Corporate Advisory Council
StrongWheeled Together with United Spinal:
Your Disability Inclusion Partner
United Spinal Association’s Corporate Advisory Council (CAC) is a prestigious gathering of disability inclusion allies hailing from healthcare, transportation, technology, media, and manufacturing. CAC membership offers exclusive access to our leadership and CAC member corporate partners to forge ahead on a bold DEI and disability inclusion agenda. Together, we can change the game for people with disabilities—with a special focus on United Spinal’s constituency: the over 5.5 million wheelchair users living in the United States.
Corporate Advisory Council, Las Vegas, NV, October 2022
CAC collaboration with United Spinal is your pathway to an authentic understanding of wheelchair-using consumers’ needs, enhancing the overall services and products you develop and provide to your customers. We can give you the tools surpass your corporate inclusion and accessibility goals.
CAC In-Person:
Exclusive Invitation to Annual United Spinal Signature Event
2024 StrongWheeled Together Conference (SWTCon), October 17-19, Las Vegas, NV
SWTCon is one of two rotating annual United Spinal marquee events. In 2024, SWTCon celebrates our community, galvanizing leading advocates, corporate allies, and influencers around our ambitious grassroots vision for change. Special tracks focus on strengthening our local organizations, community-clinician alliances, and the unprecedented role of technological innovation in promoting the independence of people with disabilities. SWTCon is an incubator to accelerate health equity and technological innovation.
CAC Virtual:
Exclusive Disability Inclusion Breakthrough Sessions in Q’s 1, 2 & 3
Huge advances in your approach to DEI await at these senior-level meetings designed around the specific obstacles your organization encounters in pursuit of social responsibility and justice related to disability inclusion. Presentations from leaders will contextualize your work in the bigger picture related to advocacy and policy, public narrative, accessibility, or community empowerment. Deep relationships and rigorous conversations will bloom in these customized and highly collaborative group sessions.
Ongoing Value Opportunities:
- Turnkey media content centered around five (5) disability observances
- CAC Medallion for your website, social media and annual report that verifies your commitment to DEI and your partnership with a premiere disability organization
- Employee/ERG engagement via our advocacy and chapter engagement programs
- Participation in United Spinal’s grassroots advocate-powered Working Groups that advance equity around topics like Outdoor Access, Accessible Parking, Emergency Preparedness, Care Support, and Accessible Transportation
- Immediate engagement around common public policy and DEI challenges
For more information about joining United Spinal’s CAC please contact
AJ Assaadi
VP Corporate Partnerships
aassaadi@unitedspinal.org
Corporate Advisory Council Members
Airbnb
Maria Cuba
Directory, Community Partnerships
Amgen
Amneal Pharmaceuticals
Becton Dickinson
Adam Silver
Vice President, Marketing
The Coca-Cola Company
Consumer Technology Association Foundation
Steve Ewell
Executive Director
Genentech
Jo Dulay
Senior Manager, Alliance & Advocacy Relations
GM
Alan Hejl
Accessibility Strategy Manager
Google, Inc.
Alexander Hauerslev Jensen
Accessibility Events & Partnerships Program Manager
Meta
Mike Shebanek
Head of Accessibility
Microsoft
Jessica Rafuse
Senior Program Manager, Accessibility
NMEDA
Trevor Jennings
Director, Business Development & Partner Relations
Numotion Foundation
Justin Richardson
Director, Advocacy Strategy
Pfizer
Lance Barbour
Senior Patient Advocacy Director
SEIU
Glenn Adler
Deputy Director, Policy
Teladoc
Claudia Duck Tucker
Vice President, Government Affairs
Verizon
Zachary Bastian
Manager, Strategic Alliances
Waymo
Heather Aijian
Public Affairs Manager
United Spinal Corporate Partner Testimonials:
Teladoc Health:
“Teladoc Health’s partnership with United Spinal and its Tech Access program informs our virtual healthcare platform is built with accessibility in mind from the start. Our alliance provides meaningful community engagement, so we are directly in touch with a spectrum of voices from wheelchair users, and the wider disability community."
Genentech:
“United Spinal is a powerful advocate for all people with spinal cord injuries and disorders (SCI/D). They are dedicated to empowering wheelchair users to discover greater independence and quality of life. United Spinal seeks to ensure that people with disabilities have the right to equal opportunities to pursue their goals. They transform the lives of those with SCI/D by advocating for greater accessibility, empowering individuals with resources and support, as well as promoting independence through employment opportunities and integration of wheelchair users into all aspects of society. Genentech is proud to learn from United Spinal and grateful for their impact on all people."
Amazon:
“Wanted to re-iterate Amazon’s gratitude for the recent Nimbus study. This partnership has quickly become the gold standard for our partnerships and the ability to collaborate and give customers a voice at every stage of the product development process.”
RTX/Raytheon Technologies:
“RTX (Raytheon Technologies) views United Spinal as an essential partner in addressing our compliance and inclusion initiatives. This partnership is vital as RTX solves some of the toughest challenges in aerospace and defense. That requires expansive thinking and bold innovation – which, in turn, requires a diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture. Our partnership with United Spinal supports that culture at RTX.”
Verizon:
“United Spinal is a reliable, thoughtful, and deliberate partner. Working with them expands our disability inclusion awareness, and they consistently deliver meaningful advocacy.”
Wellspect:
“As a medical device manufacturer, learning directly from the United Spinal Association members while participating in their events, like the Roll on Capitol Hill and the Chapter Leadership Meeting, has been invaluable for continuing to increase our knowledge of the disability community and the challenges they face daily.”
About United Spinal Association
Founded by paralyzed veterans in 1946, United Spinal Association is the largest disability-led non-profit membership organization in the United States representing wheelchair users impacted by spinal cord injuries, neurological disorders, and mobility impairments. We empower the independence of more than 60,000 members reaching out to 5.5 million U.S. wheelchair users. Its large extended community network includes 45+ chapters, and over 100 support groups and hospital partners.
Our best-known work includes helping draft and advocate for the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and we are continuing to make history, as we have done for over 75 years. Through CAC membership, you can help be a part of a movement that will continue blazing a trail for people with disabilities for the next 75 years.
