Being a part of HDI not only helped me grow professionally but allowed me to meet a remarkable group of people. Those people and the HDI projects will continue today and, in the future, to have a positive impact in the state as well as nationally. —Norb Ryan, HDI Staff and Advisory Council Member
How did you come to know HDI?
I became aware of HDI while I was employed at Cardinal Hill in the early 70s.
How long have you been involved with HDI and in what role?
I was involved with HDI for eight years as an employee, and for 13 years representing the Office of the State ADA Coordinator. I was on the staff from the fall of 1992 through January 2001. I was a member of the Kentucky Employment Initiative as the ADA Specialist. The ADA had recently been passed and someone was needed to understand the ADA and conduct trainings for UK students. After that grant was completed, I was the Director of the Kentucky Mentor initiative (KMI). The KMI found successful people with disabilities. These people would then present in the classrooms to show high school students, their parents, and teachers that people with disabilities can and do succeed. My last project was the ADA Initiative which trained parents, teachers, and students about the rights people with disabilities have under the ADA and how to properly access those rights. I was also part of the HDI team that created the Kentucky Business Leadership Network. I also represented HDI as a member of the National Board of Directors of AAUCP FOR 7 years, as well as co-chair of the national Consumer Advocacy Council. After I left HDI, I served as a member of the HDI Advisory Council for 13 years.