Geoff Ames is an Information Specialist for the Rocky Mountain ADA Center and his specialization is in ADA transportation issues. Mr. Ames has owned and operated small businesses in Colorado for 20 years and uses this background to provide guidance to small businesses on effective ways to improve business opportunities by complying with the ADA. Mr. Ames holds a bachelor’s degree in theology and philosophy from Lewis University in Romeoville, IL.
Troy Balthazor is the Information Specialist for the Great Plains ADA Center. He has eight years of experience as an ADA specialist and has worked in the field of disability issues for 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.
Linda Batiste has been a Job Accommodation Network (JAN) consultant since 1992. She is a member of JAN’s motor team and specializes in accommodations for individuals with mobility impairments, addictions, cancer, and heart conditions. Linda has a J.D. from West Virginia University College of Law and is a member of the Order of the Coif. Previously, she obtained her Master of Science degree in Rehabilitation Counseling and Vocational Evaluation from West Virginia University. Prior to her consulting position with JAN, she was employed by the West Virginia Division of Rehabilitation Services and the West Virginia Department of Human Services. Linda has been a speaker and presenter for various national, state and local organizations.
William Bogdan joined the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office in 1999. For the past 10 years he has served as the Disability Liaison, and is responsible for initiatives to reduce the fraudulent use of placards and disability license plates under Illinois’ Parking Program for Persons with Disabilities. He conducts trainings to law enforcement personnel on how to enforce the provisions of the program as well as to senior citizens, disability community, medical professionals and the general public. He also works on legislative issues pertaining to disability issues, and the development, and implementation of programs and services for persons with disabilities for the Office of the Secretary of State. He received his BA in Business Administration from DePaul University.
Bill Botten 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 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 and was serving as the Alaska State ADA Coordinator prior to working for CCER/Northwest ADA Center.
Julie Brinkhoff has worked with the Great Plains ADA Center for the past fourteen years where she currently serves as the Assistant Director. Ms. Brinkhoff’s primary area of interest is the development of ADA information and dissemination strategies. Prior to her work with the Great Plains ADA Center, she was a Career Counselor at the University of Missouri. Ms. Brinkhoff received her Master’s degree in Education from the University of Missouri.
Jana Burke is Project Director of the Rocky Mountain ADA Center, offering technical assistance and training on work-related ADA issues. She has conducted over 100 ADA trainings and is author of several training curricula and the ADA Quiz Book, 3rd edition. Ms. Burke received her masters in nonprofit management from Regis University and is a doctoral candidate in organization and management at Capella University.
Dinah Cohen is the Director for the Department of Defense (DOD) Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program (CAP). Ms. Cohen works closely with senior leadership throughout the Federal sector to ensure employees, beneficiaries, and members of the public with disabilities have equal access to Federal services and employment. Recently, Ms. Cohen was the recipient of the 2008 Federal 100 Presidential Award for her role in management excellence. The Partnership for Public
Service honored Ms. Cohen as the recipient of the 2007 Service to America Citizen Services Medal for her team’s tremendous impact on employees with disabilities and wounded service members. Ms. Cohen is an international speaker on disability policy, reasonable accommodations, accessibility and information technology and its impact on employment of people with disabilities. Ms. Cohen is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor. She received her Master of Science degree in Counseling Psychology with a concentration in rehabilitation counseling from the State University of New York.
Sally Conway is Director of the ADA Technical Assistance and Mediation Programs with the Civil Rights Division of the US Department of Justice. She is assigned to the Division’s Disability Rights Section, which is
responsible for providing technical assistance about the requirements of titles II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act, investigating and, where necessary, litigating title I, II, and III complaints, and certifying State
and local building codes. Holding Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, she has worked in the fields of disability and civil rights for more than 25 years. Ms. Conway 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. Ms. Conway is responsible for the Department’s wide reaching ADA Technical Assistance Program. This includes the ADA Business Connection, the development of new technical assistance materials, and the ADA Information Line, which assists more than 1,000 callers each week to understand the requirements of the ADA. 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
Amy Desenberg-Wines coordinates the Great Plains ADA Center’s technical assistance and training activities for the state of Iowa. She is also a self-employed consultant for Disability Consulting, LC, which she established in 2001. Ms. Desenberg-Wines has provided consultation services for a number of different organizations and agencies including: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, U.S. Department of Labor, Iowa Workforce Development, Iowa Department of Education, Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service, Drake University, and Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services. Amy has worked in the area of disability for over 27 years and has a master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling, Job Development and Placement.
