CIDI - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Digital Media Accessibility Specialist
Ben holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from William & Mary and a Master of Education in Curriculum & Instruction from the University of Virginia. Ben completed work in 2007 on his doctoral program in Instructional Technology and Distance Education at NOVA Southeastern University.
Ben was President and CEO of Dunamis, Inc. from 1984 to 2010, where his company was a local dealer for a great many companies across the AT industry. Dunamis was an active reseller of AAC devices throughout the Southeastern US, focused primarily upon Georgia. Ben took a leading role in representing these products at trade shows and conferences, and by making presentations and demonstrations for local school districts.
Ben taught 11th grade U.S. history for seven years at Lee Davis High School in Mechanicsville, VA. He served five years as head soccer coach and sports promotions director at Virginia Commonwealth Universty in Richmond, VA. He worked for two years as a software designer at ChalkBoard, Inc., where he designed -- and was project manager on the development of -- several children's educational software programs before the founding of Dunamis and the Dunamis Education Foundation.
Job Titles:
- Training Program Consultant
Job Titles:
- Director of Services and Learning
Carolyn P. Phillips earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia and her master's degree from the University of Kentucky. She is a nationally recognized consultant in the field of assistive technology and disabilities. She has spoken to numerous groups on topics that include assistive technology, advocacy, self-determination, and living with a learning disability. Carolyn serves as Director of Tools for Life, the Georgia Assistive Technology Act Program, and Pass It On Center, the National Assistive Technology Reuse Technical Assistance and Coordination Center. Carolyn has dedicated her time and energy to promoting independence for people with disabilities through advocacy, education, assistive technology and fundraising.
Charlie Drummond is an Administrative Assistant for CIDI. Born and raised in Georgia, he has worked as an administrative professional in both the public and private sectors, and joined the Center for Assistive Technology and Environmental Access in 2005. Charlie provides support to the directors, researchers, and staff by assisting with scheduling, coordinating travel, and hiring students.
Job Titles:
- Audio Description Coordinator
Christopher Delano earned a bachelor's degree in theatre arts and English at Columbus State University and graduated in 2014. With an interest in writing and performance going back to elementary school, he focused his studies in writing and criticism in regards to dramatic and poetic literature. He has been published in the Arden as well as other small-press literary magazines in Georgia. Having served for several years in a student support position at CSU, he has a passion for providing for the needs of every student, regardless of their ability, and aims to channel that passion into his work with us.
Job Titles:
- AccessText Network Coordinator
- Network Coordinator
Dawn Evans is the AccessText Network Coordinator, supporting publishers and Disability Services Offices in colleges across the country to ensure the seamless request and delivery of publisher files on behalf of college students with disabilities. She has helped us in achieving accessibility goals for the past 10 years. Dawn earned her bachelor's degree in psychology and her master's degree in social work from the University of Georgia.
Job Titles:
- Training and Outreach Coordinator, Braille Programs
Dawn serves as a Training and Outreach Coordinator, helping facilitate training for new braille transcribers. She hopes to make a difference in her students' lives as well as in the lives of the students they serve. Dawn earned her bachelor's degree in sociology with a strong concentration in mathematics from Oglethorpe University in Atlanta.
Job Titles:
- Digital Media Accessibility Specialist
As a Digital Media Accessibility Specialist, Deanna Mansfield aids in the production of media including standardizing PDFs, Word documents and PowerPoints as well as processing new orders. She earned her bachelor's degree in general psychology at Georgia State University and previously worked as a research assistant in GSU's psychology and neuroscience departments. She loves constantly learning new things and is excited to help make the world a more accessible place.
Job Titles:
- Braille Production Specialist I
Donna is proud to work in the braille unit because making a difference in the life of someone else is important not only to them but to everyone. Knowing that what we do allows people with sight hindrances to have productive lives is one of the greatest accomplishments one can hope to achieve. Donna has been in the printing industry for 32 years and would like to add her knowledge of producing traditional printed material to the braille industry. She is currently working on becoming certified in braille transcribing.
Job Titles:
- Program Manager
- StARR Program Manager
Eddie, CIDI's Warehouse Supervisor, maintains the overall operation of the warehouse for CIDI by ensuring that all orders placed through the Georgia Instructional Materials Center for braille books and other accessible materials are created and forwarded to the appropriate people in our department for processing. Eddie also helps ensure that the daily operation of the warehouse runs as smoothly as possible and keep track of all the inventory going in and out of the warehouse.
