Interim Director of TAG
Cambridge, MA

Michaela Devins is a mental health counselor who lives in Cambridge, MA with her husband Kyle and service dog Chicory. She has been a C4-C5 quadriplegic for ten years; in that time, she has worked as a tutor and substitute teacher in her home state of New York, and attended graduate school at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. She completed her Masters in professional mental health counseling from the Graduate School of Education in 2019.

Since then, she has been working toward her licensure and looking for ways to get involved in advocacy for the disabled community. In addition to joining the Tech Access Group with United Spinal, she has recently become a peer mentor – also through United Spinal! Her hobbies include reading long fantasy novels, playing video games, singing, cooking with her husband, and training/playing with her service dog Chicory!

Read Michaela’s Member Spotlight

Miami, FL
Rhonel Cinous, the son of Haitian immigrant parents, was born in Brooklyn, New York and raised in Miami, Florida. Rhonel is the last of six children and is wholeheartedly devoted to his family. His passions include writing poetry, comic books and Japanese anime, Sports, and Music just to name a few. Rhonel is a lifelong gamer and has always exhibited an interest in the newest technologies.

At the age of 30, he suffered a cervical level spinal cord injury resulting in quadriplegia. Five years later, as a C4-C5 level quadriplegic, he is discovering life anew and having adventures along the way. Professionally, Rhonel works as a paralegal, a local radio personality, and a freelance voiceover talent but has always had a heart for advocacy and community service. The Alzheimer’s Association, Build A Better Tomorrow, and the ALS Association are a few organizations he has volunteered for. Currently he hosts his own podcast, The Ramp. It. Up! Podcast, chronicling his recovery journey and sharing stories of others who are a part of/serve the Spinal Cord Injury/Disorder, (SCI/D) community.

With the assistance of technological innovations and accessible services, he leads a happy and productive life and is dedicated to helping others find the resources to do the same.

Rhonel was featured in New Mobility’s October 2021 issue:  Meet Rhonel Cinous

Read Rhonel’s Member Spotlight

Kayden Gill is a fourth-year undergraduate student at The Ohio State University, studying Health Sciences and Assistive and Rehabilitative Technology. He is president of Buckeyes for Accessibility (B4A), a student organization that works for accessibility-based change on campus and home to OSU’s vibrant disability community. He hopes to later pursue medical school.

As a disabled, queer, and trans person, he is passionate about advocacy and activism involving the disability community and LBGTQIA+ community, viewing intersectionality as a critical lens to understanding disability from an identity-based, cultural perspective. He received OSU’s 2021 Outstanding Undergraduate Student Advocate Award from Student Life Disability Services. Kayden maintains strong relationships with the various disability-focused departments on campus. He connects other students with disabilities to resources that improve access and implementation of services for the ever-growing disability community at the university. Outside of class and B4A, he is involved in research around assistive technology education, and barriers students with disabilities face in medical education.

Kayden has been using various assistive technology for nearly his entire life and began using a wheelchair in 2018. The combination of a rare genetic syndrome, coupled with other conditions, made traditional methods of mobility unsafe, unreliable, and increasingly painful over time. He transitioned to using an ultralight manual wheelchair when he began college to move freely on a busy campus, and to promote a lifestyle that was sustainable for his future career, goals, and body.

Millie Gonzalez, M.A., is a disabled advocate, disability consultant, trainer and speaker on a variety of topics. She is the co-founder of the opens in a new windowNew Jersey Disability Collective; board president for opens in a new windowThe Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies; board chair and program developer for  opens in a new windowThe Spina Bifida Resource Network (SBRN); vice board chair for the opens in a new windowAlliance Center for Independence (ACI), host of the NJ Disability Pride Parade; and lead coordinator of the ReelAbilities New Jersey Film Festival at Kean University. Millie also has 20 years of experience as a communication strategist, writer, editor, event planner and project manager.

Millie’s advocacy priorities at the local and federal level include emergency management, complex rehab technology (CRT), healthcare, employment, housing and other issues that impact the disability community. As Ms. Wheelchair New Jersey 2019, Millie used her platform, #LiveFiercely through Self-Care, to build disability awareness and encourage disabled folx to center civic engagement as a way to affect change that will improve their health and wellness.

