The Family Center on Technology and Disability

FHI 360 is an independent, nonprofit organization committed to solving critical social problems in the U.S. and throughout the world through education, social marketing, research, training, policy analysis and innovative program design and management. Major areas of focus include health, education, youth development, and the environment. FHI 360 is dedicated to improving people's lives by increasing knowledge and promoting democratic and humanitarian ideals.

Representing FHI 360 is Jacqueline Hess, Family Center Director since 2001. Ms. Hess has an extensive background in the use of technology in education. For more than 12 years, she directed the National Demonstration Laboratory for Interactive Educational Technologies (NDL) housed at the Smithsonian Institution, the Library of Congress, and AED. In that capacity, she helped to create national standards for the evaluation of computer-assisted learning materials in both formal and non-formal learning environments. 

While working in the U.S. House of Representatives Ms. Hess authored omnibus education legislation aimed at providing services to at-risk children and to those with disabilities. As editor of academic publications for the Close Up Foundation, she produced curriculum resources for high school and college students. She is the author of the publications Distance Learning for Special Educators and Family Information Guide to Assistive Technology. Ms. Hess has directed the Family Center since 2001.

Ana-Maria Gutierrez, FCTD Technical Program Officer, has been with the Center since 2002. She is currently responsible for managing the Center's extensive e-mail list, for developing the Center's CD-ROMs, and for developing information dissemination tools. Ms. Gutierrez formats and distributes the FCTD's monthly newsletter, and supports the Center's extensive databases and website.

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Adirondack AccessAbility

Adirondack AccessAbility is dedicated to ensuring that accessible tools are available to all individuals to enable them to maximize their abilities and attain their goals.  We strive to accomplish this through a combination of collaboration, training and consultation customized to the needs of projects, individuals and organizations.  Co-founded by consultants with more than 40 years combined experience in the field of assistive technology; Adirondack AccessAbility focuses on resources to help make home, school, work and recreational environments accessible to all people, capitalizing on each individual’s abilities. 

Russ Holland has been involved in the field of assistive technology for the past 30 years. As a classroom special education teacher, the founder and director for nine years of Techspress, an ATA center in upstate New York, and an independent consultant, he has been involved in consulting, training, advocacy, policy and project work directed at eliminating barriers faced by people with disabilities. He worked for many years as director, staff and consultant for the Alliance for Technology Access and is a co-founder of Adirondack AccessAbility.

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Founded in 1977, PACER Center was created by parents of children and youth with disabilities to help other parents and families facing similar challenges. Today, PACER Center expands opportunities and enhances the quality of life of children and young adults with disabilities and their families. PACER is staffed primarily by parents of children with disabilities and works in coalition with 18 disability organizations. PACER's mission is to expand opportunities and enhance the quality of life of children and young adults with disabilities and their families, based on the concept of parents helping parents.

Bridget Gilormini is coordinator of the Simon Technology Center, a project of PACER Center (Parent Advocacy Coalition for Educational Rights) in Minneapolis, MN. This community technology center offers free individual technology consultations, a device lending program, and assistive technology training for consumers, families, and professionals. Bridget has a degree in communication disorders and extensive experience as an assistive technology consultant. Her professional interests and specialty areas include professional development, universal design for learning, augmentative and alternative communication, web based resources, visual strategies, and literacy for all.

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The Public Health Institute (PHI)

The Public Health Institute (PHI) is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting health, well-being and quality of life for people throughout California, across the nation and around the world. As one of the largest and most comprehensive public health organizations in the nation, PHI works to stay at the forefront of research and innovations to improve the efficacy of public health statewide, nationally and internationally.

Lewis Kraus is the Deputy Director of the Center on Disability at PHI and the DBTAC-ADA Center where he is supervising staff for DBTAC. Mr. Kraus is Director for Training and Dissemination for the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center for Personal Assistance Services at the University of California San Francisco, and is funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). Mr. Kraus was also Vice Presdient of InfoUse from 1991-2009. During his career, he has conducted research, created reports, developed commercial products, and disseminated information on issues related to people with disabilities.

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