Rob Gilkerson currently 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.
Patrick (Pat) Going 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.
Dolores Gonzalez has life-long experience as a person with a disability and has worked in the field for more than 25 years. The City Manager appointed her as the City of Austin ADA Coordinator in 1991 because of her overall experience and contacts with the disability community. Through her efforts, the City of Austin was recognized by the US Conference of Mayors and later received an award from the US Dept. of Transportation for their exemplary Curb Ramp program. Ms. Gonzalez is also the liaison for the Austin Mayor’s Committee for People with Disabilities and works integrally with them on all of their activities and events including an annual Disability Mentoring Day, White Cane Day Celebration and a Community Career Expo.
Together they also plan the Austin Access Awards, celebrating the anniversary of the ADA, by showcasing businesses that excel in a welcoming attitude for people with disabilities. In the past few years, Ms. Gonzalez, in conjunction with the US 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 persons with disabilities.
Peggy Greenwell 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.
Cristi Harris is the Special Projects Director for Meeting the Challenge, Incorporated, an information services company providing information on disability law compliance. Ms. Harris is the project manager for their current contract with Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to perform research and develop transportation related ADA materials. Ms. Harris has been with Meeting the Challenge since 1999. She oversees product development for the Center, including the website and multi-media creations. She was the project director for the Center’s latest release, “Getting it Right: Etiquette Tips”.
Andy Imparato is the first full-time President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Association of People with disabilities (AAPD), a national non-profit membership organization for the political and economic empowerment of all people with disabilities based in Washington, DC. With more than 100,000 members, AAPD is the largest cross disability membership organization in the US. Prior to joining AAPD, Imparato was general counsel and director of policy for the National Council on Disability, an attorney advisor with the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), counsel to the US Senate Subcommittee on Disability Policy, and staff attorney for the Disability Law Center in Boston Massachusetts.
Elizabeth “Liz” Jeanette is the ADA Coordinator of the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services (NDCS). She is the principal investigator of all ADA complaints and requests. Ms. Jeanette is responsible for ADA compliance
for all Nebraska correctional facilities, which is comprised of 2100 employees, 4500 inmates, and eleven facilities. Ms. Jeanette received her BA in Sociology/Psychology from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln and completed graduate studies in Public Administration from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
Robin Jones 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 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.
Christopher Kuczynski is Assistant Legal Counsel and Director of the Americans with Disabilities Act Policy Division as the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). He is responsible for supervising the development of policy guidance interpreting title I of the ADA. Mr. Kuczynski also advises EEOC’s field offices, Office of General counsel, and Chair and Commissioners on ADA investigations and litigation. From October 2003
to April 2004, Mr. Kuczynski worked as associate director of Disability Policy with the White House Domestic Policy Council where he coordinated implementation of the New Freedom Initiative, President George W. Bush’s
comprehensive strategy for the full integration of people with disabilities into all aspects of American life. Mr. Kuczynski has a B. A. in English from Villanova University, a J. D. from Temple Law School, and an LLM from Yale Law School, where his course of study focused on civil rights and constitutional law.
Joe Kusumoto is the program manager for the Keystone Adaptive Center, a satellite office of the Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center (BOEC). Over the last two years, he has spearheaded the establishment and growth of the new adaptive program at Keystone Resort in Keystone, Colo. Joe is also a professional photographer and runs Joe Kusumoto Photography. Working with clients including US Paralympics/USOC and The Hartford, he has photographed athletes at both the summer and winter Paralympics Games since 2000. Joe previously spent more than 10 years working as an adaptive ski instructor, raft guide and wilderness program instructor for the BOEC. He started his career in the architecture department for Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Association (EPVA), where he provided accessible architectural design services for residential homes, as well as reviewed new and existing commercial and public facilities for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Joe is certified as an Adaptive Trainer & Examiner from the Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA.) He has a Bachelors of Professional Studies in Architecture from the State University of New York at Buffalo.
