Day Al-Mohamed - Community Liaison - National Organizations Day is a Senior legislative and federal affairs officer in Washington DC. She provides policy-making expertise to consumers, advisory committees and governing bodies on various legislative and regulatory issues such as: the Telecommunications Act, Voting System Guidelines, Broadband Technical Specifications, Pedestrian Rights of Way, Social Security Privatization concerns and Emergency Preparedness. Her career has also encompassed significant work on diversity initiatives including the Cambio de Colores conference; the largest conference that directly addresses the various issues faced by Latino immigrants to the Midwest; the lawsuit for accessible currency in the United States and the Preparatory Commission of the International Criminal Court (ICC) at the United Nations which she attended as a representative of the ISC-ICC, reporting on the activities of the Victim’s Trust Fund Working Group in addressing the needs of victims of genocide on a global scale. She currently hosts Day in Washington a disability policy podcast that acts as a resource on issues and articles of interest to the disability community. Day has provided technical advice on disability to several studios and production companies. She holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work. Day is a member of the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) Board of Directors, Women in Film and Video, and the International Blogger and New Media Association.
Anna Bergholtz is a citizen of Sweden and a journalist who is blind. She writes and reports extensively on a variety of issues concerning people with disabilities. She works as a freelance reporter with Swedish Educational Broadcasting Company, Swedish Radio P1, SVT, Swedish Public Service TV and is a Film critic for the European magazine Unique Generation. She is an active blogger on disability rights as well.
Norman C. Berns - DGA producer/director whose credits include feature films, Emmy-winning work for The Metropolitan Opera and industrials for Mobil Oil. He has developed budgeting software and is moderator of The Budgeting Group on Yahoo.
Wlliam Berquist, MD - Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine.
Elayne Boosler the legendary comedian, who opened the way for female comics on television, has starred in her own SHOWTIME Specials, Night Court, The Cosby Show and others. Most recently she hosted the game show BALDERDASH. She is the regular substitute host of the Stephanie Miller radio show. She is a regular contributor to the Huffington
Post (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/elayne-boosler/). Elayne's own nationwide animal rescue organization is Tails of Joy (www.tailsofjoy.net). She works tirelessly on behalf of animals and
people through numerous appearances for charitable causes.
John Gunnar Box - President, Colours’N Motion Inc., a leading US manufacturer of innovative and lightweight wheelchairs sold worldwide.
Gloria Castaneda - Executive Director of Media Access Office of California
Thomas Cofino - Senior Manager, eBusiness Applications and Technologies at IBM, T.J. Watson Research Center.
Willy Conley is a professional actor, director, playwright from Hanover, Maryland, He is an Associate Artist with Center Stage, an Affiliate Artist with Quest: Arts for Everyone, and an Associate member of The Dramatists Guild. Currently, he is a Professor and Chairperson of the Theatre Arts at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C.
Communitas is an International not for profit organization in CT. run jointly by Pat Beeman and George Ducharme. Their mission is to build bridges into community life for people with disabilities.
Elizabeth Durgin - Webmaster. She has worked in business-to-business publishing, with a focus in writing, creative and direct mail, in London U.K. and in the U.S. She was the first woman camera operator for WSFA-TV in Montgomergy AL, and then Program Promotion Manager. Inspired by her niece, Devon Jacoby who is a person with disabilities, she volunteers at Boundless Playgrounds, Inc., to help build community playgrounds for children of all abilities. She hopes to advocate for others wanting to move beyond disability, based on her experiences in the workplace with MS. Currently, she is a consultant at the CT Technology Council and is newsletter editor for the Southern New England Chapter of the Project Management Institute.
Steve Eidelman - past Director of The Arc. He also has served as Executive Director of the Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation, There he was involved in a number of innovative projects and programs, as well as working with the next generation of the Kennedy family and on public policy issues. For nearly five years, he helped the foundation continue its tradition of innovative programs, advocacy and cutting edge policies. Beginning September, 2005 Steve became the first Robert Edelsohn Chair and Professor in the Field of Services for Adults with Developmental Disabilities, in the College of Human Services, Education and Public Policy at the University of Delaware.
Sofya Elperin - marketing communications professional in radio/TV buying, new/alternative media, client services, and direct marketing. She graduated from Pace University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing Management in 2005. She participated in many internships during the course of her time at Pace including a Client Services Assistant position at Mediamark Research Inc. After graduating, she became a Junior Buyer in the Direct Response division of Zenith-Optimedia (Zenith Direct). Afterwards, she went on to become a Broadcast/Interactive Media Buyer at Alloy Media + Marketing, where she developed an interest and passion for interactive/online media and moved to adNet. She is currently a Media Coordinator at adNet, a Media Whiz Holdings Company LLC. Company. She works in the performance marketing division of their display ad network. Sofya is very excited to be on board with [with]tv and is looking forward to the future!
Kathleen Forbes is a co-founder of [with]tv. She is a professional actress and mother of two. She has been an advocate for her daughter with disabilities, her mother who has Multiple Sclerosis, and other family members and friends with disabilities.
