People
Road Tour Staff
Jim Ward
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Jim Ward is Founder and President of ADA Watch and the National Coalition for Disability Rights (NCDR) based in Washington, DC. ADA Watch/NCDR is an alliance of hundreds of disability, civil rights and social justice organizations united to promote educational and economic opportunity for children and adults with physical, mental, cognitive and developmental disabilities. Coalition partners include the National Organization on Disability, Paralyzed Veterans of America, Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation, AARP, LCCR, CCD, National Spinal Cord Injury Association, Easter Seals, United Cerebral Palsy, ADAPT Epilepsy Foundation, and many others.
He has extensive experience in media and public affairs and his steady stream of op-eds, articles, and media appearances have been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, National Journal, Wall Street Journal, LA Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Boston Globe, Detroit Free Press and more.
He began work in the disability community in 1979 with the Arc of Sullivan County (NY), working with former residents of often abusive institutions — including the infamous Willowbrook State School which, after Geraldo Rivera’s TV exposé, became the catalyst for the first protection and advocacy laws for people with disabilities. He previously worked as the Director of Public Policy for the National Association of Protection and Advocacy Systems (NAPAS), the nationwide network of federally-mandated disability law centers now called the National Disability Rights Network (NDRN). He was Assistant Vice President of Government Relations for the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare (NCCBH), a not-for-profit association of 1,300 behavioral healthcare organizations that provide treatment and rehabilitation for mental illnesses and addictions disorders to nearly six million adults, children and families in communities across the country.
He is a former elected official and a graduate of the State University of New York at Albany. He holds a Masters in Clinical Social Work from Adelphi University and interned for the Veterans Administration Hospital in White River Junction, Vermont. He went on to provide inpatient and outpatient counseling and psychotherapy services in public and private settings. As a health and wellness consultant he has provided services to numerous corporations including GE, Digital, IBM, and BF Goodrich.
Tom Olin
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Tom Olin, social documentarian and photojournalist, is the Director of the Disability Rights Center. The photo archives of Tom Olin provide a pictorial history of the disability rights movement in America. For 25 years, Olin has captured the movement on film, in images both in color and black & white. He began capturing the disability rights movement in Los Angeles in early 1980’s, where he photographed one of the nation’s first demonstrations calling for the creation of curb cuts. He worked in Denver documenting the Atlantis independent living movement, with a strong focus on deinstitutionalization, and has photographed the national activist group ADAPT since 1985.
As a staff photographer for MOUTH magazine for several years, a monthly publication serving the disability rights community, he worked diligently to capture the many events affecting people with disabilities. Olin’s images have been published widely in disability publications, from New Mobility to Paraplegic News, and provide a pictorial history of the struggle for civil rights experienced by people with disabilities. His powerful collection documents the significant people, places and events of the long struggle for disability rights and integration. His photos were selected to be part of the Smithsonian Institute’s ADA exhibit.
Olin’s photographs provide a pictorial history of the struggle for civil rights for people with disabilities, in images of power, strength, determination, and passion. In addition to heightening awareness and raising the consciousness of mainstream public, much of Olin’s motivation is toward helping young people today understand and embrace the struggles that people with disabilities have faced in their quest for full integration and civil rights.
The Olin Collection is arguably the most extensive collection of disability rights photographs available today, the Olin collection spans twenty-five years. In addition to events, the collection includes dozens of portraits of disability rights leaders as well as powerful photos of local disability rights activists putting their lives on the line for full civil rights and societal integration.
The late disability rights pioneer Justin Dart had the highest praise for Olin and his work. Dart said, “Tom Olin is a great, dedicated patriot and photographer of our movement. His contributions will live long after the pyramids of the pharaohs have crumbled to dust.”
Debbie Fletter Ward
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Debbie Fletter Ward is the former Vice President of Member Education and Online Marketing for America Online, Inc. – AOL, at their headquarters in Dulles, Virginia. She also served as the company’s first Director of Accessibility, advancing the usability of the service for people with disabilities.
She is the founder of Wired On Wheels, Inc., a nonprofit web-based directory of accessible businesses.
She holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Berkeley and a Masters of Science from the University of Maryland. She managed a team of 25 people at AOL and has managed countless projects.
She is also a recent graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN) and is a Certified Holistic Health Counselor.
Kendra Sue Derby
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Over her career, Kendra-Sue Derby has fought for progressive causes and candidates. She focuses her work on administrative and field activities. Most recently she was Senior Consultant to the Jon Tester for Senate and Montana Democratic Party. This campaign was able to defeat an 18 year incumbent Senator in a 10-point Republican state. This race was critical for the Democrats to take back the US Senate in 2007.
She also worked at Alliance for Justice from 2001 through 2006 as the Director of Field Operations. Kendra-Sue enhanced AFJ’s grassroots activities, and oversaw the outreach efforts to colleges, law schools, legal groups, and affinity organizations. Kendra-Sue co-chaired the grassroots task force for the national Coalition for a Fair and Independent Judiciary. In September of 2005, Kendra-Sue left AFJ’s DC office to make her home in Denver.
Prior to joining Alliance for Justice (and during her tenure), Kendra-Sue has been active in Democratic politics. She trained thousands of activists and campaign employees when she worked for The Ron Brown - Paul Tully Institute for Political Action and as an independent contractor.
