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Home > Professional Speakers
PROFESSIONAL SPEAKERS
Contact us today to arrange for a keynote speaker or workshop leader!
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Debra Ruh
CEO and Founder
Debra Ruh is an internationally recognized leader in the electronic and information technology (E&IT) accessibility arena, and a major advocate for the rights of persons with disabilities. Her steadfast dedication to making Section 508 and other accessibility legislation truly helpful to persons with disabilities is inspired by her daughter, Sara, who was born with Down syndrome. When Sara reached middle school, Debra realized her daughter´s employment options were going to be extremely limited, and decided to become an employer that values the talents and skills of persons with disabilities.
Inspired by her mission to create employment opportunities for people with disabilities and drawing upon more than 25 years of international experience developing and implementing solutions for government agencies and organizations, Debra started TecAccess in 2001. Her award-winning company works tirelessly to create a fully accessible world of technology.
Debra Ruh is a keynote speaker and has authored numerous articles appearing in consumer publications and trade journals such as Learning Solutions eMagazine. She has also been featured in Washington Technology and Entrepreneur Magazine. She has spoken before the European Union, Executive Offices of the President, USDA Conference on Disabilities, IDEAS, CSUN, GSA Usability Universes, Fed Web Conference, USPTO Panel on Accessible E-Learning, and the Leadership Institution on Design of Accessible Online Education at Georgia Tech Global Learning Center.
Keynote & Workshop Topics:
Accessible Technology and Universal Design, How to Make Your Website Compliant, Section 508 Strategies, How to Make e-Learning Section 508 Compliant, How To Get ROI From Section 508, Section 508 Compliance Training, Accessible E-Learning, How Section 508 Compliments Accessibility & Usability, How to Make Software Section 508 Compliant, How to Test for Section 508, Section 508 Compliance Overview, How to Start a Successful Telework Business Model, How to Hire People with Disabilities as Accessibility Testers, and much more!
John D. Kemp
World Renowned Disability Advocate, Author, Speaker
John D. Kemp is widely respected for his many achievements, both in the corporate and non-profit worlds. As a person with personal disability experience who uses four prostheses, John inspires others to achieve the impossible through knowledge, experience, vision, personality, and persistence. Mr. Kemp graduated from Georgetown University in 1971 and from Washburn University School of Law in 1974. Mr. Kemp was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Law from Washburn University School of Law in May, 2003.
With more than 45 years of direct experience in the disability movement, currently, John D. Kemp is a principal at the Washington, D.C. Law Firm of Powers, Pyles, Sutter & Verville, P.C.. In his practice, he serves at the CEO ACCSES, HalfthePlanet Foundation and The One Percent Coalition, as well as the Executive Director and General Counsel to the US Business Leadership Network and represents several technology companies interested in disability.
In March 2006, Mr. Kemp received the Henry B. Betts Award, widely regarded as America´s highest honor for disability leadership and service. Presented jointly by the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago and the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), the Betts Award recognizes a person´s work and scope of influence that have significantly improved the quality of life for people with disabilities in the past and who continues to be a force for change in the future.
Appointed by Secretary Leavitt of Health and Human Services, Mr. Kemp served on the Medicaid Commission from July 2005 through December 2006. He currently serves on the State Department´s Advisory Committee on Persons with Disabilities which guides the Secretary of State and the Administrator of the Agency for International Development (USAID) in the formulation and implementation of U.S. foreign policy and assistance with respect to people with disabilities.
Keynote & Workshop Topics:
John´s highly anticipated speeches are specially tailored to be both practical and inspirational, addressing such topics as government and the disability community; leadership and diversity; assistive technology´s contributions to the independence of people with disabilities; cultural differences of the disability community; the disability market for corporate products; disability employment; the past, present and future significance of the ADA; and website accessibility.
Ollie Cantos
Presidential Appointee, Disability Rights Leader, Strategic Partnership Builder, Community Activist, Writer, and Inspirational Speaker
Ollie Cantos as a blind Filipino-American has defied the odds in more ways than one. Having become blind as the result of medical complications at birth, Ollie as the object of bullying and taunts as a little boy with no self-confidence eventually came to defy conventional thinking by rising in prominence to becoming the highest-ranking person with a disability in the Federal Government.
Not yet 40 years old, Ollie has been a tireless champion for legal services to low-income persons for 20 years, having served as Board Member and eventually as Vice President of the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, one of the largest providers of legal services in the nation. Within a disability context, in spite of significant obstacles, he became a civil rights attorney and worked at the DIsability Rights Legal Center in Los Angeles.
