K. Joel Berry, Ph.D., P.E.

Professor and Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Kettering University, formerly GMI Engineering & Management Institute, is currently spearheading the creation of the Center for Fuel Cell Systems and Powertrain Integration and is assembling an interdepartmental and multi-university faculty team. Dr. Berry was appointed to the Eugene W. Kettering Chair of Power Engineering in 2002 for his leadership in developing state-of-the-art engineering laboratories, and for developing one of the nation’s largest and strongest undergraduate mechanical engineering programs. Dr. Berry received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering in 1986 from Carnegie Mellon University, his M.S. in Engineering Mechanics from Michigan State University in 1981, and his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from General Motors Institute in 1979.

Frank G. Bowe, Ph.D.

is the Dr. Mervin Livingston Schloss Distinguished Professor in the Department of Counseling, Research, Special Education, and Rehabilitation, at Hofstra University, on Long Island, NY. He is also governmental affairs consultant for the National Association of the Deaf. Dr. Bowe’s work on technology and disability dates back to 1976, when he was tapped by the House Science and Technology Committee chairman Olin E. “Tiger” Teague to serve on a national panel reviewing the entire federal government to identify disability-related work. That work led to the creation, as part of the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1978, of the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). His recent writings include Broadband and Americans with Disabilities.

Jacquelyn Brand

was the founder and first Executive Director of the Center for Accessible Technology in Berkeley, California, and the Alliance for Technology Access in San Rafael, California. Her work grew out of a personal challenge to find appropriate technology for her daughter, Shoshanna. Jackie coordinates the work of the Universal Service Alliance (USA), a project of ATA, which is focused on achieving access to telecommunications technologies for all unserved communities. She also serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Community Technology Foundation of California. Jackie is the Founder and President of Independent Living Network, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing options for independent living to individuals with disabilities. She works as an independent consultant to many organizations, particularly in the areas of assistive technology, education, disability programs and policy, and accessibility.

Judy Brewer

is Director of the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) at the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). Judy is W3C’s chief liaison on accessibility policy and standardization internationally, promoting awareness and implementation of Web accessibility, and ensuring effective dialog among industry, the disability community, accessibility researchers, and government on the development of consensus-based accessibility solutions. She holds a research appointment at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. Prior to joining W3C, Judy worked on several U.S.-based initiatives to increase access to mainstream technology for people with disabilities and to improve dialogue between industry and the disability community. These initiatives included work on Sections 508 of the Workforce Investment Act, Section 255 of the Telecommunications Act, accessibility of the Windows 95 Operating System and access to durable medical equipment for people with disabilities. Judy serves on several advisory committees and boards, including the American Association of People with Disabilities and the U.S. National Council on Disability’s International Watch Task Force. She has also received many awards for her contributions.

Beatriz Chu Clewell, Ph.D.

is a Principal Research Associate and Director of the Evaluation Studies and Equity Research Program in the Education Policy Center of the Urban Institute in Washington, D.C. She is an education policy researcher whose main focus is factors that influence the educational attainment of underrepresented groups. Clewell wrote a book, BREAKING THE BARRIERS, describing effective intervention practices to increase the success of girls and minority students in science and mathematics. She is also the former Executive Director of a bipartisan congressional commission based at the National Science Foundation to study the status of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities, in science, engineering and technology fields. In that capacity, she directed the work of the commission and was responsible for producing the Commission report. A Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude graduate of Florida State University, she obtained her Ph.D. from that institution in 1980 in Educational Policy, Planning and Analysis.

Denice D. Denton, Ph.D.

is the Dean of Engineering and a Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering at the University of Washington. She was a professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison from 1987 to 1996. She received her B.S., M.S. (1982), and Ph.D. (1987) in Electrical Engineering from M.I.T. Denton works extensively on engineering education reform. She chaired the National Research Council (NRC) Board on Engineering Education (1996-1999), was a member of the National Academy of Science/NRC Committee on Undergraduate Science Education (1993-1997), and served on the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) Committee on Engineering Education (1999-2001). Professor Denton was co-director of the National Institute for Science Education in 1995-1996. She currently directs the University of Washington’s NSF ADVANCE program. She has received numerous awards for her distinguished teaching abilities. Professor Denton has developed a Microfabrication Demonstration Kit, which is being used in K-12 classrooms in more than 30 states to introduce students to microelectronics. She also works actively to encourage women and underrepresented minorities to consider careers in science and engineering.

