OAE - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Interim Director of Disability Advising
Hello there! I'm Ake Saethia (he/him), Interim Director of Disability Advising at the Office of Accessible Education. I studied Sociology, and Education at the University of California, Irvine, and obtained a Masters in both Business Administration and Social Work from the University of Southern California. Since 2012, my focus has been working with students with disabilities in college settings. In my free time, I like to hang out with family and friends, and get outdoors. My goal is to connect with your specific disability situation, and work together to figure out how we can meet your access needs.
Hi! I'm Athena Bradley (she/her), Disability Adviser at the Office of Accessible Education (OAE). I'm here to help students navigate learning barriers by working with faculty and staff to find and implement appropriate accommodations. As an advocate for accessibility in my professional and personal life, I've seen firsthand how appropriate services can help students reach their academic goals. I'm here to work with you on your path to reaching yours. I earned a B.A. in Social Welfare from the University of California at Berkeley and an M.A. in Special Education from Santa Clara University. When I'm not at work, you'll find me rowing on the waterways of the Mid Penninsula or hiking with my two dogs - and occasionally my spouse and two grown (ish) children.
Hi! My name is Betty Straub (she/her) and I am one of the Disability Advisers (DA) within the Office of Accessible Education. I obtained both my Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. My affinity for higher education began when I was a Resident Advisor during undergrad; I learned then that I loved creating spaces for students to learn, connect, and find their passions. I am passionate about disability services because I exist in a body that is often unpredictable due to chronic conditions. Through this work, I have learned that not everyone has the same 24 hours in a day, so it's important to be compassionate and understanding of individual differences and lived disability experience. My work as a DA centers around access - and what access means is different to each person. In our meetings, I look forward to understanding your particular accessibility needs, your unique identity, and how you can have equal opportunity to succeed here at Stanford by working collaboratively with you, your faculty, and staff. Let's chat!
When I am not working, I thoroughly enjoy a good puzzle, podcast binges, tending* to my plants, and exploring new places with my husband.
Job Titles:
- Accommodations and Operations Manager
Hello and welcome! I'm Carol Sutherland (she/her), Accommodations and Operations Manager at the Office of Accessible Education. I manage the Front Desk staff and Accommodation Coordinators. I have been at Stanford since 2005.
My role at the OAE is to open the line of communication between student and Disability Adviser. One aspect of my job is to review documentation and match students with the Disability Adviser who will be providing their accommodation(s). I feel it is important to find the best fit for each student whenever possible. Honoring differences, embracing change, and creating actionable accountability drives my work here at Stanford. When I am not working, I am enjoying the great outdoors. Every summer I spend a week up north camping, hiking, and fishing.
Job Titles:
- Alternate Format Specialist
Hello! My name is Charlene Chong (she/her). I am thrilled to be part of the OAE alternate format production team. I am passionate about removing barriers to access and empowering the Stanford community and students for academic success in the classroom and out in the world. I bring over 10 years of experience in the world of disability access in higher education and hold certifications in Literary braille, Nemeth braille, and project management.
Hi and Welcome to the Office of Accessible Education. I am Debra Leong (she/her) and I am the Administrative Assistant for the office. I am, generally, the first person you meet when you contact our office. If you have any concerns or questions, you can just reach out to me and I will do my best to get you an answer and/or guide you through our registration process.
I graduated from Michigan State University with a double major in Education and Child Development. I taught in Detroit until I moved out to California. I started working in the computer industry where I worked for many years managing groups of software engineers. Seeking a different type of career, I started working at Stanford about 6 years ago, all in the OAE. I love working with our students and our Advisers.
I live in Mountain View with my husband and have two adult daughters. I love to bake and travel, collecting cookbooks wherever I visit.
Job Titles:
- Alternate Media Specialist / Braille Specialist
Hello! I'm Deborah Ting (she/her) and I have been a part of the alternate format production team since 2006. I have been providing academic materials in alternative formats to students with various types of print disabilities and I specialize in braille transcription. I am certified in Literary, Nemeth Math, Music Braille, and Braille Textbook Formatting, and am proficient in creating tactile graphics.
On the weekends I love to go swimming and biking with my daughter. I also enjoy music, snowboarding, hiking and traveling.
Job Titles:
- Alternate Format Specialist
Hi! My name is Evelyn (she/her), and I joined the alt format production team in 2023. At the core of my work, I'm dedicated to using technology to make the world a better, safer, and more equitable place. I'm excited to use the technical skills and writing experience I've gained working in higher education, startups, and nonprofits to help the OAE create inclusive and accessible learning environments for students here at Stanford.
Hello there! I'm Heather Harris (they/she), and I am one of the Disability Advisers with the Office of Accessible Education. As a biracial, bisexual individual with a myriad of disabilities, I believe in the importance of recognizing the multiplicity of all of our identities, rest as a form of resistance, and the deeply intertwined history of disability and racial justice. My educational background includes a Masters in Disability Studies from the CUNY School of Professional Studies, a Bachelors in Deaf Studies from Gallaudet University, as well as an Associates and Certificate in American Sign Language and Deaf Studies from Ohlone College.