Following a three-year stint, he was recruited to relocate to Washington DC, to become General Counsel and Director of Programs for the now-130,000-member American Association of People with Disabilities. That led to him serving as a leader in the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice as Special Assistant and later Special Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General, and he was then appointed for two terms of service as Associate Director of the Domestic Policy Council at the White House under President George W. Bush. Ollie subsequently returned to the Justice Department several months later, accepting an appointment at age 37 to serve as Vice-Chairman of the President´s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities. Today, he continues his public service under President Barack Obama as part of this same body and is now Trial Attorney in the Disability Rights Section of the Civil Rights Division, investigating and enforcing Titles II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
But, Ollie´s work spans far beyond his leadership in the public arena. He has served as a long-time attorney mentor for the American Bar Association Commission on Mental and Physical Disability Law and was once a member of the Commission as well. For 10 years, he has been a Big Brother mentor in a Los Angeles-based program; and, he formally mentors African-American foster children living in Washington, DC, while serving on the board of a local non-profit providing social services to the local Latino low-income community and as Academic Advisory Board Member for LeadAmerica, a national youth leadership development organization. Ollie has also dedicated years to disability-related issues including assistive technology, civil rights, criminal justice, emergency preparedness, employment, special education, transportation, veterans´ issues, and independent living.
Loving to have fun ice skating, roller blading, horseback riding, and other activities, Ollie is a three-time finisher of the Los Angeles Marathon. He is also past Board Member of the Blind Children´s Center in Los Angeles, the ENDependence Center of Northern Virginia, and the Westside Center for Independent Living. In addition, with a uniformed equivalent rank of Lieutenant Commander, he is "District Staff Officer - Legal Parliamentarian" in the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary. He has been featured on radio and television and in newspapers and magazines and once received an honor from the President of the Republic of the Philippines before a broadcasting audience of 80 million. Over his lifetime thus far, Ollie has spoken directly to audiences totaling more than 50,000.
Keynote & Workshop Topics:
Keynote presentations are tailored to each audience, and Ollie works with organizers to craft the kind of remarks that should be made and the messages that should be conveyed in order to assist the host organization, agency, or company in achieving its own specific goals and objectives. As a way of adding value to the long-term work of the hosting entity, Ollie also provides supplementary assistance and support behind the scenes as a way to help cultivate long-term working relationships and to leverage these for the benefit of associated leaders.
Dr. Roy Grizzard
Former Assistant Secretary of the Office of Disability Employment Policy
Dr. Roy Grizzard, who served as the first Assistant Secretary of Labor for the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), has been at the forefront of disability employment initiatives for over twenty years.
In addition to his presidential appointment at ODEP, Roy was formerly the commissioner for the Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired for the Commonwealth of Virginia. In his capacity as chief administrator, he orchestrated comprehensive services to the state´s blind, visually impaired and deaf blind, as well as supervised 196 employees.
As a person with a disability, Roy understands the positive impact employees with disabilities are making in today´s workforce. He combines this first hand perspective with a keen sense of the operational procedures of business and government. Through his work and years of dedication, Roy has demonstrated the business case for hiring people with disabilities, proving that employees with disabilities can improve an organization´s productivity, efficiency, staff retention, and morale.
Roy holds a Bachelor of Science In Health and Physical Education and a Master of Science in Education Administration and Supervision from the Virginia Commonwealth University. He also holds a Doctorate in Education in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University. Roy is a board member of Prevent Blindness Virginia and former Chairman of the Research Committee of the Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation.
Keynote & Workshop Topics:
Access for People with Disabilities to Employment, Business Case for Hiring People with Disabilities, Achieving an Inclusive Corporate Culture, Exploring Employment and Retention Strategies, and Workforce Recruitment.
Dennis Stone
Senior Vice President of Veterans Programs
Dennis Stone leads TecAccess´ award-winning DVET program, in which Veterans with Disabilities participate in groundbreaking training opportunities and secure employment in highly competitive positions around the country. Dennis´ success with the DVET program has earned him speaking engagements across the country, as he speaks to VA Hospitals, government agencies, and private industry looking to tap into the emerging workforce made up of Veterans with Disabilities.
Dennis draws upon thirty years of sales and marketing experience, plus twenty-two years of experience in the Army in active and reserve components. His business experience includes twenty-five years with Thomson NETg and four years with Control Data Corporation. Dennis was commissioned in the Army after graduation from Norwich University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration - Magna Cum Laude. He spent seven years on active duty and fifteen in the reserve Units retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel. Dennis served in a number of command and staff assignments including Platoon Leader, Company Commander, Special Forces Detachment Commander, Special Forces Company Commander, and Information Systems Officer. Military schooling includes Infantry Officer Basic and Advanced, Airborne, Ranger, Military Mountaineering, Special Forces Officer and Command and General Staff College.