Larry Goldberg

is Director of the Media Access Group at WGBH and oversees the National Center for Accessible Media (NCAM) (the research and development arm) and the two access production/service departments — The Caption Center and Descriptive Video Services. He regularly publishes on media access issues, presents WGBH research at conferences and consults for government, media and technology companies on access issues. Mr. Goldberg was a pioneer in the development of the emerging captioning system for digital television in the U.S. and is a member of numerous advisory boards at the FCC and across the country. Mr. Goldberg was awarded a patent in 1996 for “Rear Window,” the first closed captioning system for movie theaters and theme parks. Mr. Goldberg has a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Southern California.

Steve Jacobs

is President of IDEAL Group, Inc., (http://www.ideal-group.org) a service organization dedicated to maximizing the accessibility and usability of Electronic and Information Technology. IDEAL Group is a spin-off from IDEAL at NCR. Mr. Jacobs founded IDEAL at NCR in 1994. Jacobs served as President of IDEAL at NCR until his retirement from NCR Corporation at the end of 2002 after 20 years of service. Mr. Jacobs served on the Federal Communications Commission’s Consumer/Disability Telecommunications Advisory Committee, the Access Board’s Electronic and Information Technology Access Advisory Committee (EITAAC) and the Access Board’s Telecommunications Access Advisory Committee (TAAC). He was a contributing author of the EITAAC final report and the TAAC final report.

Eric J. Jolly, Ph.D.

is a Vice President and Senior Scientist at Education Development Center, a not-for-profit research and development organization conducting projects in more than 40 countries and 500 communities within the U.S. He has served in leadership capacities at universities around the country, including the posts of department chair, acting dean for education, associate dean of arts and sciences and, most recently, former assistant to the chancellor at the University of Nebraska. He has published many scholarly articles and lectured throughout the world; he is especially known for his contributions to mathematics and science education. Dr. Jolly was a founding partner to the national “Collaboration for Equity” project, and co-director of “Access by Design” — a technology project of the National Science Foundation. He founded the National Institute for Affirmative Action and serves on numerous national and community advisory boards including the Committee On Opportunities in Science (as chair), Mathematical Sciences Education Board of the National Academy of Sciences, Putumayo Foundation and The Innovation Center (as chair). Other recent projects include service to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Learning Without Frontiers program and to the Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering (CEOSE) — a congressionally chartered equity oversight committee of the National Science Foundation.

Deborah Kaplan

is Executive Director of the World Institute on Disability (WID), a research and public policy organization operated by persons with disabilities in Oakland, CA. She is a past member of the National Information Infrastructure Advisory Committee, commissioned by the Clinton Administration to make policy recommendations at a period of public adoption for the Internet. Her work as the head of WID’s Technology Policy Division in the 1980s and 1990s was instrumental to the inclusion of Section 255 in the Telecommunications Act of 1996. She is currently involved in writing and implementing consumer-training curriculum on access to information and electronic technology.

Joy Kniskern

is Principal Investigator for the Georgia Assistive Technology Project “Tools for Life,” funded under the National Institute of Disability and Rehabilitation Research, and Assistive Technology Manager for Assistive Work Technology Services of the Georgia Department of Labor, Vocational Rehabilitation Program. She provides technical assistance and training support to a team of 35 rehabilitation technologists, rehabilitation engineers, occupational therapists and rehabilitation technicians. She has over 25 years of experience in establishing innovative vocational rehabilitation, assistive technology and employment training services. Her programs are identified as exemplary models of assistive technology service delivery in government in ACCESSIBLE TECHNOLOGY IN TODAY’S BUSINESS, CASE STUDIES FOR SUCCESS, published by Microsoft Publications. She is involved in a number of advisory boards for projects of national and state interests in the rehabilitation field.

Lawrence Scadden, Ph.D.

spent over 30 years working to improve the lives of people with disabilities through the use of appropriate technology. He held lead scientist positions at the Smith-Kettlewell Institute in San Francisco and the Electronic Industries Foundation in Washington, D.C. He also served in executive positions in the U.S. Department of Education and the National Science Foundation. He published over 100 professional and scientific articles and is regularly invited to write and speak internationally on technology, disability and user-centered product design. Scadden has received numerous honors and awards. He received a B.A. degree in government from the University of Redlands, an M.A. in Psychology from the University of the Pacific and a Ph.D. in Visual Sciences from the University of the Pacific’s Graduate School of Medical Sciences.

M. Richard (Dick) Shaink, Ph.D.

has served as President of Mott Community College in Flint, MI since March 2000. He possesses a blend of business and educational work experience as a former college campus president, multi-campus vice president, instructional dean, college business/industry director, shopping center general manager, industrial sales representative, production line supervisor, full-time high school vocational teacher and an adjunct instructor at Michigan State University (MSU) and Lansing Community College. Dr. Shaink received his Ph.D. in Educational Administration from MSU. He is the former President of the National Council for Workforce Education and serves as Secretary of the Board and Chairman of the Human Resources and Education Committee of the Hurley Medical Center Board of Managers. He is also a member of the Mayors’ Commission on Disabilities.

