Who We Are
Accessibility starts from within
At the heart of Tech for All are the exceptionally talented, skilled, and experienced consultants who develop accessibility solutions and support successful implementation. Many of Tech for All’s experts are living with disabilities themselves. Each of Tech for All’s project teams includes seasoned consultants who bring specialized knowledge, capabilities, and solid experience to the task at hand.
A Vision, a Mission and the Birth of an Industry
Caesar Eghtesadi, PhD
President and Founder
Caesar founded Tech for All (TFA) in 2001 after leading the development of the Universal Access Copier System as part of Pitney Bowes, Inc. His work was a ground-breaking step forward in ensuring that office equipment is accessible by people with disabilities. Since then, he has successfully led over 300 accessibility consulting projects.
Under Caesar’s leadership, TFA has grown and helped a diverse set of industries offer inclusive and accessible products for people with disabilities. Those industries include airlines, eCommerce, higher education, publishing, retail, technology, and non profit organizations.
Caesar’s passion for creating a world in which people are not limited by their disability expands beyond TFA. He served on the Electronic and Information Technology Access Advisory Committee, advising the U.S. Access Board to create accessibility standards for the vitally influential Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act Amendments. For his achievements, Caesar has received several awards including the Computerworld Smithsonian Medal, presented annually to individuals who have used technology to produce beneficial changes for society, and, more recently, the 2019 James R. Olson Distinguished Service Award from American Council of the Blind, given to individuals or organizations that have made important contributions which have advanced opportunities for the blind community
Caesar holds a Ph.D. from the University of London, UK, for his research in Active Noise Control Systems, and a Master’s Degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the University of Bradford, UK.
Your Accessibility Partners
Sue Cullen
As a senior member of the Tech for All (TFA) team, Sue leads consulting projects for a wide spectrum of industries, including technology corporations, educational institutions, publishing, and government. Sue meets with clients to conduct needs analysis and select the appropriate TFA team to meet the needs of customers in a streamlined and cost-efficient manner. Her areas of expertise include web evaluations, document accessibility, and enterprise accessibility strategic planning.
Sue has over 20 years of experience in digital accessibility compliance. She has extensive experience in the evaluation of web and software applications for conformance with the accessibility standards and usability best practices.
Elaine Ober
Elaine works with Tech for All’s technology and leadership teams to help publishing, educational technology, online learning, and higher education sector clients to create accessible products and digital spaces that conform to accessibility standards and to integrate accessibility into their business processes.
Elaine has over 35 years’ experience in higher education publishing and technology. Prior to joining Tech for All she was Head of Accessibility Advocacy for Pearson, the global learning company. In that role she oversaw internal and external communication of Pearson’s ongoing accessibility story; trained editorial, branding, and marketing teams and vendors on making images and videos accessible; and managed Pearson’s relationships with advocacy groups, institutional partners, and other players in the accessible publishing ecosystem.
Frederick (Rick) Bowes
Rick, plays several key roles for Tech for All (TFA), including managing the contractual and business aspects of its engagements and providing strategic support to its leadership and consulting teams. Rick leverages over 20 years of strategic consulting experience with senior management, primarily focused on accessibility matters, to support organizations seeking to pragmatically achieve and sustain ADA compliance across their websites, products, services, and internal IT systems.
For the past 17 years, seven as Executive Consultant for the American Foundation for the Blind’s (AFB) Consulting Group and ten with TFA, Rick has provided strategic consulting support to address the accessibility of digital products, applications and websites for users with disabilities.
Crista Earl
As a senior member of the Tech for All (TFA) consulting team, Crista leads non-visual accessibility evaluations of software, website, mobile, and integrated hardware and software products. As a user of screen-reading technology, Crista brings over 20 years of experience in design, development, and testing of accessible information and communication technology. Crista has helped organizations in a variety of industries, including higher education, finance, and publishing.
In her previous role as Director of Web Operations for the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB), Crista oversaw a team of developers, database administrators, content managers, and social media professionals to develop and expand several accessible websites and software applications.
Andre Lukatsky
Andre Lukatsky leads the technical side of accessibility evaluations, conducts low vision and keyboard testing, and delivers accessibility advice and training. As a senior member of the TFA team, Andre has conducted accessibility trainings and executed numerous accessibility evaluation and development projects, spanning desktop, online, and mobile platforms.
Andre has over 20 years of experience in accessible information technology and associated standards and best practices. His extensive design and development expertise in accessible web and software applications for industries such as Education, Publishing, Transportation, Online Retail, and Food Service allows him to dive deep into our clients’ systems and propose efficient remediation and accessible development strategies.
Michael Parker
Michael leads a team of accessibility specialists who provide web accessibility testing support services and audits, document accessibility solutions, and training on the use of screen readers and other assistive technology, to support Tech for All’s clients.
Michael has over 20 years of experience in the assistive technology field and is a senior leader of the Tech for All team. In previous positions, Michael has developed video magnification systems for the visually impaired and implemented access solutions for people with disabilities in many different settings – from individuals to employment centers, libraries, hospitals, and universities.
Catherine Schmitt Whitaker, Ed.D.
Cathy fosters partnerships between Tech for All and organizations striving to make a difference in the accessibility space through both research and the development of solutions to problems involving specialized, complex and emerging technologies. Combining her strong understanding of accessibility with her knowledge of the latest events in the accessibility legal landscape, Cathy guides organizations in accessibility and inclusion strategic planning and training.
Cathy has over 20 years of experience with accessible technology, strategic planning and training. She is an experienced manager, including in the healthcare industry. Cathy has collaborated in the creation, review, and implementation of accessibility related policies at the organization and system levels within higher education.
Glenn Dausch
Glenn Dausch provides web accessibility testing and evaluation for TFA clients. He brings over twenty years of assistive technology knowledge to this role. As a life-long screen-reader user, he is uniquely positioned to help clients understand challenges faced by, and designs that are most accessible for, screen-reader users. He holds both the Web Accessibility Specialist (WAS) and Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC) certifications from the International Association of Accessibility Professionals, which enable him to not only speak to user experience but also advise on the technical aspects of accessible design.
Eve Hill
Eve Hill is Tech for All’s Senior Legal Advisor. In this role, she provides assessments, recommendations, model policies and procedures, and training on a variety of topics related to disability rights and civil rights.
Eve Hill has decades of experience helping businesses, government agencies, employers, and nonprofits understand and implement disability rights law, as a federal government official, as the Director of District of Columbia Office of Disability Rights, at the Burton Blatt Institute, and in academia and private practice. She also has experience helping entities go beyond compliance to include disability as part of their diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.
Let’s Get Started
Need Information? We’re Here To Help You.
Seeking compliance?
You’re in good hands
When you need
The knowledge leader in accessibility
A team with a high level of technical expertise in accessibility
A team with a complete understanding of how people with disabilities can and should interact with your product or service
then TFA is the team you’re looking for.