Sandy Lahmann is an Information Specialist with Meeting the Challenge, Inc. and the Rocky Mountain ADA Center. She is the lead writer for the Meeting the Challenge, Inc. team creating transportation related ADA materials in conjunction with their current contract with the Federal Transit Administration. Ms. Lahmann was previously an accessibility consultant with Summit Stage bus service in Summit County, Colorado. A wheelchair user, she has been a frequent fixed route transit rider and a paratransit rider herself. Ms. Lahmann started out as a licensed special education teacher working with middle school, high school, and transition age students with learning disabilities, psychiatric disabilities, developmental disabilities, and physical disabilities. She currently writes a regular column, “Disability 101”, which is a disability awareness and etiquette column for the Summit Daily News.
Kelly Larson has been the Executive Director of the City of Dubuque Human Rights Department since 1999. Her earlier professional background includes serving as an adjunct professor for Clarke College and the University of Dubuque, and as Assistant Regional Counsel for the United States Department of Human Services and the Social Security Administration in Chicago, Illinois. In the past she has served as the President of the League of Iowa Human Rights Agencies and the Vice President of the Regional Executive Council on Civil Rights, and currently serves as the Secretary for each organization. Kelly’s formal education includes a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology, with honors, from the University of Iowa, as well as a J.D., Magna Cum Laude, from the University of Iowa College of Law. In recent years, she has been studying intercultural communication and conflict engagement, formally and informally, and is a certified administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory and the Intercultural Conflict Styles Inventory. She is committed to equity and social justice, and works to create opportunities for increased understanding across cultures. In 2005, she received her most cherished recognition - 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 with her husband, daughter, son, and her daughter’s hamster, ferret, and three cats.
Kathleen Laurin has extensive experience in the area of human rehabilitative services. She is currently a Project Director for the University of Montana Rural Institute, Center for Excellence in Disability Education, Research, and Service. She is responsible for all Rural Institute Assistive Technology programs and contracts including recreational projects focused on increasing access to outdoor environments and increasing opportunities for adaptive wildlife viewing, fishing, and hunting.
Cynthia Leibrock is an award-winning author, international lecturer, and designer with more than 35 years’ experience. Her mission is to improve the lives of older and disabled people through design. She is the principal/founder of Easy Access to Health, LLC, Livermore, CO, which offers consulting services in health care design, planning for independent living, product analysis, and judiciary witness services. Prominent projects include the Betty Ford Center, the UCLA Medical Center, automotive interior design for Toyota, and a universal design exhibit for the Smithsonian Institution. She has completed a universal design showroom for the Kohler Company (training over a million consumers) and a “living laboratory” in Fort Collins, CO, for research into the environmental needs of older people. Ms. Leibrock offers keynote presentations and workshops internationally, including multiple lectures for Fortune 500 companies. She has served as a lobbyist for people with mental disabilities and as a research associate on the dean’s staff at Colorado State University, conducting health care design research in Scandinavia, northern Europe, and Japan. She is author of Design Details for Health: Making the Most of Interior Design’s Healing Potential (Wiley, 1999) and Beautiful Barrier Free: A Visual Guide to Accessibility (Wiley1997), and coauthor with James Evan Terry of Beautiful Universal Design (Wiley, 1999). She has twice been awarded the Polsky Prize for literature.
Marsha Mazz joined the staff of the Access Board in 1989 and is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts. She holds the position of Technical Assistance Coordinator and is a Senior Accessibility Specialist. Ms. Mazz provides technical input to and oversight of the continued development of the ADA Accessibility Guidelines. She oversees the technical assistance program that includes the Board’s toll-free responses to questions about access in buildings and facilities covered by the ADA and the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA). In addition, she is the Access Board’s representative to the model code organizations and is on the ICC/ANSI A117 Committee on Architectural Features and Site Design of Public Buildings and Residential Structures for Persons with Disabilities and the ASME A18 Committee on Safety Standard for Platform Lifts and Stairway Chairlifts. Ms. Mazz’s prior experience includes service as a program manager and advocacy director at a center for independent living, a member of the Maryland State Planning Council on Developmental Disabilities, and a Board member for the National Council on Independent Living. Additionally, working for the Disabled Student Services office, she assisted a major state university to respond to the requirements of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. She has also served as past Chair of the Prince George’s County (MD) Commission on Persons with Disabilities and as Chair of the Washington Metropolitan Area Advisory Committee on Transportation for People with Disabilities.