Eddie brings 24 years of experience working for the GA Instructional Material in different roles and 15 years as Warehouse Supervisor/Purchasing Spv. Assistant, and as a receiver to complete receivers' packets for accounts payable and starting requisition for orders.
Job Titles:
- Research Scientist
- Research Scientist II
Elena Remillard (formerly Elena Gonzalez) is a research scientist in the College of Design with a Master of Science in Gerontology. As a gerontologist, Elena contributes her expertise in aging to various technology and aging research initiatives at Georgia Tech. She joined CATEA in 2015 and currently serves as both the project coordinator and an investigator for RERC TechSAge (Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Technologies to Support for Successful Aging with Disability). In this role, Elena manages programming, reporting, and community outreach for the TechSAge grant center.
She is also a co-coordinator of Design and Technologies for Healthy Aging (DATHA), a networking/innovation initiative on healthy aging that brings together Georgia Tech researchers and students with practitioners, service providers, and industry professionals in the community. Previously, Elena played an integral role in establishing Georgia Tech HomeLab, which provides the capability to conduct in-home technology studies with a diverse population of older adult research participants in the Atlanta area. Her specific research interests include design and technology for aging in place, technology acceptance among older adults, and assistive technology for aging with disability.
Frances Harris, PhD. is a medical anthropologist who joined the College of Design in 2004. She has expertise in qualitative research methods and studies using a mixed methods research design. Previously, she led a cost outcomes study of seating and mobility interventions in an acute rehabilitation hospital in New York and later examined the activity and participation outcomes of wheeled mobility interventions at Shepherd Center in Atlanta.
More recently her focus has been on defining and assessing participation outcomes in the workplace. She led a team to develop a self-report instrument that assessed the impact of environmental features on the employment outcomes of people with disabilities in office settings. Currently, she is co-principal investigator of a study investigating contingent employment practices among people with disabilities. She holds a PhD from the New School for Social Research in New York.
Job Titles:
- E - Text Accessibility Specialist
Job Titles:
- Braille Production Manager
Guy Toles, CNT, helps process braille orders from our members. This includes transcribing, proofing, and creating tactiles for orders completed internally as well as managing projects that are outsourced. Guy brings five years of braille transcribing experience to his role as Braille Production Manager. Guy earned a bachelor's in marketing from the University of Georgia and is certified through the Library of Congress as a Literary and Mathematics Braille Transcriber.
Heather Johnson works in the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Services unit as a Captioning Supervisor. Heather provides real-time speech-to-text services for students. This allows them the same access that other students have in the classroom. They are able to follow along and interact with their fellow students and professors. Heather started working in 2012 and has several years of CART Captioning experience. Heather has provided services in a variety of venues from small workshops to large public hearings for the Department of Labor. She attended Brown College of Court Reporting to gain the specialized training to provide accessibility to students and professionals with disabilities.
Job Titles:
- Braille Media Specialist II
As a Braille Media Specialist, Hollie is certified through the Library of Congress as a braille transcriber in the Literary (English Braille American Edition and Unified English Braille), Mathematics, and Music formats.
She brings more than seven years of on-the-job training experience including transcribing, proofing, producing tactile graphics and training other transcribers in Mathematics. Hollie is excited to be a part of the braille department at CIDI. She looks forward to what the future holds not only for herself and CIDI but the entire braille community.
Job Titles:
- Services Acquisition Manager
Hunter assists in the management of Tools for Life lending library and provides guidance and resources related to the acquisition of assistive technology for individuals across the state. His background as a certified Speech-Language Pathologist (CCC-SLP) sparked a robust interest in augmentative and alternative communication, leading him down the path to assistive tech. He is proud to be working with a phenomenal team as they advocate for and support the needs of the community. Hunter earned his bachelor's and master's in Communication Science and Disorders from the University of Georgia.
When not in the lab and keeping up to date with the newest assistive technology, Hunter can be found playing video games, seeking out the best places to eat in Atlanta, and occasionally dancing.
Job Titles:
- Digital Media Accessibility Specialist
As a Digital Media Specialist with the E-Text team, James receives and processes publisher files for a variety of media. A passionate polymath, James has a Bachelor of Science in Sociology with minors in Gender & Women's Studies and Applied Statistics & Data Analysis. Once introduced to disability justice through the lens of sociology, James self-educated as much as possible and joined us with the desire to gain expertise in digital accessibility and contribute to a more accessible world.
