Mayor Adrian Fenty has sworn in seven members of the new DC Commission on Persons with Disabilities. A. Franklin Anderson, Charles Butler, Seth Galanter, Donald Galloway, Jon Mitchiner, Erica Nash, and Karen Wolf-Branigan were sworn in at a ceremony in the John A. Wilson building yesterday.

The commission, which replaces the former Mayor’s Committee on Persons with Disabilities, was created by Mayor’s Order 2008-38 on March 13, 2008 and is committed to enhancing the image, status, inclusion and quality of life for all District residents, visitors, and employees with disabilities and ensuring that they have the same rights and opportunities as those without disabilities.

The commission serves as an advisory body to the Mayor and the District’s Office of Disability Rights (ODR) as well as other agencies serving people with disabilities.  In the coming year, commission members will focus on outreach to the disability community as well as oversight of the District’s ADA compliance efforts.

According to ODR Director Eve Hill, “The commission serves as an important link to the District’s disability community and serves as a voice for the community with District government.”

Charles Butler, a long-time member and former chair of the Mayor’s Committee on Persons with Disabilities, said, “I look forward to working with the members of the new commission and with the Office of Disability Rights to improve access and quality of life for people with all types of disabilities in the District.”

A. Franklin Anderson is a senior policy analyst and the ADA coordinator for the Metropolitan Police Department.  He served on the Mayor’s Committee on Persons with Disabilities. He is an attorney and formerly worked for the District Office of Human Rights.

Charles Butler is retired from a career in therapeutic recreation. He holds a Masters of Education degree in Therapeutic Recreation and previously served as chair of the Mayor’s Committee on Persons with Disabilities.

Seth Galanter is an attorney with the law firm of Morrison & Foerster, where he handles appellate and Supreme Court cases. Mr. Galanter previously worked at the US Department of Justice Civil Rights Division and has worked on several cases involving disability rights issues.

Donald Galloway is retired from the DC Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs where he handled disability rights and other issues. He is also the president of the National Federation of the Blind of the District of Columbia and a long-time disability rights advocate. He previously served on the Mayor’s Committee on Persons with Disabilities.

Jon Mitchiner is the director of Information Technology for Gallaudet University and is a member of the National Association of the Deaf and the DC Association of the Deaf. He is an expert in information technology for people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing.

Erica Nash is president of Help-Your-Self, Inc., which provides consulting services on disability issues, including independent living, community integration and injury prevention. She previously served on the Mayor’s Committee on Persons with Disabilities.

Karen Wolf-Branigan is the director of Training for Easter Seals Project ACTION, The National Center on Senior Transportation and other transportation initiatives at the Easter Seals Office of Public Affairs in Washington, DC. She previously served on the Mayor’s Committee on Persons with Disabilities.