J. Aaron McCullough 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 proud Texan transplant, but retains a love of the Ozarks region where he grew up.
Patti McMahon serves as the Program Analyst for the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)-Denver Field Office. As the Program Analyst, Ms. McMahon provides training to community groups, unions, businesses, and educational facilities; speaks at seminars and educational programs; writes articles about anti-discrimination in employment for publication; provides informational materials; and answer most questions Concerning charge process handling procedures in the Denver Field Office. In addition, she coordinates the Denver Office’s annual Technical Assistance Program Seminar (TAPS); serves as the Office’s small business ombudsman; and the media contact person. Ms. McMahon began her career with EEOC as an investigator. During her tenure as an investigator, she investigated charges alleging violations under title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Equal Pay Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act. She has a Bachelor of Science from Metropolitan State College of Denver in Criminal Justice and Criminology.
Mary Lou Mobley has been the Director of the Office for Civil Rights (Denver Region) at the U.S. Department of Education since 2006. There, she leads a staff of investigators and attorneys charged with enforcing Federal civil rights laws at educational institutions throughout Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. Prior to joining OCR, she was with the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Disability Rights Section, since 1992. She helped developed policy on effective communications and accessibility issues and helped lead the Disability Rights Section’s Investigations Unit for several years. Among other things, she was honored with the Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Information Technology for her guidance to agencies to carry out their responsibilities under Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. In 2006, she was awarded the John Marshall Award for leading a large team of attorneys and investigators under Project Civic Access, a broad-based DOJ enforcement initiative under title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Mary Lou graduated from Duke University Law School.
Kim Paarlberg 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 “Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities.” Ms. Paarlberg also works on the development committee for the
ASME 24 “Flood Resistant Design and Construction” and ICC 300 “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 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.
Carol Jean Reynolds is the Executive Director of the Disability Center for Independent Living (DCIL) in Denver, Colorado. Carol has extensive experience in providing services to individuals with cognitive disabilities. Forty-two percent of DCIL’s consumers have a mental or cognitive disability. DCIL has opened satellite offices’ to provide independent living services to mental health clients and clients with developmental disabilities. Carol received a presidential appointment to the National Council on Independent Living and is the Region VIII representative and member of the Board of Directors for the National Council on Independent Living. Carol is an accomplished speaker and presenter on issues surrounding mental health issues as well as employment of individuals with psychiatric disabilities including presentations given to supervisors and human resource managers for U.S. Parks, Recreation and Tourism as well as attendees at EEOC conferences.
Marcie Roth was appointed by President Obama in June 2009 to be the Senior Advisor on Disability Issues for FEMA. Once at FEMA, she developed the new Office of Disability Integration and Coordination, where she now serves as
Director. In this role, she leads the Agency’s commitment to meet the access and functional needs of children and adults with disabilities in emergency and disaster preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation. Before coming to FEMA, Ms. Roth was President and CEO of Global Disability Solutions Group, a leading national organization promoting diverse workforce initiatives with a focus on disability issues. She served as a senior member of the Obama for America Disability Policy Committee and served on President Obama’s Justice and Civil Rights Transition Team. Over the past 20 years, Ms. Roth has held leadership positions with the National Coalition for Disability Rights, National Spinal Cord Injury Association, National Council on Independent Living and TASH, the national disability rights organization. She is known for her work in developing and managing effective coalitions to advance public policy initiatives, and is frequently consulted as an expert on strategic approaches that fully integrate preparedness, response and recovery solutions. Ms. Roth led private sector responses to the additional needs of survivors with disabilities during and after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and she was commended by the White House for her efforts on behalf of New Yorkers with disabilities in the aftermath of the 2001 terrorist attacks. In addition to her own personal experience with disability, Ms. Roth is the parent of two children with disabilities, both on their way to achieving independence.
