Biography
Lisa’s background is in Special Education. She has a Master’s Degree in Special Education, concentrating on students with multiple disabilities and deafblindness from the University of Kansas. Her Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln concentrated on both elementary and special education.
She has worked as a research associate at the University of Kansas and at Oregon Health and Sciences University. At OHSU, she worked with adults with cognitive and other impairments, as well as working with the university to make their programs more accessible to disabled students.
She has completed a six-month training program (under blindfold) at the Nebraska Commission for the Blind and has advocated on capital hill on behalf of blind self-advocacy groups. She has worked with national disability leaders such as Justin Dart, Judy Heumman, Michael Ward, and Mark Maurer. She also has first-hand experience in using the skills of blindness as she is both vision and hearing impaired.
Specific applicable skills include:
- Proficient in skills of blindness, including Braille, computer use, orientation and mobility with both white cane and guide dog, and activities of daily living
- A lifetime of experience of living and negotiating resources as a deafblind person, including advocacy and use of adaptive techniques for the blind, hearing aids and assistive listening devices, sign language skills, low vision aids, etc.
- Two-time graduate of Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind (Smithtown, NY) and graduate of Guide Dogs for the Blind (Boring, OR).
- Over 25 years experience working directly with adults and children with a variety of disabilities including blindness, deafblindness, spinal cord injuries, muscular dystrophy, cognitive/developmental disabilities, traumatic brain injury and multiple significant disabilities.
- Knowledge of applicable disability law such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, The Americans with Disabilities Act, The Developmental Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act, Social Security Benefits policies and others.
- Extensive experience working with self-advocacy groups.
- Expertise in developing communication systems for individuals with severe communication disabilities
- 15 years experience is developing custom curriculum to meet individual needs.
- 7 years experience in project administration
- Excellent writing and editing skills
- Excellent computer and organizational skills.
- Over 20 years experience as a part-time certified nurses assistant working in homes of individuals with disabilities as a home healthcare worker.