She is one of only 30 honorees of Diversability’s national 2021 D-30 Disability Impact List and is a member of RespectAbility’s National Disability Speakers Bureau. Millie is a dancer with ZCO/Dance Project and Shimmy Sisters, has studied with AXIS and Full Radius Dance Companies, and has performed with Heidi Latsky Dance.

José Hernandez is a C-5 quadriplegic due to a spinal cord injury sustained when he was 15 years old. After his injury, he developed a passion for mentoring others with similar disabilities, including individuals in nursing homes and in rehabilitation centers. In 2011, Jose had the opportunity to go to Washington DC as part of United Spinal’s Roll on Capitol Hill annual event. This trip ignited an interest in advocacy, and he has been back to DC frequently as well as advocating on state and city issues.  He has held the position as the NYC Advocacy Coordinator for United Spinal Association and the President of United Spinal’s New York City chapter. In 2019, Jose was appointed by Mayor Bill DeBlasio to be a Commissioner of the NYC Civic Engagement Commission to ensure that the city includes individuals with disabilities in all aspects of civic engagement.

C-5/6 Quadriplegic, United Spinal of Iowa Chapter Leader, Roll on Capitol Hill Advocate, Self Employed Business Owner, and Adaptive Technology User for Personal and Employment Needs

Tech Access Lead

Paul is an accessibility consultant, brand ambassador, and a founding member of United Spinal Association’s Tech Access Group launched in 2020, a high level influencer and user group dedicated to informing tech innovation R&D and UX on behalf of consumers with mobility disabilities. Paul’s talents and passion to impact inclusion and accessibility through technology are building an important collaboration between tech innovation and the disability community. 

 Over 20 years ago, after being involved in a multi car collision that left him a C-6 quadriplegic. Paul was undeterred and inspired to live his dreams by graduating with honors from the Academy of Radio and Television Broadcasting in 2006. By 2015, he became the Bureau Chief of ABC News Radio, KMET 1490-AM, and went on to host and co-host various successful morning shows where his positive and enthusiastic outlook on life earned him a dedicated following.   

His long time fascination with technology intersected with his career path when in 2016, he hosted TECH Zone focused on gaming , entertainment, sports, health and education complemented by his own experience using and accessing tech as a quadriplegic. Paul has also been a mainstay as a judge and media correspondent at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) since 2009, and at Comic-Con in 2018, Paul launched opens in a new window“Entertainment Zone”  currently airing on ABC New Radio. His list of technology and accessibility conference and media roles is impressive as a keynote speaker, moderator, interviewer and host. Highlights for Paul include interviews with Maya Angelou, panel moderation at the E3 gaming conference, and a keynote address at Playstation’s headquarters.     

Read Paul’s Member Spotlight
opens in a new windowCheck out Paul’s United on Wheels Podcasts

John has 22 years of experience as an assistive technology professional and occupational therapist. John currently provides assistive technology (AT) consultations and training to students registered with the Disability Resource Center at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, CA. In addition, he consults with Cal Poly faculty and staff in the area of digital accessibility, ensuring that all campus members have equal access to electronic documents, audio/video, websites, and electronic products. He enjoys collaborating with Cal Poly engineering students on assistive technology design projects. John is also an active member of the local disability/accessibility advocacy group, Access For All, which strives to cultivate an accessible San Luis Obispo county where people with disabilities have equal opportunities in all aspects of life. John was a recipient of the 2006 Paul Wolff Accessibility Advocacy Award for San Luis Obispo county. As a lifelong disabled person who uses a power-assist wheelchair, he is passionate about promoting disability as diversity and accessibility as inclusion.

Chicago, IL
Michele Lee is a longtime member of United Spinal and contributor to United Spinal’s Tech Access Initiative. Michele became a quadriplegic and power wheelchair user after a spinal cord injury in 2003. She has over 10 years’ experience working in finance and corporate treasury, where she became very involved with disability advocacy and founded a disability-focused Business Resource Group. She is particularly focused on fighting for disability inclusion in the workplace and universal access to transportation and healthcare. She graduated with a Marketing and Communications degree from the University of Arizona. She is based in Chicago.

