DC government agency dedicated to improving access for people with disabilities to government programs and making the District a model of accessibility. Prior to joining the District, Ms. Hill was Executive Director of the Disability Rights Legal Center in Los Angeles, which advocates for the civil rights of people with disabilities through impact civil rights litigation, special education advocacy, training and technical assistance, mediation, and other methods. She was also a Visiting Associate Professor of Law at Loyola Law School, where she taught Disability Rights Law and Special Education Law.

Elizabeth Jeanette

As ADA Coordinator of the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services (NDCS), Mrs. Jeanette is the prinicipal investigator of all ADA complaints and requests. She is responsible for ADA compliance for all Nebraska correctional facilities, which are comprised of 2,100 employees, 4,500 inmates, and 11 facilities. She received her BA Sociology/Psychology from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln and completed graduate studies in Public Administration from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Erica C. Jones

Erica Jones, M.P.H., is employed by the Public Health Institute (PHI), Oakland, California. She has been the Principal Investigator and Director of the Pacific Disability and Business Technical Assistance Center, currently called DBTAC - Pacific ADA Center, since 1991. She is also the Executive Director of the Center on Disability at PHI. A major project, the DBTAC - Pacific ADA Center is one of ten Regional centers nationally that have been set up to provide information and referral, training, consultation, and technical assistance to the business, state and local government, and disability communities about their responsibilities and rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act. In 2006, the Center received funding to conduct research. The Center serves California, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii, and the Pacific Basin. Nationally, the Center participates in nationwide training projects and the development of materials for broad base distribution. Ms. Jones has served as the Principal Investigator on many grants and contracts throughout her career. She has been the Principal Investigator in the evaluation of projects and national model programs with such federal agencies as the Rehabilitation Services Administration, the Department of Education, including many university systems and non-profit agencies. Ms. Jones has played a longstanding role in the disability community with a history of working cooperatively with many varied constituencies.

Robin Jones

Robin is Director of the Great Lakes ADA Center located in the Department on Disability and Human Development at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She has extensive experience as a consultant/trainer regarding barriers to community participation for people with disabilities including education, transportation, employment, and electronic information. Robin is actively involved in assisting business and government to meet their obligations under federal disability rights laws and is recognized as a key resource regarding accessibility.

Barbara Kornblau

Barbara played a key role in shaping the President's health care reform plan, and continues to be on the inside track in the national conversation. A longtime advocate for the disability community, Kornblau was charged with helping policy makers understand the health care disparities faced by people with disabilities, and how they would be affected by reform.

Conrad Kuehn

Conrad has been with the Northwest ADA Center since the first day of the grant, answering the technical assistance hotline and helped move the Northwest ADA Center into action. Conrad is the "go to" person for Web, IT, AT and technical assistance expertise on mental health issues. Conrad was a building engineer in high rise office buildings with full responsibility for facility management. He also provides distance learning via the Internet and telecommunication channels. He earned a Master's Degree in Psychology/Human Resource Development from Antioch University and is in the process of completing a Ph.D. in Administration from Walden University.

Kelly Larson

Kelly serves as the Executive Director for the City of Dubuque Human Rights Department, and has held that position since 1999. She has degrees in law and psychology, and is also an intercultural competence trainer and certified administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory. She works closely with the public in her current position, and has past experience as an adjunct professor, a crisis counselor, a psychiatric aide, and an assistant in a group home for youth with disabilities. Kelly serves on the executive boards of the League of Iowa Human Rights Agencies and the Regional Executive Council on Civil Rights. In 2005, she received the Ruby Sutton Humanitarian Award from the Dubuque Chapter of the NAACP in recognition of outstanding service in the continued fight for freedom and justice. She lives in Dubuque, Iowa, with her husband, daughter, son, three cats and a ferret.

Fraser A. McAlpine

Mr. McAlpine's practice focuses on labor and employment litigation and arbitration in matters concerning federal and state employment and labor laws. He has represented clients in state and federal courts and before administrative agencies such as the National Labor Relations Board and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. A significant portion of Mr. McAlpine's practice involves collective action wage and hour claims, class action employment discrimination lawsuits and unfair business practice litigation under the California law. He also represents and counsels management in connection with disputes concerning ERISA, executive compensation, employee raiding and misappropriation of trade secrets.