Dennis was recently featured in Boomer Life Magazine for his efforts with the successful disabled veteran training program.
Keynote & Workshop Topics:
Veterans with Disabilities, Disability Employment, Workforce Solutions, How to Tap into the Unique Skill Sets of Veterans with Disabilities, and the ROI of Employing Veterans with Disabilities.
Norman Coombs, Ph.D.
Professor
Norman Coombs taught at the Rochester Institute of Technology from 1961 to 1998. He was instrumental in the college beginning its extensive online learning courses and has also taught online for the New School for Social Research, San Diego State University, the University of Washington and for EASI. He has taught several thousand students in more than three dozen countries. Coombs, himself, is blind, and besides being an international distance learning pioneer, has been the leading champion for making online learning accessible to students and faculty with disabilities. Coombs has lectured on online learning in seven different countries including being a invited speaker at the Istanbul Turkey conference of the International Federation of Library Associations. He has presented at dozens of national and international education-related and disability-related conferences as well as publishing many articles on the topic. (See a partial listing of articles at http://www.rit.edu/~nrcgsh/).
Keynote & Workshop Topics:
Accessible eLearning, Section 508, disability awareness, podcasting, barrier-free web design, train the trainer, assistive computer technology on a shoestring, and many more!
Richard Hodgkinson
Senior Accessibility Consultant
Richard Hodgkinson of Hampshire, United Kingdom is a Senior Technical Consultant for TecAccess, bringing his extensive accessibility knowledge and experience in worldwide IT accessibility regulations. Working in software development for more than 35 years, Richard has represented the United Kingdom and Sweden in countless international committees, while developing International (ISO) Standards that address accessibility, as well as documentation and icons for software products. As the editor of both ISO and European standards, such as the new ISO 9241 part 171 (Guidelines for Software Accessibility), Richard is frequently featured in global workshops, conferences, and technical journals.
As a Fellow of the UK Institute of Scientific Technical Communicators (ISTC), Richard has presented throughout the US, Europe, Singapore, and Australia. Like wise, his articles on international standards regularly appear in The Communicator, as well as in the Australian and New Zealand version, Southern Communicator. Honored with the "Horace Hockley" Award from the ISTC, Richard was recently invited to join the European standards committee, which will be developing a standard to provide a set of access symbols for video and ICT devices.
Keynote & Workshop Topics:
Global Overviews of Accessibility Standards Development
International (ISO) Standards and European Standards
Accessible Video and ICT Devices
Sara Ruh
TecAccess´ Inspiration
Sara Ruh has always had big dreams. At 20 years of age she has effectively advocated for people with Down syndrome, as well as those with a wide array of physical and cognitive disabilities.
Despite facing similar challenges and battling misperceptions of what people with disabilities can achieve, Sara has traveled the country in an effort to help her mother, Debra Ruh, grow TecAccess, while speaking to government leaders and corporations about the many benefits of hiring others with disabilities and taking accessibility seriously.
Sara enjoys sharing the stage with her mother or speaking on her own, as she relays to audiences her inspiring dreams, her experiences transitioning from high school to employment as a person with a disability, as well as her many work and school accolades.
At a recent keynote address at the National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center Sara discussed college and employment for people with disabilities. She has also been interviewed for NBC´s People Making a Difference, and participated in feature interviews with SBTV, Wells Fargo, and an Easter Seals commercial with the Mayor of Jacksonville.
In addition, Sara is actively pursuing her interests in dance and theatre, performing in a number of productions, and she is instrumental in Special Olympics Cheerleading. When not speaking and inspiring others she helps others, as Sara volunteers her time at Henrico Doctor´s Hospital in Richmond, Virginia.
Keynote & Workshop Topics:
Disability employment, High school/Work Transition for people with disabilities, Inspiration/Motivation, Diversity in the workforce, Accomplishments of people with disabilities, Don´t be afraid to dream.
Loretta Chittum
Executive Vice President
Loretta is the former Deputy Assistant Secretary/Special Assistant at the U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. She has served as principal advisor to the Assistant Secretary and has provided management leadership in designing & directing the operations of national disability programs.
She has worked extensively with the Rehabilitation Act/Workforce Investment Act and has served as an (alternate) member of the Access Board. Loretta also initiated and led the efforts for the agency´s evacuation of people with disabilities & other post-9/11 security measures, and she has testified before the U.S. House of Representatives´ Committee on Education and the Workforce, as well as before the Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure regarding Coordinating Human Services Transportation.