Read Michele’s Member Spotlight

Public Policy Fellow

Port Angeles, WA
Ian lives in the furthest NW County in the continental US, where it is cold and lovely. He is a C2/C3 complete quad, without any sensation or movement below his neck. His injury occurred in 2008 from a bicycle accident while he was attending UC Santa Cruz as a bio major. Back then, he wanted nothing to do with tech. Like Tyler, Ian now uses a sip and puff to drive his chair. He is the Executive Director of Ian’s Ride, a nonprofit that focuses mainly on outdoor accessibility, but also connects people with technology. He feels fortunate that he works with Apple to help provide a better experience for those who use accessibility features, particularly switch and voice control. Those two technologies have been game changers in Ian’s life, and he uses them nonstop to interact with his world. For hobbies, he hits the trails, pushes his limits, and does really long rides in his 270 miles down the northern coast of California. He loves beer and visiting breweries, which he is deeply missing right now. He runs three local support groups and is active in the Washington chapter. His house is full of environmental controls, allowing him to be independent and live alone. He uses a PC and Mac book, and utilizes a Quadjoy sip and puff mouse with dictation software for efficiency. On his chair, he has two phones that he interacts with via voice and two switches attached to his sip and puff straw. Ian mounts his controller and a Tecla that converts the analog switches to Bluetooth on the back of his chair, keeping the focus on him and not his tech. Ian is a big fan of the TAG conversations and being able to connect with the industry in a way that has great collaborative potential.

Read more about Ian

Adriana is an entrepreneur, innovator, and, most importantly, an advocate. She combines her entrepreneurial spirit with a passion for technology and empowering people with disabilities. She is the founder and CEO of Puffin Innovations, an assistive technology startup formed in 2017, whose flagship product is an innovative mouth-operated input device that incorporates machine learning, artificial intelligence, and internet of things connectivity to give people with disabilities greater opportunities to lead more integrated and independent lives. Adriana is also the co-founder of Quirk LAABS (Leveraging All Abilities for Better Solutions) — an accessible, inclusive co-working space for current and aspiring entrepreneurs with disabilities, designed to empower a community of people to act on their dreams, leverage their talents, and create an impact in the world.

Adriana has been a guest lecturer at Northeastern University and Boston University’s PT and OT/AT classes respectively for nearly two decades sharing patient perspective and lived experience. She has been a featured speaker on numerous panels covering topics ranging from assistive technology to disability advocacy/inclusion to entrepreneurship for venues including SXSW, MIT, HUBweek, ATIA, and Olin College, in addition to speaking engagements for notable companies such as CarGurus, Zappos, and SharkNinja. Adriana also serves on the Board of Directors of FixPat, and is a former board member of Easterseals Massachusetts.

Edward Mitchell was a victim of a hit-and-run bicycle accident in 2003 when he was hit by a truck and thrown into a ditch, found by his little brother. Edward has quadriplegia, with an incomplete spinal cord injury at the C-5 and C-6 levels. Edward crossed into Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. by way of the Beta Pi chapter on the campus of Lane College in 2008. He obtained his Bachelor’s degree in 2009 from Lane College, a private HBCU, and his MBA in 2011.

Edward’s injury hasn’t slowed him down: he works as an Independent Living Specialist at the Jackson Center for Independent Living in Tennessee, and also serves as the Fan Relations Coordinator of the Jackson Generals minor league baseball team.

In 2018, Edward was selected as an inaugural ABLE Advisor for the Able National Resource Center. (ABLE Accounts are tax-advantaged savings accounts for individuals with disabilities.) In the summer of 2018, Edward was confirmed by Tennessee legislators to testify before the Washington D.C. – Senate Special Committee on Aging. The hearing titled, “Supporting Economic Stability & Self Sufficiency as Americans with Disabilities & their Families Age.” He currently is finishing his second term on the board of the Tennessee Statewide Independent Living Council, appointed by former TN Governor Bill Haslam. In 2021, TN Governor Bill Lee appointed him to the Statewide Council on Developmental Disabilities.

Edward was inducted to the Lane College Hall of Distinction for the Young Alumni Achievement Award, and was honored to accept the Jefferson / Multiplying Good Award from Leaders Credit Union for advocacy for individuals with disabilities not only locally, but nationally. The Jefferson Awards, founded by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Senator Robert Taft, Jr., is America’s top honor for public service.

