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Mayor's Disability Council
The Mayor's Disability Council welcomes Benito Casados, Harriet Chiu Chan, Joseph Fong and Vincent Webster, new members to the Council!
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Council Member |
Telephone and/or Email |
(510) 763-4100 |
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(415) 731-7500 x244 |
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Biographies
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Jul Lynn Parsons was appointed to the Mayor's Disability Council by Mayor Willie Brown in July 2003 and elected Co-Chair in April 2004. She has been active in numerous local disability related groups such as the Asian Art Access Advisory Committee and the Port of San Francisco 2004 Americans with Disabilities Act Self-Evaluation and Transition Plan, as well as the Service Employees International Union Disability Caucus. Profoundly hearing impaired since early childhood, she has an intimate awareness of many of the challenges faced by persons with disabilities as they strive to participate in educational, career and social pursuits. |
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Ross comes to the Mayor’s Disability Council with experience in the corporate and non-profit worlds. For 20 years, Ross was a marketing and sales executive in finance, retail and travel management. He served on the Board of Directors of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation (SFAF) (1999-2004), the San Fan Francisco Human Resource Commission – Employment Advisory Committee (2003-2005), Golden Gate Performing Arts, Inc. (2004-2006) and GALA Choruses, Inc. (2005-2006). He is a volunteer for SFAF on the California AIDS Hotline, the SFAF Speakers Bureau, and the Peer Counseling Program. Since 1993, Ross is a member and soloist with the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus. In 2000, Ross was the Volunteer Coordinator for the AIDS Legal Referral Panel. Presently, Ross is on staff of the LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired on the Vision Loss Resource Center. Ross has been HIV+ for probably over 26 years. In 1996, Ross lost the majority of his vision to an AIDS complication, CMV Retinitis and is legally blind. He shares his life with his HIV-negative partner of 17 years, Danny. Born in Texas, they now proudly call San Francisco their hometown. |
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Council Member - Raphaella Bennin Raphaella is a proud member of the Disability Community and is honored to participate on the San Francisco Mayors Disability Council. Early in life, Raphaella was identified as having dyslexia, and high school, she was introduced to the concept that her disability might enable her to push for change. This idea began Raphaella's participation in the disability rights movement. Once in college, she continued to develop an interest in disability rights, focusing her education in Disability Studies and spending her summers interning for Protection and Advocacy, Inc. in Oakland, and the City of Berkeley Disability Compliance Program. After graduating, she continued working in the Disability Movement, as the Assistive Technology Educator for the Independent Living Resource Center in Raphaella now works for Golden Gate University Law School as the Disability Services Coordinator, and sits on the board of the Northern California Branch of the International Dyslexia Association. Raphaella has studied American Sign Language and will appreciate anyone who encourages her to maintain it with some friendly conversation. |
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Council Member - Benito Casados Benito Casados is a prominent consumer advocate in the Mental Health Community. In 2007, Benito was presented with the Advocate of the Year Award for his mental health work. He is a former member of the Mental Health Board of San Francisco. Two years later, he was offered a professional position in order to bring the voice of the consumer to the table. He is now working at the Family Service Agency of San Francisco where he offers assistance to clients in recovery. Four times per year, Benito has the honor to speak at the Police Crisis Training; sharing his experiences and knowledge to clients receiving mental health treatment and re-entering society. At the present time, Benito also works as a mental health advocate; being appointed by the Mayor to the Mental Health Services Committee which sets forth how to best help the mental health consumer. Benito also serves as the Co-Chair of the Mental Health Service Act Committee, where his many talents and leadership help guide the work of the committee members. |
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Council Member - Harriet Chiu Chan Harriet Chiu Chan was appointed to the Mayor's Disability Council in October, 2008. The parent of an adult daughter with significant disabilities, Harriet is closely affiliated with the Association of Chinese Families for the Disabled. Harriet has been employed in the legal field since 1984. While at S,.F. State University, she majored in Consumer Studies with a minor in International Marketing. Harriet also possesses a Paralegal Certificate from Kaplan's. Having a close affiliation with the S.F. Chinatown Lion's Club, she has served on its Board for three years and has performed community service for the club since 2003. She is also an advisor for the teen club known as S.F. Chinatown Leos Club which performs a monthly service to the elderly at On Lok. Harriet was one of thirty that fundraised $35,000 within 90 days and built a middle school in Tentou Village, Mali, West Africa in January, 2008 which enabled young girls to further their education. In addition, while being a Leo's advisor, their group raised $1,050 for the 8.0 Sichuan Earthquake Relief in June, 2008, a significant amount in China's "Yen Men Bi" dollars. Harriet sees as her main accomplishment: having raised her daughter, a special needs adult child.