J. Aaron McCullough

J. Aaron is an attorney and consultant focusing on civil rights law. Aaron is also an experienced lecturer on civil rights compliance. He is in private practice, and consulting with a number of governmental entities, architecture firms, and other law firms. Mr. McCullough earned his law degree from the University of Houston Law Center. He is a serious professional with a sense of humor and in five years of giving ADA presentations has never put a participant to sleep. Aaron is a proud Texan transplant, but retains a love of the Ozarks region where he grew up.

Amy Morris

Amy has worked in the disability field for the past fourteen years where she currently serves as the Development Director for RAMP a Center for Independent Living headquartered in Rockford, IL. Prior to her work with RAMP, she was employed by the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Morris received her Masters Degree in Communications from Northern Illinois University.

Andrea Haenlin-Mott

Andrea is the ADA Coordinator for Facilities Services for Cornell University. She serves as the primary point of contact for all ADA related issues for the Facilities Services Unit of the University. Andrea acts as a steward for accessibility for the University, identifying new projects and barriers, acting as a voice of reason for access challenges and working with members of the Cornell Community to address issues of access, either as they arise, or in the planning and development of new projects and programs. Andrea spends a significant amount of her time in the management of new construction and renovation projects and incorporation of accessibility issues—both from a universal design process as well as ADA compliance perspective. Andrea is the former Project Director for the Northeast ADA Center at the Employment and Disability Institute in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell. Andrea has facilitated and provided educational programs on various topics related to disability issues for the past 23 years.

William Myhill

William Myhill is the Director of Legal Research & Writing for the Burton Blatt Institute (BBI) and Adjunct Professor of Law at Syracuse University. His research interests include law and policy developments affecting education, youth transition, and accessible information technology for persons with disabilities, and the issues of invisible disabilities and aging with or into disability. Formerly, William served as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in Papua New Guinea and as a special education teacher working with children having diverse special needs

Ed Neuberg

Ed is the Director of the Denver Office of Disability Rights (DODR) and the City's ADA coordinator. Ed has been Director of DODR for 10 years and involved with the ADA for over 15 years. Ed works within Denver city government on Title II ADA compliance and advises the private sector on Title III ADA compliance issues and concerns. Ed is also liaison to the Denver Commission for People with Disabilities (Mayors Commission). This commission works on ADA issues, Disability Rights, Community acknowledgement /awards, and makes recommendations to the Mayor and City Council. Ed is a certified ADA coordinator, member of the Rocky Mt. ADA Leadership Network, certified ADA trainer and has a B. S. degree in Education from Colorado State University.

John J. O'Donoghue

John retired as Asst. Chief/Chief of Operations from the Cambridge, MA Fire Department in December of 2004 after 39 years of service. He has been a member of the ASME A17.1/CSA B44 Safety Code for Elevators (Emergency Operations Committee) since 1994. He is a member of the ASME A17 Task Group on Occupant Evacuation Elevators. He presently sits on the Massachusetts Board of Elevator Regulations representing the Department of Fire Services where he is an instructor on elevator related issues.

Lou Orslene

Lou serves as the Co-Director of the Job Accommodation Network (JAN) as well as the fiscal officer for both JAN and the Disability Research Policy Center at West Virginia University. Previously, Lou served as JAN's Manager of Strategic Partnerships, a JAN Consultant with the Cognitive/Mental Health Team. Lou graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with dual Master's degrees in Public and International Affairs and Social Work. Lou also earned a certificate in managing public and non-profit organizations as well as a specialization in economic development administration. He holds an undergraduate degree in Human Resource Management. Lou is committed to increasing the employability of persons with disabilities. This commitment is continuously deepened through the exploration of the nexus between the needs of employers and abilities of persons with disabilities.