Beaverton, OR
A father of three, Dave was injured ten years ago in a ladder accident. Dave feels that tech is a unique equalizer for people with disabilities. As a quad with arm function but no real hand control, tech devices allow him to take control of his environment down to the very finest level in a way that feels monumental. For him, the independence he has found using tech is unparalleled. Dave is a technology collector, you name it, and he probably has one on hand. The true test, though, is whether he uses it or not. Since COVID, Dave’s two most recent projects have been setting up a sliding glass door with voice activation and building a cellular-based backup internet system that will automatically switch over on the occasion when his wired Internet goes out. He enjoys learning so much from his TAG peers, sharing his experiences alongside theirs, and having the feedback heard directly by the TAC and industry guests.

Lance Pounds is an associate attorney at C.K. Quade Law, PLLC. Lance spent his childhood on a small farm in Oregon, helping on the family farm driving a tractor, rolling hay bales, feeding, and watering cows.

In his youth, he was well-known for his tap-dancing—not so much anymore. Lance earned his Doctor of Jurisprudence degree in 2016.  Lance has an electric-assist recumbent trike that allows him to cruise the local greenbelt with ease thanks to a grant by the Challenged Athletes Foundation of Idaho.

Passionate about accessible technology, Lance proves an ardent advocate when combining his personal experience and professional education to advocate and empower people with disabilities to live their fullest life possible.

Lance uses a tablet to communicate often, has automated his apartment, and enjoys gaming on way too many devices.

Colleen Roche is a regional training coordinator, program developer, and subject-matter expert on disability health and wellness. Colleen is a Certified Community Resource Specialist. Certified by the New Jersey Victim Assistance Academy, her work centers on raising awareness of and increasing access to domestic violence and abuse-related supports and services within the disability community. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Spanish Literature from St. Peter’s University and is an experienced consultant who regularly develops and delivers trainings and presentations for individuals with disabilities, healthcare providers and other allied professionals on a variety of topics.

An activist and organizer, Colleen is the co-founder of the New Jersey Disability Collective, board chair for the Alliance Center for Independence, treasurer for the New Jersey Statewide Independent Living Council and chair of the New Jersey Personal Assistance Services Consumer Advisory Council.

Karen Roy sustained a T10 complete spinal cord injury in 1987 due to a gunshot wound to the back. She was the victim of an armed Robbery during her sophomore year at Louisiana State University.

After completing her rehabilitation, she finished her BA in Psychology. Next, she obtained a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Louisiana State University and became a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in 1996. Twenty years of Karen’s social Work career, she specialized in medical social work. For the past six years, she has worked at Numotion and is now the Numotion Brand Ambassador. In her role as Brand Ambassador, Karen hosts a disability-related podcast called Life Possible with a Disability and can be found on most podcast platforms. Karen also works in government and payer relations as part of her role with Numotion. Another passion of Karen’s is co-leading the Numotion Disability ERG, the Disability Alliance Network.

Karen’s passion is advocacy for people with disabilities. This includes over a decade of being on the board for the Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Association of Louisiana, also the Louisiana Chapter of United Spinal Association. Karen is also the State Coordinator for Ms. Wheelchair Louisiana and an active peer mentor for the United Spinal Association. She was Ms. Wheelchair Louisiana 2018 and won Ms. Wheelchair America 2019. The Ms. Wheelchair America organization’s competition is wholly based on the woman’s history of advocacy and the ability to articulate her platform. Recently Karen was awarded Patsy Barrett Memorial Award at the 2021 Louisiana Governor’s Outstanding Leadership in Disability Awards.

Karen’s favorite role is being a mother to her three children, Caroline, Austin, and Joseph. Karen had all of her children after she was paralyzed. Her kids are all in their 20’s now, and raising them has been Karen’s greatest joy in life

Read Karen’s Member Spotlight

Rochester, NY
One of our newest and the now youngest TAG member at 21 years old. Currently, Madison is an undergraduate at Rochester Institute of Technology, majoring in human-centered computing, with a focus in accessible technology, and is set to graduate in May 2022. She obtained a grant in spring 2021 to research virtual reality for wheelchair users. Madison is a T5 incomplete paraplegic, and her injury was caused by syringomyelia, a cyst within the spinal cord. She is originally from Atlanta, GA. Outside of school, Madison is a dancer focusing mostly on hip-hop and lyrical dance, as well as jazz and modern. She takes classes with the Rollettes, a wheelchair dance team based in Los Angeles. Madison also received a grant from the Kelly Brush Foundation in summer 2021 to purchase a custom racing handcycle to compete in national races.