Susan Sygall

is an internationally recognized expert in the area of international educational exchange and leadership programs of persons with disabilities. She is also recognized internationally for her work on issues related to women with disabilities. She is currently co-founder and Executive Director of Mobility International USA, which develops and implements cross-cultural leadership training for persons with disabilities from throughout the world. Additionally, she serves as the Project Director of the National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange. Ms. Sygall has developed internal programs with the U.S. Information Agency and has worked with members of Congress to increase the number of participants with disabilities in international educational programs. At present, Ms. Sygall is heading a U.S. AID-funded project entitled “Building an Inclusive Development Community: Gender Appropriate Technical Assistance to Interaction Member Agencies on Inclusion of People with Disabilities.” Sygall has served on several national and international boards including the Executive Board of Interaction and the Advisory Board of the Global Fund for Women. Sygall holds a B.S. degree from the University of California at Berkeley and an M.S. degree from the University of Oregon.

Jim Tobias

is the President of Inclusive Technologies and has worked in the field of technology and disability for 25 years. Beginning at Berkeley’s Center for Independent Living, he has worked as a rehabilitation engineer with schools, hospitals, private organizations, companies and state and federal agencies. He worked for 10 years at Bell Labs and Bellcore, providing telecommunications and disability consulting for Bell companies and other telecommunications and information industry clients. His technical background supports Inclusive Technologies’ hardware and software services. In addition, he specializes in accessible business practices, primary and secondary market research and accessible business practices, customer surveys, focus groups, product trials, product management, strategic partnership development, staff training, internal team-building and consumer and other stakeholder liaison.

Gregg C. Vanderheiden, Ph.D.

is a Professor in the Industrial Engineering (Human Factors Program) and Biomedical Engineering Departments, and director of the Trace Research & Development Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Vanderheiden has been working in the area of access to technology for over 30 years and has written extensively on access and assistive technologies, coining many of the terms used today, such as “Augmentative Communication,”; “Computer Curbcuts,” “Keyboard Emulation,” “Universal Remote Consoles,” and “Companion Technologies.” Dr. Vanderheiden has served on numerous professional, industry and government advisory and planning committees including those for the FCC, NSF, NIH, VA, DED, GSA, NCD, ATBCB and the White House. The results of the efforts of Dr. Vanderheiden and this team can be found in many special and mass market products and technologies including Web technologies, interconnection standards such as INCITS V2 AIAP, and voting systems that are usable by those with disabilities. The access features “StickyKeys,” “MouseKeys,” etc. that are found in most all computers today, including those with MacOS and MS Windows, were developed at Dr. Vanderheiden’s research center.

Cynthia D. Waddell

is the Executive Director of the International Center for Disability resources on the Internet (ICDRI) and Lecturer in Law at Santa Clara University School of Law. She is an internationally recognized expert in Disability Law, Policy and Technology and leads ICDRI’s Accessibility Oversight Consulting Services for government, university and private sector clients. She also serves as the United Nations expert on accessible technology transfer for developing countries and acted as Rapporteur for the 2003 Manila Declaration on Accessible Information Communications Technology (ITC) calling for progress on the treaty or convention of rights for people with disabilities. Waddell is an active participant in public policy strategic planning and implementation of accessible design of technologies for governments and the private sector both in the U.S. and abroad. Waddell has held local, state and federal appointments and is the co-founder and Vice-Chair of the Internet Society Disability and Special Needs Chapter, is a member of the National Committee for Information Technology Standards V2 IT Access Interfaces Technical Committee, and currently serves several State of California appointments addressing disability issues. She recently received the award for Leadership in Accessible Technology and for Pioneering Advocacy and Education by GOVERNMENT TECHNOLOGY magazine.

J. Michael Zelley

served as the Chairperson of the National Task Force on Technology and Disabilities. He is also the director and founder of The Disability Network in Flint, MI, a non-profit center providing independent living services for people with disabilities in Genesee County. Zelley is founder and former president of TravAbility, Inc., a management consulting firm. For 21 years, he served as Senior Vice President and Board Officer of Securedata Corporation. Zelley continues to provide national and statewide leadership on workforce and disability issues. He is a frequent national guest speaker on employment of individuals with disabilities and serves as the Chair for a Michigan Regional Workforce Development Board.