As a part of Georgia Tech’s commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Office of Equity and Compliance Programs – ADA Compliance has established the Advocates for Accessibility award. This award recognizes individuals and departments who have actively worked to improve accessibility for people with disabilities in the Georgia Tech community.
Four Scheller College of Business community members were among this year’s honorees who have contributed to the work of accessibility through their leadership, scholarship, expertise, and other activities:
- Terry Blum, faculty director of the Institute for Leadership and Social Impact and ADVANCE Professor. Terry was nominated for being an integral part of the creation of the EXCEL program, along with Cyrus Auiden, and assisted in building a culture of inclusion and belonging for people with disabilities in the Georgia Tech community.
- Paul Johnson, senior web developer. Paul was nominated for exceptional work on improving accessibility for people with disabilities in web and digital environments, championing accessibility during the Scheller website redesign process, and providing training on web accessibility best practices for others within the Scheller community.
- Sarah Naumann and Amanda Shojaee, MBA Class of 2023 graduates. Sarah and Amanda created the organization In Good Company, which assists leaders in the hospitality industry in adopting systems that harness the unique strengths of employees with disabilities.
“Early in my web career, I worked for the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities, a U.S. Department of Education sponsored center to disseminate information about the Individuals with Disabilities Act,” Johnson said. “While working there first as a records analyst, then webmaster, I was surrounded by passionate advocates for those with disabilities and their families. From that experience, I was and continue to be inspired to execute my work through the lens of accessibility.”