Beth Haller, Ph.D., is an associate professor of journalism/new media at Towson University in Maryland, has been publishing her research on media images of disability since 1991. She is the outgoing co-editor of the Society for Disability Studies’ journal, Disability Studies Quarterly
Carol Hanzel is a professional casting director in film, television and theatre.
Michael Harris is a prominent disability advocate and the founder and executive director of the Disabled Riders Coalition, the tri-state area's only disability advocacy organization focused solely on transportation issues. His work as an advocate has won him international recognition and he makes frequent appearances on local, national and international media. Michael also works as a freelance writer and photographer and has had his work published in amNewYork, Courier Life, Able News and the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. He is currently employed part-time in the office of New York State Assemblyman Micah Z. Kellner. Michael is a recent graduate of Manhattanville College, where he majored in political science and journalism.
Ed Heaton worked for HBO for 20 years in On-Air operations and Affiliate Marketing. Ed has two Masters degrees - an MBA in Marketing and an MPA in Healthcare Administration.
Scott Hollonbeck works on sustainable business opportunities that link to disability lifestyles. He primarily works in TV and event production, sales and promotion. He is keenly focused on his wheelchair racing career and producing the highly successful: World Series of Wheelchair Racing, www.wcracing.net.
Andy Imparato - President of The American Association of People With Disabilities
Bruce Jackson - advocate for people with disabilities and a dancer. He serves on the Board of Potential Unlimited a performing arts troop highlighting performing artists with disabilities. He and his wife reside in New Jersey. They both utilize wheelchairs.
Mark Johnson - Advocacy Director of The Shepherd Center, Atlanta, GA.
Jennifer Justice - Co-Director Community Liaison - Jennifer Justice is an artist, writer and independent publisher. She is the creator of two popular ezines, Pedestrian Hostile and This Is Living, and has served as a contributor and editor to numerous publications, writing on art, disability rights, technology and feminism. Jennifer studied art and literature at the University of Illinois and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, earning an MFA in 2005. Her paintings and installations are exhibited nationally. Jennifer has worked as a content developer, disability rights advocate and art instructor.
Karin Korb - Paralympian Wheelchair Tennis Player, ranks 2nd in the US and 15th in the world for Wheelchair Tennis.
Mark Korson, MD, - biochemical geneticist specializing in genetic metabolic disorders. He directs the Metabolism Service at Tufts-New England Medical Center in Boston, MA. Commencing in June of 2007, he will launch the Metabolism Outreach Service, a new program that represents the largest educational and consultative effort of its kind for metabolic disorders. Other interests include the development of long-distance mechanisms for diagnosing and managing patients with these disorders.
Phil Kraft- President and CEO of National Veterans Services Funds, Inc.
Steve Krause, known as the "Short Bus Comic", is an award winning comedian and an International Motivational Speaker. Touring countries, colleges and comedy events world wide Steve gives his audiences his own humorous brand of disability awareness. He has previously worked as an marketing specialist with the Arizona Cardinals. Steve is a person with Arthroaryposis.
Connie Kuusisto - Blog Master - Connie has worked for over twenty years in the world of guide dogs and their blind partners, first as a Trainer/Instructor, then as Manager of Admissions at Guiding Eyes for the Blind, one of the premier guide dog training programs in the United States. She co-founded, with her husband Stephen Kuusisto, Kaleidoscope Connections, a resource for bringing people together to help promote disability awareness. Together they've worked with a wide range of businesses, including Sandals and Beaches resorts in Jamaica, where they've given workshops on customer service for people with disabilities.
Patrice A. Lannon - Physical Therapist
Dawn Lazaroff - Community Liaison - CT & Greater Tri-State Area – Dawn Lazaroff lives in Hampton, CT with her husband Edward. She is the mother of a 31 year-old son with a developmental disability. Dawn is the President of Arc Connecticut a state chapter of The Arc of the United States, an advocacy agency working to empower and support people with disabilities. Dawn is the Director of Educational Services for the Arc of Quinebaug Valley a local chapter of The Arc of CT in the Eastern region of Connecticut. Dawn is an avid advocate for parents of children with disabilities and for adults with disabilities. Dawn is a trainer of “How to Navigate the Special Education Maze”; a program that teaches parents how to advocate for their children.
Joe Mansfield is a Media Sales Account Executive.
Kathy Martinez is Executive Director of The World Institute on Disabilities.
Monica Moshenko - Co-Director of Volunteers - has pioneered a radio show about disability issues and advocacy. Her program runs online at www.disabilitynewsradio.com Her guests include Josh Blue, Henry Winkler, Dr. Temple Grandin, Dr. Tony Attwood, Dr. Mel Levine, Dr. Doris Rapp, Teri Garr, Senator David Paterson, Ollie Cantos, David Morris, Andy Imparato, Carol Kranowitz, Reed Martin, Nicki Fischer, Portia Iversen, Suzanne Wright, David Kirby, Greg Palmer, Cynthia Kidder, Kenneth Jacuzzi, Gary Karp, Stan Kein, and others on issues pertinent to people with disabilities and the general public. Interviews are available to download and Podcast at www.disabilitynewsradio.com
Karen Moyes Stallings - Community Liaison NC - is the Executive Director of the Association of Self - Advocates of North Carolina Inc., a writer & an actress currently working on her autobiography.