Read Madison’s Member Spotlight

Snohomish, WA
After growing up in the small town of Woodinville, WA, outside of Seattle, Tyler headed to Florida to become a golf pro. Deciding the funds could be better used elsewhere, he embarked on an extended adventure around the country with a friend. Upon his return, Tyler started working for his parent’s construction company and found real enjoyment with the physical aspects of the job. In 2012, he was injured and has been paralyzed from the neck down ever since. The transition was especially hard in the beginning because so much of his self-worth felt tied to his physical abilities instead of what he had to offer mentally. After a lot of time and energy spent struggling with that, he committed to nurturing his mind by fully embracing assistive technology. Over time, he has managed to find ways to put standard off-the-shelf technology together well enough to live independently. Tyler is on several more advisory boards that are relevant to assistive technology. He also runs a business that focuses on smart homes and assistive technology beyond the foundation. Through his business, Tyler is an active public speaker. Beyond his work with assistive technology, he loves extreme sports, like skydiving. His big interests are in robotics and learning about how folks like himself can interact with them through buttons, voice, or brain-machine interface mechanisms.

Simi Tometi is a Digital Strategist at The Richards Group, where he helps grow brands by identifying market trends and performing in-depth research in order to discover potential gaps and market opportunities for ongoing and future strategies. He is a C-4/C-5 incomplete quadriplegic. He sustained his injury from a car wreck just over a decade ago.

Outside of the office, his interests include sports, history, economics, film & photography, design, technology, and engineering. His loved ones and colleagues would describe him as a driven, charismatic, and resourceful individual, who maintains a positive, proactive attitude when faced with adversity. He looks forward to connecting with the Tech Access Group and United Spinal community.

In 2013 Jeff was in a crash resulting in a C3/4 Spinal Cord Injury resulting in tetraplegia. Shortly after, he became a member of the NYC United Spinal chapter, and more recently the Tech Access Group (TAG). Additionally, Jeff enjoys advocating and has become involved as part of the project review committee for the North American Spinal Cord Injury Consortium. Professionally, Jeff works as a Project Manager for a digital accessibility organization, where he analyzes web and mobile platforms for their compatibility with assistive technologies and conformance to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines so that all digital platforms are accessible regardless of disability. Although primarily an Android and Windows platform user he is always interested to learn more about other platforms options like Apple, Linux, and all things IoT. Tech has always been fascinating for Jeff, especially now that he relies so heavily on it. His excitement for his involvement with TAG stems from its provision to offer the opportunity to focus on issues he is interested, and vested, by opening conversations which may shape, guide or direct products or services which benefit the disability community. Global aspirations aside, he is always eager to improve himself and his home life. Social engagement, exercise, or expansion of his smart home allow for him to enjoy pastimes more independently like movies, live/music, or indulgence in anything providing a strong story. One of his current goals is to experience and partake in digital gaming to broaden his horizons of hobby and community.

Waverly, IA
After undergoing surgeries and radiation in 2003 and 2006 to treat an ependymoma tumor in her T7-L2 vertebrae, Jenn now functions as a T10 paraplegic and relies on a manual wheelchair. A long-time occupational therapist working in the community and independent living space, Jenn’s interest in assistive technology lies in how it can be used to help people increase and maintain health and independence. She sees it as an important connection piece and tool for learning between members of the disability community who are on varying steps of their tech adoption. She is a fearless advocate for home and community-based supports for individuals in Iowa and beyond.

Excelsior, MN
From the Twin Cities area, Rob was injured in 2011 in a diving accident while rafting on the Grand Canyon. After his injury, Rob became heavily involved in spinal cord injury research. He was able to get state legislation passed to fund $3 million a year for SCI research and brain injuries. Currently, Rob is working at the University of Minnesota in rehabilitation medicine, helping facilitate clinical trials. He also consults with a company called Abilitech Medical to develop exoskeletons for arms. As a mechanical engineer, Rob is also working on a few other independent projects. On the personal tech front, he utilizes a mouthstick with an iPad most of the time and uses his nose on his iPhone to type. He recently obtained a Quadstick mouth control mouse and uses a Glasouse head control mouse due to neck soreness from typing so much with a mouthstick stylus. Because he is unable to use his arms, Rob uses a lot of voice control and has his environmental controls hooked up to his Alexa.

Read Rob’s Member Spotlight