During my own college education, I worked extensively with my own respective colleges' disability services offices for a range of disabilities, and I am thrilled to be sitting on the other side of the table today to help today's disabled students find success at Stanford. When I am not working, you can usually find me binging one of many science fiction TV shows and movies. Whether you want to talk about how accommodations can help to improve your Stanford experience, or what the best Star Trek TNG episode is (It's Darmok), let's chat.
Hi! I'm John Cu (he/him), Disability Adviser at the Office of Accessible Education (OAE). My role at the OAE is to engage in interactive processes with students, faculty and staff to determine reasonable accommodations. If you've encountered barriers in the pursuit of your goals at Stanford, let's work together to see if we can remove those barriers or find another way. I enjoy working with students from all backgrounds. I earned a B.S. in Psychology from Santa Clara University and an M.A. in Special Education from Notre Dame de Namur University. In my free time, I enjoy being active, indulging in good eats, spending time with loved ones and challenging myself to learn something new-big or small-every day. What can we learn today?
Job Titles:
- Alternate Format Specialist
Rally-Ho! I'm Kyle (he/him, they/them) one of the alt-format specialists who produces digital and physical content in differing forms. I have been working with assistive technology for the past eight years. I use my skill set with macros, unicode, and scripting to assist in my job.
Part of my hobbies have pushed into my work: I am a casual video game player and a MMO player(FFXIV and WoW, but please don't ask me for Ultimate runs or Mythic +20's!).
I love tinkering 'under the hood' with a program to find out how they work. This curiosity helps me in fixing tech problems in my work, but it's also fun in being able to understand how things are put together and how to fix or customize them.
Hello, there! I'm Lisa (she/her), a Senior Disability Adviser at the OAE. I earned a B.A. in English Literature and M.A. in Instructional Design and Technology with an emphasis in accessible media design and an Assistive Technology Practitioner (A.T.P.) credential from the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA). I have over two decades' experience working with students with disabilities in postsecondary education, as well as working with SF Bay Area community groups supporting people with disabilities in employment development and advocacy. I was recognized by the President's Commission on the Employment of People with Disabilities and received a Disability Champion of the Year award presented jointly by the Santa Clara County Committee for the Employment of People with Disabilities and the Bay Area Coalition for the Employment of People with Disabilities in 1998 for my work and advocacy in transition issues and employment development for people with disabilities.
Job Titles:
- Accommodations Coordinator
Hello! I'm Liz (she/her), an Accommodations Coordinator at the Office of Accessible Education. I am coordinating services for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students. I look forward to working within the OAE and supporting our students!
I am from Central New Jersey, and never imagined I would end up in California. I have a B.A. in Anthropology from Eastern University in Pennsylvania and a M.Div. (Masters of Divinity) from San Francisco Theological Seminary (PCUSA). I like to spend my free time reading mystery books, and relaxing with my husband (Davin) and dog (Einstein). We spend our evenings playing board games and watching popular SciFi franchises that often begin with "Star" (-Trek, -Wars, -gate).
Job Titles:
- Alternate Format & Braille Specialist
Hello there, my name is Mason Chow (she/her). I am one of the alternate format specialists at OAE since 2015. After graduating with a degree in Graphic Communications from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, I spent several wonderful years in the printing industry. I believe the skills that I learned from traditional printing have allowed me to easily transition into my current role. I enjoy producing academic materials with a variety of accessible formats that enable equal access for students with disabilities. I am also certified by the Library of Congress as a Literary braille transcriber.
When I am not at work, I enjoy creating and making new things with my hands. With the help of all the free tutorials on YouTube, I have put my power drills and miter saw to good use for several DIY projects that I'm proud of. I also have a passion to catch my own seafood from the ocean; fish, clams, crabs, just to name a few. The reward is being able to cook delicious meals for family and friends with my catch. I enjoy the outdoors as well. I am a skier and half marathon pacer. When I pace in a race, I love that I can encourage and motivate other runners to be strong and keep going. The experience is quite satisfying, very similar to my job at OAE where my work helps students to get to their finish lines!
Job Titles:
- Alternate Format Specialist
Hello I'm Paul (he/him). I've been with the Office of Accessible Education since 2010 and am currently working as an Alternate Format Specialist, converting academic materials into more accessible formats for students with disabilities.
I love working with technology as it is amazing in being able to deliver access, entertainment, and so much more. I also really like to help people where I can. As such, I love being able to help our students in their studies at Stanford. I also share that passion to help others by volunteering for a few local non-profits such as Schmahl Science Workshops and the California YMCA Youth & Government. In my free time, I enjoy playing video games, watching Japanese Animation, reading books, and biking.