Prior to working for the U.S. Department of Education, Loretta served as the Chief Deputy Commissioner and Director of the Center for Elder Rights.
She has also worked as the Chief Deputy Commissioner for the Virginia Department of Rehabilitative Services and as Legislative Coordinator for the Secretary of Health and Human Resources.
Keynote & Workshop Topics:
Disability and Sensitivity Training, Disability Awareness for Government Agencies, Disability Employment for Private Industry, and The Power of Customers with Disabilities.
Paul Quinn
Business Manager, Browsealoud
USA Business Manager for BrowseAloud, Paul is responsible for building and developing the BrowseAloud community within the United States. The community of BrowseAloud-enabled sites within the United States comprises a number of high profile clients including the House of Representatives. BrowseAloud is increasingly being viewed as a fundamental part of the accessibility tool box, particularly as the service is free to the end user but also because it requires practically no implementation from the purchaser.
Before becoming USA Business Manager, Paul was responsible for building and developing the BrowseAloud community within the North of England in the United Kingdom. Over the two year period, Paul helped extend the BrowseAloud community within various market sectors, such as local government, health authorities and corporate organizations.
In his pursuit of a career within the Sales and Marketing arena, Paul graduated from Queens University with an LLB Honors Degree in Law in 2000 and completed a Masters of Marketing with the University of Ulster in 2002. He spent four years in a business-to-business sales role for a leading recruitment advertiser in Northern Ireland before joining Texthelp in 2006.
Keynote & Workshop Topics:
Making Websites Talk, What is BrowseAloud?, and Why speech-enable your website - what are the benefits?
Albert Rizzi
Founder and CEO of MY BLIND SPOT
Albert J. Rizzi will bring a unique blend of corporate, entrepreneurial, educational and nonprofit knowledge and expertise to your organization. Albert´s mission is to introduce equity and diversity education in our schools by creating an integrated learning experience which meets and exceeds state standards for diversity. Specifically he works towards informing and educating students so they better understand and show thoughtfulness towards the disabled within their community.
Albert received his BA from Manhattanville College, and has a dual Masters of Science in education - one in early childhood and the other in administration and supervision, from St. John´s University.
His initial inspiration to work with children came from his grandparents who worked with children as foster care parents for nearly 65 children over a 15 year period. When Albert´s grandmother passed, he received his calling to continue his family´s tradition of working with children. He was a New York City Teaching Fellow and a member of the third cohort that graduated in 2003. He made the commitment to practice "preventative medicine" and chose to teach kindergarten as his first foray into education. Soon after, he became the Executive Director of MARC After School and Pre-K Program located in the South Bronx, providing direct services to 250 students and their families. Albert´s unexpected and complete loss of sight uniquely qualifies him to help guide and inform teachers, parents and students about all inclusive and adaptive friendly curriculum and internet environments in our community. Albert helps to plant the seeds of hope and independence in all our students to inspire them to improve the quality of their own lives. Albert is committed to bringing hope and opportunity to all of our uniquely abled youth.
Keynote & Workshop Topics:
Equity and Diversity Education
Karen Michael
ADA Expert, Leading Employment Law Attorney & Consultant
With over 15 years of combined employment law and human resources experience, Karen offers expert legal and practical business advice to companies in the private and public sector regarding employment-related matters.
Karen is an attorney who practiced employment law and litigation with a national firm, McGuire Woods, for over six years. In that role, Karen advised clients ranging from international corporations, financial institutions, franchised retail shops, health care organizations, universities, accounting firms and small sole proprietors on all matters relating to employment law and litigation. She understands the complexity of employment cases and the need for front-end handling and prevention before a case becomes a lawsuit. Karen´s law practice focused heavily on the proactive strategies for organizations and developed a special expertise in the area of training managers and employees.
Karen left McGuire Woods in 1999 and served as First Vice President for Employee Relations in Human Resources at SunTrust Bank, the country´s 9th largest financial institution, for over eight years. In that role, Karen consulted with executives, managers and other human resource professionals on the most complex employment-related issues. Karen also developed and conducted on-going training for managers, employees and HR professionals on many topics, including harassment, workplace violence prevention, performance management, workplace conduct, wage & hour and many areas of employment law compliance. In addition, she managed governmental complaints from such agencies as the EEOC, OFCCP and Department of Labor. She has chaired the Urban League´s EEO Workplace Symposium, co-chairing with now Governor Tim Kaine. She currently serves on the EEO Workplace Symposium committee. Karen is a member of SHRM and the Virginia State Bar.
Karen has combined these years of experience and is now able to offer this expertise to a wide range of clients through her informative keynote speaking engagements, workshops, and symposiums. She has received industry praise for her practical insights into the legal aspects of the ADA and reasonable accommodations under the law.
