U.S. Access Board Webinar: Protruding Objects

Earlene Sesker

Accessibility Specialist US Access Board

Earlene Sesker, a psychology graduate of the University of Texas, began her career with the Access Board in 1993 in the Office of Compliance and Enforcement, where she managed Federal agency accessibility cases brought under the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968. She currently serves as an Accessibility Specialist responsible for technical assistance to Federal, state, and local governments and private sector entities regarding the requirements of the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) of 1968 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. Prior to joining the Office of Technical and Information Services, she worked on access issues at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Earlene was part of the staff rulemaking team responsible for developing guidelines for recreational facilities.

Rex Pace

Senior Accessibility Specialist and Technical Assistance Coordinator US Access Board

Rex Pace serves as a senior accessibility specialist and technical assistance coordinator. In this capacity, he oversees the agency's provision of technical assistance to the public on accessible design and the Board's ADA and ABA Accessibility Guidelines, including its toll-free help line and development of published guidance.

Pace has over 23 years of experience in accessible design. Most recently, he served as an accessibility architect with the Department of Justice's Disability Rights Section where he provided technical and architectural assistance on the ADA standards to staff attorneys and management and helped produce and illustrate technical assistance materials for public distribution. Before joining DOJ in 2006, he operated a consultancy specializing in accessible and universal design in Raleigh, North Carolina and earlier served as coordinator of technical assistance and a lead designer for the Center for Universal Design at North Carolina State University. He began work in this field in 1987 as a designer and illustrator at Barrier Free Environments, Inc. under his mentor Ron Mace, FAIA, a leading pioneer and renowned expert in accessible design.