Roger Muller is the President/Founder of Stay-Focused, Inc., a nonprofit organization, which enables teens that use wheelchairs to become certified SCUBA divers as part of a broader academic program. Prior to Stay-Focused, Roger was Director of Career Management for Booz Allen Hamilton and has managed career services for several elite MBA programs. Roger holds a BS in Business Administration from the University of Rhode Island and an MBA from Cornell University.
Danny Murphy is a successful actor in film and television. He is active in a variety of disability initiatives.
Mandy Neville is the Executive Director, Circles Network. Circles Network is a national voluntary organization with offices in Rugby, Bristol, London, Cardiff, Glasgow, and Northern Ireland. Founded in 1994, its educational objective is to build inclusive communities. They have supported the inclusion of hundreds of people with disabilities in UK, Greece, and other European nations
Dr. Jane Norman is a Professor in Communication Studies, Gallaudet University, Washington, D.C. She is an active producer and director.
Dr. Scott Rains is editor of Rolling Rains Report, a website for dialogue on travel, disability, and universal design, www.rollingrains.com. Dr. Rains holds a B.A. in Linguistics from the University of Washington, an M.A. in Pastoral Ministry from Seattle University, and a D. Min. in Pastoral Ministry from the Graduate Theological Foundation in South Bend, Indiana.
Olivia Renensland is at The University of Chicago studying The Classics and International Relations. She has advocated for people with disabilities as a sibling of a person with disabilities.
Victoria Renensland is a young woman with developmental disabilities and the inspiration for [with]tv. She is a student at Fairfield University studying Italian and Music. She has spoken publicly on inclusion in the US and the UK.
Craig Reynolds is a producer and director all hundreds of television and radio commercials, training and instructional videos, and entertainment programs
Jim Reynolds for the past 20 years has been a leading character on Days Of Our Lives.
Rob Roy is an Analyst for the Nielsen Company, a leading provider of marketing information and business media services, where he advises clients on new product innovation and execution strategies. A native of Chicago, Rob received his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Wisconsin Madison. When not working, Rob likes to ride his bike, hang out at the beach with his dog, and spend time wondering what is Buzzing in the Workplace.
Laurie Rubin is a mezzo-soprano who has sung at The Kennedy Center, The White House, and Carnegie Hall. Born blind, Ms. Rubin has always advocated for people with disabilities. She serves as Director of Curriculum in PWdBC’s Summer Institute of The Performing Arts.
Richard L. Saphir, MD is Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, Mt. Sinai Medical School.
Matt Sapolin was appointed to serve as the Commissioner of the New York City Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD) by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg in October 2002. MOPD works hand in hand with other CIty agencies to assure that the voice of the community of
people with disabilities is represented and that City programs and policies address the needs of people with disabilities. Commissioner Sapolin also serves as an Adjunct Professor in the City University of New York's Graduate School of Professional Studies, teaching a course in the Certificate Program for Disability Studies.
Mitch Semel has worked for more than 25 years as a senior network executive and producer in broadcast and cable TV, public television, radio, and the Internet. He has overseen network programming and produced prime-time and late-night shows for CBS, NBC, Nicke@Nite, TV Land, PBS, and Comedy Central. In addition, Semel has hosted and produced syndicated radio programs featuring in-depth interviews with prominent politicians, entertainers, and international newsmakers. He has also supervised the design and launch of worldwide news and information TV network and companion website for the United States Department of Defense. Semel has brought his media background to other disciplines, among them as a member of the Hughes Public Education Project, developing satellite delivery to public schools of educational programming for low-income and at-risk children. He has also advised the United Service Organizations (USO) on assembling entertainment shows for US military service personnel at home and overseas. A 1981 graduate of Princeton University, Semel received his Bachelor of Arts degree and graduated cum laude from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs.
Mark Siegel is a policy consultant with the Minnesota Department of Human Services. He is an attorney specializing in disability policy, and is a person with Spinal Muscular Atrophy. Visit his blog at http://www.the19thfloor.net.
Randy Snow is considered the greatest male athlete in wheelchair sports history. He is the only athlete in the modern era to compete in three different Summer Paralympic Games in three different sports and medal in all three. Additionally he is one of the few to compete both as a Paralympic and an Olympic athlete. On the tennis court he was unyielding. In 1992 he captured two gold medals at the Paralympic Games in Barcelona as he won both the singles and doubles. In 1991 the International Tennis Federation as the first world champion of wheelchair tennis honored him.
Peter I. Tracy is Director, Content Strategy & Development at AT&T - BellSouth Entertainment, LLC
Gail Williamson is Executive Director of Down Syndrome Association of Los Angeles.