Keynote & Workshop Topics:
FMLA, ADA and Worker´s Compensation - The Bermuda Triangle, The ADA Covers That?!?, Diversity Best Practices, ADA - Best Practices in Reasonable Accommodation - Back to the Basics, Top 10 Trends in Employment Law Your Business Can´t Afford to Ignore, and Psychological Disabilities in the Workplace
Ellen Shackelford
Speaker
As a person who has sustained a disability through injury, Ellen Shackelford is well aware of the many challenges people with disabilities face daily. She also knows people with disabilities are often overlooked in social situations and activities. As founder and president of Connections Access Consulting Services, LLC, she is dedicated to a service which will enhance the awareness and unconscious injustice of the aging population and Citizens with disabilities, so all will be included in social situations. Today Ellen is a renowned advocate whose training and disability awareness programs have made headlines for her ability to convey the importance of inclusion in an aging society.
Previously employed as a Youth Transition Coordinator at Insight Enterprises, Inc. Peninsula Center for Independent Living, Ellen became enlightened on the many facets of life and the community´s unawareness in regards to people with disabilities. In addition, attendance at leadership programs: Partners in Policy Making, sponsored by Virginia Board for People with Disabilities; The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services of the U. S. Department of Education Rocky Mount Technical Assistance & Consulting Center and Dan Hopkins & Associations, Inc.
Ellen, a member of the National Speakers Association, is extremely active in the disability community and holds multiple leadership roles. She is the Vice Chairperson for the Hampton Mayors Committee for People with Disabilities; Chairperson for Accessibility; Victims Advocate (trainee) M.A.D.D.; Peninsula Literacy Council Tutor volunteer. She is also a member of other committees, such as: State Wide Independent Living Council (SILC); Toast Masters International; Unity Diversity Commission, as Liaison facilitator for disability awareness training.
Keynote & Workshop Topics:
Disability Awareness, Sensitivity Training, and Full Community Inclusion
Kevin D. Holden
Keynote Speaker, Leading Employment Law Attorney
Kevin D. Holden a partner and member of the Kaufman & Canoles Employment Team, has extensive experience in the field of employment and labor law. Much of his time is devoted to defending claims of wrongful discharge, race, sex, and disability discrimination, non-compete agreements, sexual harassment, breach of contract, unpaid overtime compensation and various other workplace torts. His practice takes him before state and federal courts and administrative agencies, such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the U.S. Department of Labor, and various human rights and unemployment commissions. Mr. Holden has considerable experience in trial and appellate courts bringing and defending claims for breach of fiduciary duty and unfair competition. He appeared for the Supreme Court of Virginia in the matter of Dominion Technology Partners v. Williams, which established the appropriate standard of conduct for exiting employees wishing to compete against their former employer. More recently, in the matter of Perera, et al. v. Anesthesia Associates of Richmond, he successfully defended a twenty million dollar breach of duty claim against the former officers and directors of large medical group and, by way of counterclaim, obtained a 1.5 million dollar jury verdict in their favor.
A substantial amount of Mr. Holden´s time is devoted to counseling employers with respect to personnel policies and practices, including discipline and termination decisions, in an effort to ensure awareness of and compliance with applicable employment laws and avoid the disruption, expense and uncertainty of litigation. To that end, he assists business owners and human resources managers in developing and implementing employee handbooks, employment contracts, restrictive covenants, and arbitration agreements, and is a frequent lecturer on a variety of workplace issues.
Mr. Holden received his business and law degrees from Indiana University. After completion of his law degree, he clerked for the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, and then for the Honorable Sarah Evans Barker, a United States District Judge for the Southern District of Indiana.
Keynote & Workshop Topics:
Employment and Labor Law, Personnel Policies and Practices, Employee Handbooks, Employment Contracts, Restrictive Covenants, and Arbitration Agreements
Dave Banes
Director of Developement for AbilityNet and Keynote Speaker
Dave Banes is Director of Development for AbilityNet, the UK-based non profit organization dealing with all aspects of accessibility to technology for people with disabilities.
Prior to working at AbilityNet, David was Headteacher at Meldreth Manor School for young people with Cerebral Palsy. He has also authored numerous articles and books on the topic of information technology and the internet for all. David´s work at AbilityNet addresses all aspects of accessibility -- in the workplace, in the educational environment, and for individuals in their own homes.
In 2001 he established AbilityNet´s web accessibility services, pioneering a pragmatic approach that combined international standards with user experience. David has also been at the forefront of promoting innovation in delivering advice and information to people with disabilities in using new technologies throughout Europe.
