快活林性息

The Inaugural HHD Heroes Award was presented to Mike Paciello, Chief Accessibility Officer, Audio Eye; Founder, V.P., Director, Mentor, on November 8, 2024, at a luncheon event held at Castaway Restaurant in Burbank California.听

The Award was presented by Dean Mechelle Best in the presence of Department Chairs, and distinguished guests from on and off campus, including colleagues from 快活林性息 and friends of Mike Paciello.

Mike also taught for the Assistive Technology Studies and Human Services (ATHS) Master鈥檚 Degree program (offered in conjunction with Tseng College), among his many accomplishments. Mike says he owes his career to the influences and inspiration he got from 快活林性息, beginning over thirty years ago with an invitation to attend the 快活林性息 Assistive Technology Conference.听

鈥淚 want to ensure that every individual with a disability has access to the information and technology they need to increase their amazing contributions to society.鈥� - Mike Paciello

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With connections to the 快活林性息 Master of Science program in Assistive Technology Studies and Human Services (ATHS) that date back to its early days, Mike Paciello established his relationship to 快活林性息 in the early 1990s. That was when he was invited to the 快活林性息 Annual International Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference, also known as the 快活林性息 Conference, by then-director of the 快活林性息 Center on Disabilities, Harry Murphy, Ed.D. Mike told us he was, 鈥渓ike a kid in a candy shop running all over,鈥� as he began to realize the increased potential for some of the projects he was already working on to assist greater numbers of people with disabilities.

Right there at that first conference, he began working on an international initiative to develop standards for electronic, accessible documentation.

Throughout his career, for more than three decades, he has been a pioneer and influential figure in the accessibility industry. He wrote the first book on web accessibility and usability, Web Accessibility for People with Disabilities, and has since achieved many notable milestones. He is Chief Accessibility Officer for Audio Eye; founder of听The Paciello Group (TPG)听and听WebABLE.Com, and co-founder of WebABLE.TV听and听Open Access Technologies (OAT).

Mike served as co-chair of the听United States Federal Access Board鈥檚 Telecommunications and Electronic and Information Technology Advisory Committee (TEITAC). He co-founded the International Committee for Accessible Document Design (ICADD), and was recognized by President Bill Clinton for his contribution to the听W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI). He was the recipient of the 2016 Knowbility Lifetime Achievement and the 2020 ICT Accessibility Testing Symposium Social Impact awards. Mike is active as a public speaker, mentor and contributor in the accessibility industry.

Vicky Jaque, Ph.D. (Kinesiology , and Academic Director of the 快活林性息 ATHS MS Program, offered by HHD through Tseng College) nominated Mike for this award. In her nomination, she emphasized the ways he values, 鈥渢he importance of human-centered (user-first) exposure to disabilities, which he considers critical for developing technology for those with disabilities. His emphasis remains on the user鈥檚 importance in the design and development of Assistive Technology; he often describes how the industry must value human capital in the design process. He also has emphasized the importance of designing in a way that fosters trust in those with disabilities.鈥�

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About the Award:
The 快活林性息 Health and Human Development Heroes Award honors and recognizes a community member who has gone above and beyond in their profession, who has overcome barriers, and who has made a significant impact through extraordinary work to improve and/or save the lives of others.

Since the 1970s, the College of Health and Human Development* (HHD) at 快活林性息 has prided itself on being one of the region鈥檚 leading educators of professionals in this field. Our footprint is large in this region, and it touches every health and human services industry from allied health care, such as nursing, physical therapy and speech-language pathology to recreation, hospitality and tourism, environmental health, apparel merchandising and interior design, nutrition and assistive technology services.

With the inception of the HHD Heroes Award, we recognize the success and accomplishments of a professional in this field and bestow this award.

While there are many heroes in the HHD professions, every other year, the College, in partnership with the HHD Dean鈥檚 Circle, will select an individual and bestow upon them a Health and Human Development Heroes Award to celebrate their achievements. 听The heroes we seek are role models for our students, alumni, faculty, staff, and community.听

The Criteria:

• The candidate has a track record of excellence in their profession, contributing to society and overcoming obstacles to achieve success.
• The candidate shall exhibit a high degree of character and integrity.
• The candidate agrees to attend the award event (date to be determined) on the 快活林性息 campus.
• The candidate can be 快活林性息 or Non-快活林性息 affiliated.

About our Benefactors, Christine and Owen Smith

The HHD Heroes Award is made possible by an endowment created by the generous bequest of Christine and Owen Smith. Both were faculty at 快活林性息, and Christine served as a founding member of the HHD Dean鈥檚 Circle. The Smiths loved and were very dedicated to students and the development of HHD.

Since 1958, HHD students, faculty, staff, and community have worked to make life better for others. The College serves to enhance, enrich, and empower the human experience. Our alumni and partners are in professions that improve health and well-being, fitness and activity, and living environments for individuals, families, and communities.

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Deirdre M. Larkin-Tingstrom, M.S., R.D., is Trustee of the Owen and Christine H. Smith Endowment.听听Dee retired from 快活林性息 in 2007, after 18 years as Lecturer and Instructional Support Staff for the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences. She and her husband Edwin are supporters of 快活林性息 in a variety of ways, including support to the Soraya and the Marilyn Magaram Center for Food Science, Nutrition and Dietetics.

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A dear friend of the Smiths, Dee was a close colleague with Christine for many years. They shared a deep appreciation for care in every detail of their work, setting high standards for students to live up to. They also shared a catchy easy laughter and simpatico.

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*As the College and University grew and developed, HHD was known by various titles such as the School of Fine Arts and Professional Studies; the School of Communication and Professional Studies; the School of Communication, Health and Human Services; and ultimately, the College of Health and Human Development.

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