[IABS-Talk] New MOPD Commissioner

[davant1958 at gmail.com]

FYI. Please see below.

 

MOPDCommissionerCPSIG.pdf

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

June 8, 2020 

CONTACT: 

Mayor's Press Office 

312.744.3334 

press at cityofchicago.org

MAYOR LIGHTFOOT ANNOUNCES NEW MOPD COMMISSIONER AND CPS INSPECTOR GENERAL TO
JOIN ADMINISTRATION 

CHICAGO - Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot today announced two key hires to join her
administration - Rachel Arfa as Commissioner of the Mayor's Office for
People

with Disabilities (MOPD) and William Fletcher as Inspector General for
Chicago Public Schools (CPS). An extensive search was conducted for both
roles and

candidates with diverse backgrounds and experiences were considered. Both
appointees will serve vital roles in the administration, as they will assist

in the execution and advancement of Mayor Lightfoot's vision for a more
equitable, accessible and transparent city. 

Rachel Arfa, MOPD Commissioner 

Rachel Arfa is a passionate advocate for accessibility in the nation's
political and legal systems, as well as cultural spaces, and she brings
decades

of experience to this role both defending and supporting people with
disabilities. Before her appointment to serve as the Commissioner for MOPD,
Rachel

was a staff attorney at Equip for Equality for nearly a decade representing
clients with disabilities in employment discrimination and civil rights
violations.

In her role, Rachel was the Project Manager for the Illinois ADA Project,
which provides information about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
to

businesses, advocates, and individuals. Rachel is the President of the Deaf
and Hard of Hearing Bar Association and in December 2019, made the motion
using

spoken language and ASL for 10 deaf and hard of hearing attorneys to be
admitted to the United States Supreme Court Bar. Rachel serves on the Board
of

Directors for the Chicago Cultural Accessibility Consortium Steering
Committee and the Board of Directors for 3Arts, which supports artists of
color, women

artists, and artists with disabilities. She is a graduate of the University
of Michigan (B.A.) and the University of Wisconsin School of Law (J.D.). 

"Chicago's disability community is one of our city's largest and most
diverse, and I am thrilled to have Rachel take the helm of MOPD and lay the
groundwork

to tackle 

Chicago's next frontier of disability issues," said Mayor Lightfoot. "Our
mission is simple. We want to make Chicago the most inclusive and accessible

city in the nation. Period. No exceptions. That means being a city where
everyone belongs, where everyone has something to offer, and where
everyone's

God-given gifts are supported and expressed. Rachel's experience and passion
make her ideally suited to lead that effort, and Chicago should be proud to

have her on our side." 

The Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities promotes accessibility and
equal opportunity for people with disabilities across Chicago. The MOPD
Commissioner

advises the Mayor and leads the City's agenda on disability policy and
accessibility matters with the goal of creating high-impact, measurable
systemic

changes that help position Chicago to be the most accessible city in the
nation. The Commissioner oversees direct disability services, training,
legal

compliance, policy, and legislative initiatives, as well as actively engages
with the disability community. 

"As a Chicago native and deaf female attorney who has dedicated my career
advocating on behalf of people with disabilities, I'm extremely proud to be
serving

in Mayor Lightfoot's cabinet as the Commissioner of the Mayor's Office for
People with Disabilities. People like me who experience disability live in
every

one of Chicago's 77 neighborhoods. We are from all races and ethnicities,
socio-economic backgrounds, and sexual orientations. We all deserve equal
rights

and resources so that we can fully participate in our city's economic and
social fabric including in the areas of employment, housing, civic
engagement,

and the arts. I look forward to working with all Chicagoans with
disabilities - whether those disabilities are visible, invisible or acquired
- so they

can access the vital services that connect them to Chicago's vibrant
communities." said Rachel Arfa. 

 

Denise R. Avant, Esq.

President,

National Federation of the Blind of Illinois

773-991-8050

Live the life you want.

 

For more information about NFBI,

Go to www.nfbofillinois.org