Kim Paarlberg

Kim is a Senior Staff Architect in Technical Services with the International Code Council (ICC). Her experience with ICC includes work in the plan review and code development departments with responsibilities for code development, conducting plan reviews, providing code interpretations, instructing technical seminars and authoring and reviewing instruction materials, code commentary and publication articles. Ms. Paarlberg serves as code development secretary for the Means of Egress/Accessibility committee. She is the ICC representative for development of the referenced technical standard, ICC/ANSI A117.1 adn Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities. Ms. Paarlberg also works on the development committee for the ASME 24 and Flood Resistant Design and Construction; and ICC 300 and Standard on Bleachers, Folding and Telescopic Seating and Grandstands. Before joining ICC, Ms. Paarlberg worked as a structural engineer and architect. Ms. Paarlberg is a licensed architect in Illinois and holds an Accessibility Inspector/Plans Examiner certification. Ms. Paarlberg attended the University of Illinois and received a Master of Architecture degree with a structural engineering option. She is a member of the Indiana Steering Committee for the Great Lakes DBTAC (Disability and Business Technical Assistance Centers) that facilitates dispersal of information and technical assistance for ADA and ADAAG.

Ray Petty

Ray serves as the Kansas Coordinator for the Great Plains ADA Coordinator. As Kansas Coordinator for the past 20 years, Ray has worked closely with communities, counties, state government agencies, Centers for Independent Living and other organizations to provide technical assistance, training, and consultation on the ADA. Ray has been instrumental in helping communities, businesses, and educational entities throughout Kansas provide accessible services to their citizens.

Cindy Powell

Cindy is an Outreach Specialist with the DBTAC Rocky Mountain ADA Center. Cindy has provided direct and administrative services to individuals with disabilities since 1975. As a Colorado Disability Program Navigator, Ms. Powell was recipient of the International Association of Workforce Professional's 2006 Services to Specialized Populations Award. Cindy has instructed specialized sign language courses since 1979. Ms. Powell's disability articles are published online, and in newsletters, newspapers and magazines, including the quarterly periodical Apostrophe, for and about people with developmental disabilities. In March 2010 and 2011, Cindy's life dream became a reality, as she cheered on Iditarod mushers and their dog teams along Alaska's Bering Coast. Ms. Powell is the proud mother of an adult daughter and three cats with disabilities.

Hannah Rudstam

After completing her Ph.D. in Education at the University of Wisconsin—Madison, Hannah Rudstam worked as a program planner and evaluator at the Royal Adult Learning Academy in Stockholm, Sweden.  Back in the U.S., she became a Senior Research Scientist at the University of Wisconsin, researching a state-wide health risk prevention program in Wisconsin.  After re-locating in the upstate New York area, she took a position as a Senior Organizational Development Consultant at United Technologies.  In this capacity, she designed competency-based tools for hiring, performance management and employee development systems.    Six years ago, she took a position as Senior Extension Faculty with the Disability Business Technical Assistance Center of the Employment and Disability Institute at Cornell University.  In this role, she has designed and implemented programs on a broad range of topics related to disability and employment and has presented at state, national and international conferences.  

Betty Siegel

Betty has specialized in arts and disability issues for over twenty-five years. She started in the field at Arena Stage in Washington, D.C., moved to Austin TX where she ran a small arts and disability non-profit, and was certified as a sign language interpreter. She is currently Director of Accessibility at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC. She oversees accessibility compliance, policies, and accommodations for all performances, programs, events, and facilities. She initiated and works on national and international projects such as the Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability (LEAD) network of cultural arts administrators. Ms. Siegel holds a JD and is currently licensed to practice law in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Rich Sternadori

Rich is the State of Nebraska Coordinator with the University of Missouri, Great Plains ADA Center. He holds a Masters of Education in Counseling Psychology from the University of Missouri, with a specialty in rehabilitation and trauma psychology. Richard has completed significant coursework toward his PhD. Rich served 16 years as a Chief Building Official and Zoning administrator. He attended the Architectural Degree and Urban Planning Program at the University of Kansas. Richard was appointed in 1993 by Governor Joan Finney to the Kansas State Board of Technical Professions–for Architects and Engineers. Rich serves as a therapist and on the Board of Directors with the International Medical and Educational Trust (IMET), the umbrella organization of the University of Missouri Trauma Team. The Team provides training and assistance to counselors, schools, governments and others for children, following disasters worldwide. Rich is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor and has provided trauma and domestic violence counseling in clinical and emergency settings. He is a member of the Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (VOAD) in his community. Richard has been leading the Nebraska Disabilities Alliance program, bringing together the agencies on the front line of serving people with disabilities to better prepare for emergencies.