Under the banner of Barrier Free services, he has created a suite of services that integrate website resources, including self help guides at AbilityNet and the BBC, with personal assessments and support delivered through a combination of low cost video conferencing and desktop sharing.
Keynote & Workshop Topics:
Disabilities and technology, IT accessibility for all, Accessibility and the use of social networks, Disabilities and Web 2.0, International accessibility standards.
Mary Schnack
Professional Speaker and Founder of Mary Schnack Media Services
Mary Schnack has more than 30 years of experience in journalism, public relations and public affairs, crisis communications, writing, and marketing communications. As public relations consultants they represent associations, corporations, entrepreneurs, government entities, small businesses, and non-profit organizations.
A noted communications specialist, Mary also has been giving speeches and presentations worldwide for more than 25 years. Mary is articulate, witty and knowledgeable about communications for both business and personal relevance. Her topics are interesting and thought provoking and offer communication and entrepreneurial tips that can be put to immediate use.
Mary also has been a single mother for more than 20 years and advocated for her daughter through special education and employment challenges. Now as a young adult, Erika lives independently at age 25 with a caregiver to help with some basic tasks. She works at a sheltered work environment, where she was promoted from a client to a minimum wage employee.
Keynote & Workshop Topics:
Mary and Erika can provide inspiration in speeches on such topics as Being Your Own Advocate, Transitioning From Home To Independence, Living In Both Worlds, What To Do When There´s No Diagnosis To Receive Services.
LaMondrè Pough
Business and Development Manager
LaMondrè Pough´s dedication to helping people unleash their personal potential has quickly established him as a primer inspirational speaker and trainer.
He believes that in order for an organization to be at its very best, the people who make up the organization be at their best.
Addressing such areas as inspiration, empowerment, leadership and diversity, LaMondrè helps people and organizations achieve just that, their best.
Organizations and business executives hire LaMondrè for his inspiring presentations which translate into an increase in employee and member morale and productivity.
Living with a severe disability, Spinal Muscular Atrophy, LaMondrè has faced many challenges and has accomplished many things. He was a founding leader at South Carolina´s first Independent Living Center, he is the host of a weekly radio program, The LaMondrè Pough Show, Empowerment Radio., he is the founding partner in TechnoAngels, and the founder and CEO of LaMondrè Pough Unlimited.
Keynote & Workshop Topics:
Presentations Include:
"Do Something" (inspiration), "To Be Empowered You Must Act Empowered" (empowerment), "Walking the Talk" (leadership), and "Peering Through A Different Window" (diversity)
Mark Loeffler
Mark Dixon Loeffler has always been a change agent - from Civil Rights advocacy to grassroots community economic development, Mark has earned a reputation for equal opportunities for everyone, regardless of ability level.
He has worked as a community organizer and within the federal government as a contractor managing the implementation of the Rehabilitation Act. Mark obtained his undergraduate degree at Eastern Michigan University, and he holds a Master´s Degree in Education and Technology from the University of Michigan.
Quadriplegic from a 1985 diving accident, Mark understands the importance of Civil Rights and integration firsthand. He is motivated by his unwillingness to be forced into an institutional setting, i.e. a nursing home, and he is dedicated to liberating others, both young and old, from such restrictive environments.
He understands that disability is an "equal opportunity minority" and that the only true path to independence is self-actualization and direct action. He believes that people must have a choice when it comes to the provision of their, or one of their loved ones, long term care services.
In his early years post injury, he was active with the disability civil rights group ADAPT, and traveled the country with his peers, engaging in acts of civil disobedience and street theater. Mark has served on numerous committees and boards of independent living centers and community groups.
In the mid-90s, he incorporated his own nonprofit Disability Community Development Corporation, geared towards network-building and micro-enterprise development. He has advocated and lobbied at the local, state and federal levels.
He recently met with one of the Michigan senators, in an effort to get the Senator´s support for the Community Choice Act legislation. He also recently worked with the National Rehabilitation Hospital on disability awareness media geared towards children with disabilities as well as rehabilitation. He was recently quoted in an article in Fortune Small Business Magazine regarding employment of people with disabilities through the effective integration of assistive technology.
Mark has given testimony to the Interagency Committee on Disability Research and has presented, along with his service dog Gilly, at such organizations and entities as the Youth Leadership Forum at Bowie State University as well as at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
Keynote & Workshop Topics:
Disability awareness; assistive technology in the workplace, rehabilitation, inspiration/motivation, demonstration of service animals as extension of mobility, disability community economic development, disability Civil Rights, Community Choice Act, intimacy and relationships, personal assistant services.
