WASHINGTON, DC -- On May 5, 2016, President Obama announced his intent to appoint Shelley Siegel, FASID, CAPS, founder and CEO of the Universal Design & Education Network, to the U.S. Access Board. The Board, created in 1973 to ensure access to federally funded facilities, expanded its mission to the regulation and implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) when the law passed in 1990. As such, they provide design criteria, technical assistance and training, as well as issuing accessibility standards for the built environment. Overall, it is a leading source of information on accessible design and a strong advocate for people with disabilities.

Shelley Siegel is uniquely suited for this appointment. Her 44 years as a principal of the Siegel Design Group and 35 years as founder and CEO of the Universal Design & Education Network have been dedicated to bringing aesthetically pleasing universal design concepts to the home, workplace, hospitality and healthcare environments.

Siegel holds a degree in Interior Design, a Master's Degree in Gerontology, is a licensed interior designer in the State of Florida, is NCIDQ certified and is a member of the College of Fellows of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID). She has served on numerous boards and committees to share her expertise on ADA and universal design matters, and has authored countless articles on barrier-free and universal design. In 2010, Siegel was inducted into the ASID Florida Chapter Hall of Fame.

"We applaud President Obama's decision to appoint a Licensed Interior Designer to the U.S. Access Board," said ASID CEO, Randy Fiser. "Shelley is a pioneer and testament to the fact that interior designers are experts on designing for and meeting accessibility standards in the built environment. It has always been a priority for ASID and our members to ensure that people with disabilities have equal access to places where they live, work, play and heal.

"Shelley is an inspiration to us all," he went on to say. "I am confident she will bring a tremendous wealth of knowledge and understanding to the U.S. Access Board."