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A native of San Francisco, Joe was appointed to the Mayor's Disability Council on August 15, 2008. He comes with thirteen+ years of experience working in non-profits financial management. Joe has also served as Board Treasurer at the Independent Living Resource Center - SF. Currently employed with the World Institute on Disability, he has worked for a number of non-profits and government agencies over the years. Joe received his bachelor degree in Economics from San Francisco State University and holds a graduate degree in Public Administration from Golden Gate University. Because of his own disabilities (cerebral palsy and hearing losses), he feels the duties and responsibilities to those who have paved the way before him. He is grateful for the disability rights advocates of the past and present. As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, he completed a two year mission to Hawaii.
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Council Member - Elizabeth Grigsby Elizabeth Grigsby was appointed to the Mayor's Disability Council by Mayor Willie Brown in October 2002. She has lived with cerebral palsy since birth. An impassioned self-advocate and professional trainer on disability rights, Ms. Grigsby is employed as a Consumer Rights Advocate at the Golden Gate Regional Center. She also participates in the San Francisco chapter of People First and is a peer mentor through CLAIM (Community Leadership and Advocacy In Mentoring), a project sponsored by the Independent Living Resource Center. Elizabeth Grigsby is strongly committed to the right of people with disabilities to live independently in the community. Through supported living services, she has been able to live on her own since 1994, and loves it! |
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Council Member - Tatiana Kostanian Tatiana Kostanian was appointed to the Mayor's Disability Council by Mayor Gavin Newsom in March 2004.
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Council Member - Sarah Estes Merrell Sarah Estes Merrell is a learning specialist and counselor for students with disabilities at St. Ignatius College Preparatory High School in San Francisco. Council member Sarah Estes Merrell grew up in Bethesda Maryland, a suburb of Washington D.C. and has lived in San Francisco for 14 years. She began her involvement with the disability movement when she was 10 years old. While in school, Sarah grew increasingly concerned about the psycho-social manifestations of youth living with hidden disabilities such as dyslexia, and the secondary disabling conditions that effect this population, namely depression and anxiety disorders. Her involvement with the community of students with disabilities began at the University of San Francisco where she received her B.A and M.A in Counseling Psychology in Education. Sarah Estes Merrell began her current assignment with the Mayors Disability Council April 2007. Her work with people who have disabilities has spanned all age levels, most disabling conditions including learning, visual, mobility, psychiatric and physical disabilities. She has worked to secure both physical and programmatic access in several educational settings around the Bay Area. |
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Council Member - Denise M. Senhaux Denise is a passionate and dedicated advocate for disability rights. Her work on behalf of people with disabilities inspired her to attend the University of San Francisco where she received her M.S. in Executive Masters of Rehabilitation Administration (EMRA). Denise was appointed to the Mayor's Disability Council in 2002. She also serves as a member of the San Francisco Chapter of the California Council of the Blind (CCB). She has been working for AT&T Inc., and its predecessor companies for 27 years. Currently, Denise is a union steward representing the Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 9415, specializing in disability-related issues and compliance as it relates to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). In 1991, Denise founded the company-wide employee organization as known as Bell Employees for Adaptability (BEA). BEA's mission was to address workplace issues for people with disabilities, and find workable solutions to enhance career development. She served as Chair of the Board for BEA for seven years. In 1988, Denise was appointed to former President Clinton's, President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities. In 2002, AT&T asked Denise to develop and implement a new employee resource group. She established the Disabilities Resource Access Network (D.R.A.N.). DRAN functioned as a resource for its members, the Company and external organizations. D.R.A.N. provided a forum in which employees provided input and insight on disability-related issues within the workplace. The mission of the organization was to maximize the opportunity for employees with disabilities to fully contribute to the success of the business. With the SBC/AT&T merger in 2006, D.R.A.N. merged into AT&T's national employee group, "Individuals with Disabilities: Enabling Advocacy Link" (IDEAL). IDEAL is comprised of active and retired employees who are interested in employment and other workplace issues faced by people with disabilities. Presently, Denise is the Vice President for Communications, and functions as the Western Regional contact for IDEAL.
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Council Member - Vincent Webster Vincent Webster was appointed to the Mayor’s Disability Council in August, 2008. Being borne and raised in San Francisco, and now raising his own family here. I have worked over 12 years within the San Francisco Transportation System, spending this time working closely with the clients that this service is provided for. I spent most of this time working within the San Francisco’s Paratransit System working as an Operations Manager and a Safety & Training Manager. I’ve received special skills training from the United States Department of Transportation, State of California - DMV Administrative Service Division, Transportation Management Associates and a host of others. I have a strong passion in seeing that members of our disabled community are provided with access to the services readily available. In fulfilling this passion I’ve received several awards directly connected with providing Transportation Service to the citizens of San Francisco’s disabled community. Those awards consist of;
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Persons wishing to contact the Mayor's Disability Council Members may also send correspondence to:
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