Silver Advisor: Karen BraitmayerAccessibility Consultant, Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, Lifelong Wheelchair User, Universal Design Expert |
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Silver Advisor: Karen Braitmayer
Studio Pacifica principal Karen L. Braitmayer, FAIA, offers the unusual combination of personal experience as a lifelong wheelchair user with her professional expertise as a registered architect. She has made accessibility consulting and design services her focus since 1990 and founded Studio Pacifica, Ltd., in 1993. She regularly advises state agencies, local governments, school districts, other architects, and home builders and owners on accessibility under various laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Fair Housing Act, and on compliance with state codes in housing, commercial, retail, institutional, and educational projects. Karen served as a member of the Washington State Building Code Council from 1994 to 2001 and remains active in the development and update of Washington State’s accessibility code.
On September 14, 2010, President Obama appointed her to the U.S. Access Board, an independent federal agency that provides leadership in accessible design under the ADA and other laws. Its governing board is structured to function as a coordinating body among federal agencies and to directly represent the public, particularly people with disabilities.