Edward Ziegler
Account Executive
Edward Ziegler was involved in an automobile accident in 1982 that left him in a coma for two months. What is taken for granted by most -- such as walking, talking, swallowing, eating, rolling over in bed, or even using the bathroom—Ed had to relearn and modify.
Despite the limitations caused by his brain injury, Ed has participated four times as a runner in the Richmond Marathon and the Super Cities Walk for MS. In 1991 and 1992, he also participated in Walk Through the Clouds, to raise public awareness of brain injury. This drive and energy were thought to be assets by his employer at Richmond´s Capital Club, and at Johnson-Willis Hospital where he had done extensive rehabilitation. Since 1989 Ed has appeared in several newspaper articles and TV interviews featuring his drive and determination.
In the years since 1982, he has continually demonstrated a willingness to learn how to adapt his strengths to overcome his present limitations. In 1985, Ed was introduced to his first computer as a Christmas gift. He had severe ataxia in his left arm and a nonfunctional right arm, making it impossible to write or type.
In 1992, Virginia´s Department of Rehabilitation Services came through with Ed´s first piece of adaptive equipment, Dragon Dictate, and a computer to use it. In the years since, he has continued to improve his use of voice recognition software, and is now using Dragon Naturally Speaking 8.0.
TecAccess has allowed Ed to fulfill his dream of helping, supporting, and advocating for persons with disabilities. As Ed has grown in his position at TecAccess, he has developed a following of fans who embrace his inspirational message. Ed is currently pursing this aspect of his career development by delivering motivational speeches and keynote addresses for churches, clubs, non-profit organizations, and businesses.
Keynote & Workshop Topics:
The Importance of Accessible Technology—a first hand perspective, Disability Awareness & Sensitivity, Motivational & Inspirational
Craig Blackburn
Speaker
Craig Blackburn is a 2000 graduate of Hahnville High School in Louisiana. Craig graduated with a regular high school diploma despite having Down syndrome, meeting the same and all requirements as his classmates and never failing a grade or a class.
Craig is also a peer and self advocate who has met with representatives both on the state and national levels advocating for individuals with special needs on education and life issues and has represented Down Syndrome Association of Greater New Orleans at seven National conferences. Craig sits on numerous boards and advisory committees and is the recipient of many national awards as a result of his initiatives in behalf of individuals with special needs.
Craig recently returned from an international speaking engagement in Doha, Qatar where he was invited to speak at the Shafallah Forum.
Keynote & Workshop Topics:
Craig is a motivational speaker who effectively demonstrates through his own life what WE ALL CAN DO! Craig´s message for all individuals is inclusion, ability and full participation in life. Success comes in trying!
Eduardo Meza-Etienne
Speaker
Eduardo Meza-Etienne has been involved in the accessibility and disabilities field for the last 10 years working for small Government contractors in support of people with disabilities. In particular, he has helped these companies develop business relationships with assistive technology manufacturers and has established their assistive technology training division.
He has also helped organizations get and manage their own Government contract vehicles including the GSA schedule, including the setup of teaming and subcontracting agreements with prime contract holders. This translated into a considerable increase in productivity and revenue for the companies. Eduardo has extensive experience in assistive technology software/hardware training, marketing, and sales.
He holds a BSc in Economics from the Monterrey Institute of Technology in Monterrey, Mexico, a MSc in Accounting and Finance from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a MA in International Management from Thunderbird School of Global Management in Glendale, AZ. He lives with his wife and two daughters in Brunswick, MD.
Keynote & Workshop Topics:
Assistive Technology Software/Hardware Training, Marketing, Sales.
Cornelius L. Butler
Speaker
Cornelius L. Butler is a young person with a disability who recently graduated with full honors from Bainbridge College in Bainbridge, Georgia majoring in Computer Information Systems. Mr. Butler is legally blind.
Several years ago his local rehabilitation counselor introduced Mr. Butler to the Georgia High School/High Tech Program. He was one of the first students involved when the program was first implemented in southwest Georgia. He immediately understood the importance and value of the program with its primary goal to assist young people with disabilities gain employment in the fields of science and technology. Mr. Butler has participated in Georgia´s Carl Anthony Cunningham Youth Leadership Forum.
Participants learn skills to empower participants to be politically active, to teach them valuable life skills, and to hear from many accomplished people in the disability rights movement. The Forum activities develop participant confidence and demonstrate to young people that they do have a voice to make a difference. In 2001, Mr. Butler was selected to serve as one of fifteen committee members on the Presidential Task Force on the Employment of Adult with Disabilities Youth Advisory Committee whose goal was to make recommendations to the U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao and President Bush on ways of increasing employment levels of youth with disabilities. Cornelius chaired the transportation and public awareness subcommittees. In 2001 in an effort to make the Internet a friendlier place for people with disabilities, Mr. Butler along with his business partner launched Butler New Media, LLC. The firm offers a variety of accessibility services including consulting, training, remediation, and market research.