She has extensive experience working on campaigns of all sizes, ranging from City Council to Presidential, including the 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2004 Democratic presidential campaigns. In 2004 she ran the Democratic Party of Oregon’s coordinated campaign. While there she helped win the state for the Kerry-Edwards Campaign, re-elect Senator Ron Wyden, re-elect all of the Democratic candidates for congress, take back the state senate and pick-up seats in the state house.
In addition to her work on campaigns, Kendra-Sue was the trip director for Secretary of Labor Robert Reich, Congressional Liaison for the Peace Corps and Public Information Officer for the Ohio Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Section.
Janine Bertram Kemp
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Janine Bertram Kemp is a Director on the Board of ADA Watch and the National Coalition for Disability Rights (NCDR). She is a strategic partner of Solutions Marketing Group providing innovative strategies for businesses targeting consumers with disabilities, and the owner of Cedar Media, a communications consulting firm specializing in diversity involving the inclusion of people with disabilities in the mainstream of society. She designs and conducts training modules in developing the communications skills necessary to conduct public policy campaigns as well as training staff of non-profit organizations in conveying their message through the media. She has written numerous articles for disability publications as well as reports and proposals for federal and state agencies. A sampling of clients includes Pax TV, Maryland Statewide Independent Living Council, and the Federal Transit Administration.
She is the former Communications Director for the American Association of Persons with Disabilities (AAPD). Prior to that time, she was Chairman of the Board of Evan Kemp Associates, a durable medical equipment and accessible transportation company based in Maryland. From 1988-1992, she served as Assistant to Evan J, Kemp, Jr., Chairman U.S. Equal Employment Opportunities Commission, writing speeches and reports and assisting with the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). She was Vice President of Communications for the National Spinal Cord Injury Association and served on the Department of Labor's Delphi Panel. Janine divides her time between Washington, D.C. and Mt. Hood, Oregon.
Robert “Bobby” Coward
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Bobby Coward is the Co-Founder and Director of DIRECT Action (Disabled Individuals for Real Empowerment and Community Training) and the Chair and Spokesperson of Capital Area ADAPT (American Disabled for Attendant Programs Today).
He is a United States Air Force Veteran with quadriplegia resulting from a spinal cord injury caused by an auto accident on November 11, 1992.Prior to joining the Air Force, Coward attended The University of the District of Columbia and majored in Aviation Maintenance Technology and was licensed and certified as an aircraft mechanic.
Coward has since dedicated his life to promoting independent living options for people with disabilities to live in their communities. DIRECT Action's mission is to actively promote access to community-based services and supports, accessible housing and employment programs to ensure full participation and economic success rather than institutional segregation for people with disabilities.
Coward’s dedication and expertise have been recognized by numerous awards and citations including the Linowes Leadership Award, Andrew Wood Advocacy Award, National Council on Independent Living Advocacy Award, 2005 Paul G Hearne Young Leadership Award, and the Alston Bannerman Fellowship award for activist of color, among others.
Coward received a Certificate of Congressional Recognition for outstanding achievement, service and public distinction and a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition for his advocacy work with Capitol Area ADAPT and DIRECT Action.
Russ Holt
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Russ Holt is the founder and president of Access Information, Inc. Partially paralyzed in a 1986 auto accident, Holt has since become a well-known advocate for people with disabilities. He graduated from American University and volunteered as a Montgomery County Crisis Hotline counselor, which led to a job at the ENDependence Center of Northern Virginia, Inc. (ECNV), a community-based resource and advocacy center managed by and for people with disabilities. ECNV promotes the independent living philosophy and equal access for all people with disabilities.
In 1997 Russ was featured in a Dateline NBC episode entitled, "No Way In". He showed, by wearing a hidden camera, how some employers were discriminating against applicants with disabilities. The show was viewed by over sixteen million people and finished in the top ten for the week.
Montgomery County Executive Douglas Duncan presented Holt with a 1997 Pyramid Award, given annually to individuals who make a difference in the disability field.
He helped design his house, a completely accessible rambler, and it was nominated for a 1999 Finest for Family Living award. In July, 2000 Russ created DisabilityGuide.org , a website devoted to providing information to individuals with disabilities and reviewing the accessibility of restaurants and bars in the DC metro area.
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Board of Directors & National Advisory Council
(*) indicates Director
Jim Ward* President and Founder
Curt Decker* Co-Chair
National Disability Rights Network, CCD
Nancy Starnes* Co-Chair
National Organization Disability
Shereen Arent
American Diabetes Association
Nan Aron
Alliance for Justice
Robert Bernstein*
Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law
Janine Bertram Kemp*
Disability Rights Center
Marca Bristo
Access Living
Honorable Tony Coelho
Former U.S. Congressman
Robert Coward*
Capitol Area ADAPT
Len Doran*
The Wexford Group
Kyle Glozier
National Disabled Student Union
Claudia Gordon
National Black Deaf Advocates
Wade Henderson
Leadership Conference on Civil Rights
Ron Bassman*
National Association for
Rights Protection and Advocacy
Honorable Judith Heumann
Bob Kafka*
National ADAPT
John Lancaster
National Council on Independent Living
Ralph G. Neas
People For the American Way
Tom Olin
Photographer and Social Documentarian
Mike Oxford
NCIL, ADAPT, TILRC
Lee Page*
Paralyzed Veterans of America
Debra Robinson
Speaking For Ourselves
Marcie Roth*
National Spinal Cord Injury Network
Brewster Thackeray*
AARP
Betsy Valnes
National Youth Leadership Network
Patrisha Wright*
Disability Rights Education and
Defense Fund
Tony Young
NISH, CCD
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