Vickie Simpson joined the staff of the Illinois Attorney General’s Office in 1989. For the past 16 years she has worked in the Disability Rights Bureau enforcing accessibility laws and ensuring people with disabilities have access to the services offered by public facilities and units of local and state government. She conducts many trainings for those involved with the built environment including engineers, architects, code officials, law enforcement, business and disability organizations regarding the Environmental Barriers Act, the Illinois Accessibility Code and the Americans with Disabilities Act. She received her BS and MS in Criminal Justice Sciences from Illinois State University.
Lois Thibault is a licensed architect who joined the US Access Board in 1992 to direct its technical training activities and since 1998 has also been responsible for its research program. She assists in the agency’s rulemaking responsibilities, currently over seeing those on Public Rights-of-Way and Classroom Acoustics as part of the Board’s ongoing work to develop more specific accessibility guidelines for facilities covered by the ADA. Ms. Thibault also produces the Board’s advisory bulletins on ADAAG specifications, provides technical assistance to public and private entities, and conducts and participates in training and education programs. In 1999, she authored Accessible Rights-of-Way, a design guide for sidewalk, street crossings, and pedestrian facility accessibility. She spent a decade in private practice as an architect in the Washington, DC area and six years with the American Institute of Architects (AIA).
Barry Taylor 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 & Ross.
Randi Turner serves as the Communications Access Specialist for the Office for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services within the Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services-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. Ms. Turner provides statewide training for parents of children with hearing loss on their rights under IDEA. She holds a Bachelors of Applied Arts and Sciences from Texas State University in San Marcos, and Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf Certification of CI/CT and Texas
Interpreter Certification of Level III.
Sarah Will is the Executive Director of AXS (access) Vail Valley (axsvail.org), a non-profit corporation dedicated to encouraging the growth and expansion of recreation programs and services for people with disabilities. Sarah is also a 12-time Paralympics gold medalist in alpine skiing and was inducted into the Olympic Hall of Fame in 2009. This wasn’t the career path that Sarah had always dreamed of, but in 1988 a ski accident resulting in a spinal cord injury changed her life. One year after her accident she was back on the slopes taking her first run in a monoski and reaching speeds over 65MPH. Outdoor recreational activities have played a large role in shaping her future and she wants those opportunities to be available to everyone regardless of physical limitations. She works with resort communities throughout Colorado to improve accessibility for visitors and residents with disabilities. Sarah consults with architects, local businesses, construction firms and local government in an effort to design projects that make sense for everyone. Sarah understands the difficulties and anxiety associated with traveling with a disability and works to provide access information through the AXS Vail Valley website to ensure a positive and memorable visit to the Vail Valley and beyond.
Jay Woodward is a senior staff architect with ICC’s Business and Product Development department and works out of the Lenexa, Kansas Distribution Center. His current responsibilities include serving as the Secretariat for the ICC A117.1 standard committee and the development of new ICC publications. With more than 25 years of experience in building design, construction, code enforcement and instruction, Mr. Woodward’s experience provides him with the ability to communicate effectively on issues of code application and design for code enforcement personnel as well as architects and designers. Mr. Woodward has previously served as the secretariat for ICC’s Energy Conservation Code and the International Building Code’s Fire Safety Code Development committee.
Chantal M. Woodyard has worked with the disability community since 1989. She completed her bachelor’s degree in Human Services at The University of Phoenix. Prior to joining the DBTAC staff, Chantal was an IL Specialist for the Independent Living Center in Southern Colorado. At the Center, Chantal was responsible for the blind, outreach and employment programs as well as case management. She also has experience in grant writing. Chantal spent many years working in residential services for people with developmental disabilities. This included various positions such as Senior Medical Coordinator and Program Manager.
Dave Yanchulis 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.
Janet Zeller is the National Accessibility Program Manager for the U.S. Forest Service and the agency’s 175 National Forests and Grasslands on 193 million acres across the U.S. She has worked in the field of accessibility since the mid 1980s and has been with the Forest Service since 1991. Janet manages the Forest Service’s accessibility program and staff and is the lead for the development and implementation of the accessibility programs and policies for the agency. She also represents the Forest Service working on accessibility issues with organizations, States, and other federal agencies. Janet instructs accessibility and universal design of programs and facilities at a wide range of training sessions nationally.