Why I serve on the Board of Directors
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David RosenthalBoard Member
I have had a longtime interest and passion working with people with chronic illnesses and disabilities, some of our most potentially marginalized citizens. I started my career as a Special Educator (1978-1986) and truly loved working with students with severe disabilities. I moved from the classroom to community-based rehabilitation counseling (1986-1992) working with a vocational emphasis. I attained a PhD (UW-Madison) and became an academic in 1994. Today I serve as a Professor of Rehabilitation Psychology at UW-Madison. UW-Madison is a research institution, and we can easily become cloistered in the “ivory tower.” Thus, I consider building meaningful, community-based relationships and giving back to the community to be a critically important aspect of my job as a Professor. I have learned so much and gained so much from working with my friends and colleagues at ATI! I am very thankful for that!
-David Rosenthal |
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Wendy WeilerBoard Member
I want to give back to my community. I was injured and became a wheelchair user 30 years ago (just weeks after the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act). Over the years, I was busy working, raising my two daughters and advocating for accessibility and inclusion in any way I could on my own. Now it’s time to lend my lived experience, energy and acquired knowledge to an exceptional organization that provides advocacy, resources, and peer support to thousands of individuals with diverse challenges. I feel that the more connections we can make, the more we can shine a light on real community needs, lower access barriers, enable independence and keep inclusion at the forefront.
-Wendy Weiler |
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Malachy BishopBoard Member
As an educator and researcher in rehabilitation counseling and rehabilitation psychology I believe local participation and advocacy is a critical part of my role. I have been a rehabilitation professional for three decades and in several states, and I believe that Access to Independence really is an exceptional Independent Living Center. The staff are actively dedicated to the Independent Living philosophy of maximizing the “leadership, empowerment, independence, and productivity of individuals with disabilities” and committed to the realization of this philosophy in this area. The staff and leadership are impressive in their full commitment to their mission, their engagement in their community, and their continuous efforts to grow and improve the important work they do.
- Malachy Bishop |
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Keith WantaBoard Treasurer
Serving as the Treasurer for ACCESS makes me proud. Volunteering on the board of directors at ACCESS gives me the opportunity to help others with challenges that I've faced every day of my life. Working full time while living independently for 15 years in a wheelchair with a neuromuscular condition without disability income or disability insurance is not for the faint hearted. I've solved several disability related challenges including: funding daily personal care without Medicaid, disabled vehicle modifications, transportation challenges dealing with Metro Paratransit, mail delivery accessibility, work related bathroom accessibility, hunting and fishing accessibility, ordering wheelchairs, accessibility dilemmas within hospitals, accessibility dilemmas with airplanes and hotels while traveling, federal level medical necessity cases with health insurance companies and fair housing challenges related to ceiling lifts used for transferring. If anyone who is disabled needs help solving their own challenges, please don't hesitate to contact me and we'll get to the bottom of it together!
-Keith Wanta |