Eric Stockton

Eric Stockton received his undergraduate degree in Political Science from the University of Missouri-Columbia (MU). While attending MU, he began working for the Great Plains ADA Center. During his seven-year tenure at the Great Plains ADA Center, Mr. Stockton conducted numerous trainings and provided technical assistance on all facets of the ADA, and coordinated the National ADA Symposium. Additionally, he was part of the team that surveyed every public facility owned by the City of Wichita, Kansas as a part of a U.S. Dept. of Justice settlement agreement and assisted with the review of every election-polling place in the State of Missouri as a result of the Help America Vote Act. He also served on the Board of Directors for Services for Independent Living in Columbia, Missouri and on the MU Arena Access Advisory Committee for the new MU basketball arena. Mr. Stockton graduated from the MU School of Law in 2008. He is currently an Associate in the Litigation Practice Group at Greensfelder, Hemker, & Gale, P.C. in St. Louis, Missouri and is licensed to practice law in Illinois and Missouri.

Barry Taylor

Barry has been the Legal Advocacy Director at Equip for Equality, the Illinois Protection and Advocacy system, where he supervises the legal services, self-advocacy and training programs since 1996. Taylor has overseen many successful ADA suits including against the National Board of Medical Examiners, Chicago Police Department, Chicago Transit Authority, and he is currently co-counsel in two class actions on behalf of people with developmental disabilities and mental illness living in large private institutions who are seeking community services. Taylor has given numerous presentations on the ADA across the country to people with disabilities, employers, service providers and advocacy organizations. Equip for Equality receives funding from the DBTAC: Great Lakes ADA Center to provide training and educational materials on emerging ADA legal issues, and is also the fiscal agent for the Illinois ADA Project, which is funded by the Great Lakes ADA Center. Taylor is also an Adjunct Professor at John Marshall Law School. Previously, Taylor was an AIDS Project attorney for Lambda Legal and a litigation associate at the Chicago law firm of Peterson and Ross.

Randi Turner

Randi serves as the Communications Access Specialist for the Office for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services within the Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services and Division for Rehabilitation Services. She works with federal, state and local agencies and service providers, for profit and not for profit, regarding their obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the Rehabilitation Act. She provides statewide training to empower people who are deaf or hard of hearing with knowledge of their civil rights and provides training for the business community on their responsibilities under the ADA. She also provides statewide training for parents of children with hearing loss and their rights under the IDEA. Ms. Turner holds a Bachelors of Applied Arts and Sciences from Texas State University in San Marcos, Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf certification of CI/CT and Texas Interpreter Certification-Advanced.

Marion Vessels

Marian is Director of the Disability and Business Technical Assistance Center (DBTAC), also known as the Mid Atlantic ADA Center. Serving in this role since 1996, she acts as liaison with ADA and disability coalitions in each of the six-state Mid-Atlantic Region (MD, VA, PA, DE, WV, DC). Among her primary areas of expertise are training and technical assistance on the Americans with Disabilities Act as it relates to employment, state and local government and hospitality issues. Prior to this, she was the State of Maryland ADA Coordinator for the first 6 years of the ADA, as well as the Director of the Maryland Governor's Office of Individuals with Disabilities.

Dave Yanchulis

Dave is a graduate of George Washington University (1987) and has worked at the Access Board since 1988 as an Accessibility Specialist responsible for technical assistance to Federal, state, and local governments and private sector entities regarding the requirements of the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) of 1968 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. In 1994, he was appointed Coordinator of Research, a position created to manage the research efforts that underpin the development of accessibility guidelines. Dave has also been active in rulemaking for both title II and title III guidelines for buildings and facilities and for transit vehicles. Most recently, he has developed guidelines for the accessibility of correctional and judicial facilities constructed by state and local governments and for elements used by children. Dave's magnum opus is the ADAAG Technical Assistance Manual, a comprehensive advisory on applying accessibility guidelines to design and construction projects. In May of 1998, Dave was appointed Coordinator of Public Affairs, taking responsibility for the Board's public outreach activities, including its bi-monthly newsletter, Access Currents.