Where The Sidewalk Ends: Speaker Info

Yochai Eisenberg
Assistant Professor of Disability and Human Development, Great Lakes ADA Center of UIC
Dr. Yochai Eisenberg is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Disability and Human Development at the University of Illinois at Chicago and affiliated researcher at the Great Lakes ADA Center. Dr. Eisenberg studies the ways in which neighborhood environments, policies, and systems impact community mobility, health behaviors and health outcomes for people with disabilities using a blend of big data analytics, policy evaluation, and community engaged research. His research has contributed to better understanding implementation of ADA transition plans for the public rights of way in the US, rideshare use and satisfaction among people with disabilities, and accessibility of environments that support healthy, active living. Dr. Eisenberg’s interdisciplinary work reflects his training in public health (PhD), urban planning (Masters) and disability studies and is interwoven in his undergraduate course that explores the links between disability, urban planning and geography.

S. Khurshid Hoda
Director of Engineering Programs and Services, Village of Orland Park
Khurshid Hoda is the Director of Engineering Programs and Services Department at the Village of Orland Park. He is a Civil Engineer and has been working with the Village for five years. He has previously worked for various engineering consulting firms and provided transportation and utility infrastructure design services throughout USA. All of the projects included ADA related design elements. Khurshid’s contact information will be provided at the end of his presentation.

Linda Mastandrea
Director of Regional ADA Planning and Local Safety, Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP)
Linda Mastandrea is director of regional ADA planning and local safety at the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP). At CMAP, Linda leads a team dedicated to helping communities in northeastern Illinois improve accessibility for people with disabilities and comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Previously, Linda was director of the Office of Disability Integration and Coordination at the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Linda, a Paralympian and attorney, is a subject matter expert on disability law and has facilitated workshops and presentations for national and global audiences on the ADA. Linda was named one of Crain’s Chicago Business Forty Under 40 and received the International Olympic Committee President’s Disabled Athlete Award, among other honors.

Audrey Wennink
Director of Transportation, Metropolitan Planning Council (moderator)
Audrey directs MPC’s transportation efforts and coordinates transportation initiatives with other facets of planning including affordable housing, land use, equity and the environment. She leads transportation research and advocacy efforts including pursuing sustainable funding for transportation in Illinois, integration of performance-based planning methods into transportation practice, and developing efforts to boost transportation equity. Under her leadership, MPC developed the Toward Universal Mobility report defining needed improvements to the region’s transportation system to benefit people with disabilities and seniors.   The Where the Sidewalk Ends report documents the state of municipal ADA transition planning in the Chicago Metropolitan Area.  Her work on transportation equity includes contributing to research on understanding mobility barriers for marginalized communities, studying how equity is used as a project prioritization criterion by metropolitan planning organizations, and development of a toolkit for employers to support transportation needs of workers in disconnected communities.   The Transit Means Business report she spearheaded highlights the need for transit investment to support jobs in the region.  She also leads the MPC Transportation Advisory Committee, comprised of regional business and public policy leaders.