Job Titles:
- Speech - Language Pathologist
As a speech-language pathologist of almost 30 years, Jennifer has developed extensive knowledge and experience in the field of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and has presented at the state and national levels.
Her clinical experience in public schools, private clinics, early intervention programs, and community-based adult workshops and group homes, informs and drives Jennifer's interests in developing the communication and language abilities of children and adults with complex communication needs. As a result, Jennifer recognizes the unique perspective of individuals, parents, school staff and private service providers, as those with limited verbal ability progress through life's stages and settings
Prior to joining TFL, Jennifer's work focused on collaborative and coaching models of AAC service delivery, with emphasis on social-emotional engagement. As the lead AAC-SLP on the Assistive Technology team for a large school district, she developed and provided district-wide trainings and AT/AAC classroom and implementation support programs, in addition to conducting individual AAC student consultations. Jennifer has also provided Technical Assistance to school districts across Georgia through her work with the Educational Outreach Program of Marcus Autism Center, an NIH Autism Center of Excellence.
As a result of her experiences, Jennifer values the very unique needs of each individual, whether they be a user of AAC or a family member, educator, or professional who supports them. A life-long learner, Jennifer obtained both her bachelor's and master's degrees in Speech-Language Pathology from Northwestern University
Job Titles:
- Quality Assurance Manager
- ICT / UX Quality Assurance Manager
Job Titles:
- E - Text Accessibility Specialist
Job Titles:
- Digital Accessibility Specialist
John started with CIDI in 2016 as a member of the team providing customer support for the CAMI (Center for Accessible Material Innovation) research study. Since then he has expanded his role to include supporting the Student Accommodation Manager for the StARR (Student Accommodations Reporting and Research) group and providing web accessibility evaluations for the ICT (Information and Communication Technology) group, as well as QuickBase and Drupal development for various other projects.
Job Titles:
- Braille Production Specialist I
As a research scientist and visiting scholar in the Center for Inclusive Design and Innovation in the College of Design, Julie Eshleman supports and collects and analyzes qualitative data for the AT Network project. This includes conducting interviews and focus groups, collaborating with other research project team members, and contributing to the resources for the Assistive Technology knowledge repository. With a 20 year background as a practitioner in disability supports, Julie has a bachelor's degree in elementary education, a Master's degree in education and behavior analysis, a postgraduate degree in organizational business psychology, and is completing her PhD in sociology and social policy at University of Stirling in Scotland.
When not conducting research for how people with disabilities use technology to build the lives and experiences they want, Julie can be found reading, cross-stitching, or hunting for her next jigsaw puzzle!
Job Titles:
- Digital Media Accessibility Specialist I
- Digital Media Accessible Specialist
As a Digital Media Accessible Specialist Justin creates digital/ adaptive files for students all over Georgia. This includes Large Print , PDF to Speech, E Text and outsourcing. Justin brings 4 years of accessible creative experience to CIDI from the Georgia Department of Education. In his spear time you can catch him on the nearest basketball court or behind a Canon T8I creating memories as a photographer/videographer.
Job Titles:
- Research Scientist
- Research Scientist I
Kara Mumma is a Research Scientist I with a dual degree in Cognitive Science and History and Philosophy of Science. She works on a variety of projects focused on technology design for aging, including those aging with impairments or disabilities, and technology acceptance for older adults. She brings many years of research and clinical experience to CIDI, including neuroimaging, cognitive assessments, and inpatient rehabilitation.
Job Titles:
- Braille Coordinator: Media
Job Titles:
- Digital Media Accessibility Specialist
Job Titles:
- Interim Associate Director at CIDI and Principal Investigator at Tools for Life
Job Titles:
- Application Developer Manager
Job Titles:
- Braille Media Specialist I
Job Titles:
- Application and Instructional Designer, Project Manager
Job Titles:
- Assistive Technology Support Supervisor
Job Titles:
- Assistive Technology Specialist
Job Titles:
- Digital Learning and Communications Manager
Job Titles:
- Digital Accessibility Specialist
Job Titles:
- Braille Coordinator: Production
Job Titles:
- Captioning and Described Media Services Manager
Job Titles:
- Digital Media Accessibility Specialist
Job Titles:
- Outreach Specialist, Tools for Life
Job Titles:
- Senior Research Scientist
Job Titles:
- Assistive Technology Support Specialist