Job Titles:
- Alternate Format & Assistive Technology Manager
Bonjour! I'm Robin (she/her) and I manage the alternate format production team here in OAE. I also work with students to find the right combination of assistive technology tools to access their academic materials. I have been working in disability services for over 12 years with an emphasis in assistive technology. I am a bit of a francophile, a quiltmaker, animal lover and somewhat of a techno geek.
When I am not working, you would usually find me working on a new quilt, reading, cooking or hanging out with my friends and family. I also love to travel - especially to french speaking countries!
Greetings! I'm Roselyn (they/them, she/her), and I'm a Disability Adviser with OAE. I've been associated with Stanford for about 15 years now. First as an undergrad studying Sociology and African and African American Studies; and then for the past several years working as a staff member in a variety of departments in Student Affairs. My journey to working in disability services and the OAE stems from a long-term commitment to mental health and well-being as a racial and gender justice issue. As such I try to approach my work with students in a way that acknowledges the interplay between our individual lived experiences and positionality within systems of oppression. I'm always open to discussing how students' experience of disability is contextualized by other identities they hold and/or marginalizations they experience.
I'm originally from a small suburb of Houston, Texas but, outside of a stint in Atlanta for grad school (M.A. in Sociology w/ focus on Sociology of Mental Health and Racial/Ethnic Relations), I've made the Bay Area home for quite awhile now. I'm an introvert so much of my down time is spent on more solitary pursuits. You might find me catching up on the latest happenings of Kpop sensation, BTS, reading fiction of dubious literary merit, or streaming one show or another. I'm a big advocate for rest and self-compassion as primary tools for self-care in systems that base our worth on our productivity. So, I also like to enjoy (and encourage) naps as a form of resistance. Since my brain likes to cycle through periods of intense concentration on stuff, you can also find me learning new stuff or dabbling in my hobbies of yore, every now and again. If you want to connect about any of these things, or just finding your way at Stanford, feel free to hit me up.
Hello! I'm Ryleigh (she/they), Disability Adviser in the Office of Accessible Education (OAE). I hold a Master of Public Affairs from the University of Missouri and a B.S in Educational Disability and Family Advocacy from Missouri State University. In our meeting(s), I wish to understand and respect your needs, experience(s), and your identities as it relates to disability accommodations in your education career.
As a Midwest native, originally from the Kansas City, Missouri area, I fostered my love for potatoes, saying "ope," and a good thunderstorm on a hot summer day. In my free time, I can be found building LEGO with my partner, reading the latest YA book with my cat Mateo, or embroidering up a storm. Feel free to reach out; I'm always willing to start a conversation about my love for cats, creative outlets, the best form of potato, or discussing accessibility, equality, and disability studies.
Job Titles:
- Accommodations Coordinator
Hi! I'm Sandy Herring (she/her), and I'm an Accommodations Coordinator at the Office of Accessible Education. I coordinate academic accommodations, specializing in recruiting notetakers. I also recruit academic assistants such as visual descriptionists, lab assistants, and other assistants as determined by your Disability Adviser. I've worked at Stanford for almost fifteen years at several departments, and recently celebrated my sixth anniversary with the Office of Accessible Education.
I earned my B.A. in Theater at Wichita State University. My first career was theatrical carpentry, and I worked at theaters ranging from the Goodman Theater in Chicago, South Coast Repertory in Orange County, and all over the Bay Area, including San Francisco Opera, Berkeley Repertory Theater, and TheatreWorks (where I met my husband, Bill!). Bill and I live in Sunnyvale and enjoy classic movies, gardening, our cat Calvin and his socially distanced cat friend Hobbes, and bicycling.
Hi there! I'm Shelley (they/them, she/her), the Director of Technology here at the Office of Accessible Education. I came to Stanford as a pre-med undergrad and majored in Biology and Anthropology before earning a master's degree in Anthropology. One of my first jobs on campus was with this office, driving other students to their classes in a golf cart. From DisGo driver to lab assistant; Accommodations Coordinator to Manager; and now as Director of Tech, I've seen the OAE grow and evolve to meet the rising needs of our student population. I'm very proud to have designed and implemented OAE | CONNECT, continuing to oversee its ongoing development and administration; enterprise assistive technology; and alternate format production.
Hello! I'm Tiffany (she/her, they/them), one of the Disability Advisers in the OAE. I have a bachelor's degree in Psychology from Washington State University, and two master's degrees - one in Higher Education Administration and one in Public Policy and Administration - from UMass Amherst. As someone with invisible disabilities who utilized accommodations in my education, I know firsthand how important it can be to pursue and utilize accommodations. I have a background in multiple aspects of student housing, from managing residence halls, to residential academic coaching, to operations, and housing accommodations. In these various roles and departments, I often found myself helping others reframe disability assumptions, or identifying the systemic access concerns, and I've joined the OAE to be able to help students navigate the accommodations process at Stanford so they can have equitable access. I have a particular interest in disability social justice and how it intersects with fat politics and fat liberation. I love problem-solving and puzzles, but my true love is baking up a storm in the kitchen. I look forward to working with you!