BCID - Key Persons
: Anne Kelsey first worked with BCID and other New York City independent living centers (ILCs) as a Fellowship Attorney at Disability Rights Advocates. BCID and other ILCs are a key partner in DRA's legal work, and she "saw the important role that ILCs play in providing services to and defending the rights of persons with disabilities in local communities." A Brooklyn resident and a person with a disability, Anne now is a staff attorney at Disability Rights New York. She joined the board in 2015.
: A Brooklyn native and a life-long disability advocate, Sharon Shapiro served as BCID's Executive Director from 1996 to 2001. Her advocacy accomplishments include improving Access-A-Ride by initiating a 1999 lawsuit against the MTA, getting the Disability Rent Increase Exemption enacted, and bringing accessible voting machines to New York State. She now serves as executive director of Yad HaChazakah-The Jewish Disability Empowerment Center. Sharon joined the board in 2010.
: Anne Kelsey first worked with BCID and other New York City independent living centers (ILCs) as a Fellowship Attorney at Disability Rights Advocates. BCID and other ILCs are a key partner in DRA's legal work, and she "saw the important role that ILCs play in providing services to and defending the rights of persons with disabilities in local communities." A Brooklyn resident and a person with a disability, Anne now is a staff attorney at Disability Rights New York. She joined the board in 2015.
: When Heidi Hirschfeld developed a disease that temporarily meant she had to use a wheelchair, she began to "get a better understanding of disability." As a Brooklyn native, she was then drawn to BCID's long history of advocacy and other work in the borough, joining the board in 2013. She has been an assistant professor at St. John's University, a software developer for Accenture, and a senior programmer/analyst for Hertz Corp.
: A Brooklyn native, Marvin Wasserman served as BCID's Executive Director from 2008 to 2012. He has spent 40 years advocating for disability rights, including working for accessible taxis as a leader in the Taxis for All Campaign; more accessible subways; and emergency preparedness. Marvin first joined the board in 2007, then returned to the board in 2012.
: Michael Wasser's first experience with disability advocacy was in fifth grade, when he fought to make his school's gym and stage accessible. He was "subjected to ridicule," he reports, and didn't succeed, but years later found that lifts had been installed to make the gym and stage accessible. In a case he pursued as an adult, Michael won a ruling by the United States Circuit Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit holding that there can be no caps on an individual service or an entire rehabilitation plan. Michael has a progressive form of muscular dystrophy and is an attorney for the New York City Law Department. He joined the board in 2013.
: A Brooklyn native and a life-long disability advocate, Sharon Shapiro served as BCID's Executive Director from 1996 to 2001. Her advocacy accomplishments include improving Access-A-Ride by initiating a 1999 lawsuit against the MTA, getting the Disability Rent Increase Exemption enacted, and bringing accessible voting machines to New York State. She now serves as executive director of Yad HaChazakah-The Jewish Disability Empowerment Center. Sharon joined the board in 2010.
: Warren Shaw, an attorney, also is an historian of the New York City disability rights movement. His parents, Mollie and Julie Shaw, were among the movement's founders. In 2015, in partnership with the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities, Warren curated "Gaining Access," the first-ever museum exhibit on the New York City disability rights movement. Warren joined the board in 2010.