The company´s strength and primary offering to its clients is the firm´s ability to assist in building a more accessible world allowing employees to fully engage their talents and feel valued by the company. Butler was the first person to leave High School/High Tech in the nation to start their own business.
Since its inception Butler New Media has experienced consistent growth quarter over quarter. As part of the success of Butler New Media, Cornelius has been invited to speak at international, national, state, and local events. In 2003 the Georgia Lottery Corporation selected Cornelius and Butler New Media to be featured in a statewide commercial celebrating the tenth anniversary of the lottery and the Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally (HOPE) scholarship program. In late 2003 the Georgia Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities along with the Georgia Department of Labor selected Butler New Media to organize and implement the nation´s first ever statewide web accessibility competition, The Georgia Accessibility Rally. The program allows for students involved in Georgia´s High School/High Tech program to redesign their existing high school and/or other educational website to make it more accessible to people with disabilities. In mid 2006 his company launched America´s first nationwide online panels of people with disabilities, their family members, and other stakeholders. The panels allow clients to conduct market research, mystery shopping, and other specialized studies all involving people with disabilities. It provides corporate America and government agencies with real time data on the unique views of people with disabilities on various issues.
The panel has 10,000+ members. Mr. Butler continues to work with the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) and its President and CEO, Andy Imparato ensuring a more accessible workplace future for all employees regardless of ability.
Keynote & Workshop Topics:
Consulting, training, remediation, and market research.
Carlyle Elliott
Speaker
Carlyle Elliott was born in 1957 with a rare skin disorder that doctors said would kill me before the age of two. He has beaten that by a half century and now speaks to audiences around the country about the challenges he has faced and overcome. "What I bring to the table is knowing how to cope with a disability without any programs to help," explains Elliott. "When I was going to school, there were no policies to assist the disabled to mainstream into society." Elliott´s inspiring presentations take audience members through a lifetime of beating the odds. He speaks openly and candidly about being doubted by physicians, counselors, and support staff. Today he boasts a degree in communications from Old Dominion University, a 20+ year career in broadcasting, and an impressive sales career at Wachovia Bank.
Keynote & Workshop Topics:
Disability Awareness, Community Inclusion, Disability Employment.
MJ Mc Colgan
Speaker
MJ Mc Colgan is a Three-Time National Special Olympics Golf Champion and a Nine-Time Northern California State Champion. He has been inducted into the Hall of Fame in San Francisco, and the Hall of Fame in his home state of Michigan for his outstanding golf accomplishments. He has played golf all over the world and participated in the 2003 World Games in Ireland and 2007 World Games in China. His next big event will be the 2011 World Games in Athens, Greece.
Like Casey Martin, MJ competes with the use of a golf cart due to being born with a walking disability. He was awarded the Ping Gold Putter Award in 2009 and also has been nominated for the 2010 California Hall of Fame. He is the co-author of five successful golf books with his dad Mike and helped the Special Olympics of Northern California raise $1 million last year by speaking to various businesses about winning and overcoming adversity
Keynote & Workshop Topics:
His motto of "Never Give Up" would be an inspirational message at your next business meeting. With his golf coach and Dad, they have a shared their inspirational story with many organizations. Booking them for your next meeting would be a great way to motivate your employees.
Cheryl Kerr
Speaker
Refreshingly honest, warm and down-to-earth, Cheryl Kerr connects with those who hear her tell her story of survival. You would never know to meet this vibrant woman that for over a decade, she battled a near-fatal illness and losing most of the use of her right hand and right foot, the result of a traumatic brain injury sustained during a hospital stay. Despite such unimaginable circumstances, Cheryl never lost hope. All the while, the cause of her crippling headaches, nausea, disorientation and other escalating symptoms still remained unknown, now complicated by a chronic disability.
Twelve years would pass before her surprising diagnosis and cure.
Today, Cheryl is thriving both professionally and personally, having immersed herself in making a difference in the lives of the disabled on a myriad of fronts. When she isn´t sharing her story with live audiences in an effort to inspire awareness and motivate change, Cheryl can be found busily at work on her third novel. Cheryl is also a licensed volunteer for the Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children (CASA), a nationwide non-profit agency dedicated to providing care and support for children in foster care.
Keynote & Workshop Topics:
Cheryl speaks on Surviving Disability, Not Everything is Visible, Living with a Challenge, One Look is Not Enough.
