Tracie DeFreitas
Lead Consultant — ADA Specialist
Tracie DeFreitas is a Lead Consultant for the Job Accommodation Network (JAN), the leading national source of free, expert, and confidential guidance on workplace accommodations and disability employment issues. With more than twenty years of experience in the disability employment field, Tracie is one of JAN’s most senior consultants and has served the organization in various roles since joining the JAN team in 1994. She currently supports all specialty teams as a Lead Consultant and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Specialist, providing expert disability-related federal employment law and workplace accommodation consultation regarding a broad range of medical impairments and ADA issues. She is an experienced national speaker and author who specializes in ADA Title I compliance and the interactive accommodation process. Tracie is also trained in leave management.
During her early tenure at JAN, she served as Team Lead and Senior Sensory and Immunology Specialist, providing accommodation solutions for individuals with sensory, immunology, and endocrinology related limitations. Later in her career, Tracie collaboratively developed and launched the Campaign for Disability Employment (CDE), a U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), award-winning national public awareness campaign designed to promote employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities. She served as CDE Program Manager for four years and provided leadership, accountability, and management of resources necessary to fulfill the organization’s mission. Tracie engaged key, national disability and business stakeholder groups in the effort, including the U.S. Business Leadership Network (USBLN), Special Olympics, the National Business & Disability Council (NBDC), Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), and the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), among others. She continues to serve in an advisory role to the CDE.
Tracie is a graduate of West Virginia University (WVU) with a Master of Science degree in Rehabilitation Counseling and Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology. She holds certification from the Disability Management Employer Coalition (DMEC) as a Certified Leave Management Specialist (CLMS).