Contact:
Ashley Eisenenger, 312-640-2178
CHICAGO, IL — Access Living is proud to announce that President and CEO Karen Tamley has been appointed to the Pace Board of Directors, bringing decades of disability rights leadership, public service experience and transportation accessibility expertise to one of the region’s most consequential public transit governing bodies.
Pace, the suburban bus division of the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA), provides fixed-route bus service, paratransit and other mobility options across northeastern Illinois. Its Board of Directors determines levels of service, fares, and operational policies that affect riders across the region, including disabled people who rely on accessible, reliable transportation to get to work, school, medical appointments, community life and civic participation.
Tamley’s appointment by Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson was ratified by City Council today.
“Karen’s appointment is a powerful recognition of what disabled leaders bring to public decision-making,” said Access Living Board Chair Denise Avant. “Transportation is a disability justice issue. Karen’s experience advancing accessibility in Chicago, statewide, and nationally will help ensure that the needs and expertise of disabled riders are centered as our region works toward a stronger and more equitable transit system.”
Tamley became Access Living’s President and CEO in 2020, returning to an organization where she previously served in multiple leadership roles from 1996 to 2005. Before joining Access Living as CEO, she served for 14 years as Commissioner of the Chicago Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD) under three Chicago mayors, where she advanced disability inclusion and accessibility across transportation, city infrastructure, technology, emergency planning, education, employment and direct services for disabled Chicagoans.
Tamley has also served on numerous local, state, and national boards, task forces, and advisory bodies focused on disability rights and public policy. In 2016, President Barack Obama appointed her to the United States Access Board, the federal agency that develops accessibility guidelines and standards, and she was elected Chair in 2019.
“Accessible transportation is essential to independent living of people with disabilities,” said Karen Tamley, President and CEO of Access Living. “I am honored to join the Pace Board of Directors at a critical moment for regional transit. Disability representation on the service boards is critically important to our disability community, who disproportionately relies on public transportation and paratransit and has faced a very long history of exclusion. Disabled riders must be part of shaping the decisions that affect our daily lives, and I look forward to working with fellow board members, transit leaders, advocates, and riders to strengthen accessibility, reliability and accountability across the system.”
Access Living has long advocated for transportation systems that reflect the civil rights, independence and dignity of disabled people. Tamley’s appointment reinforces the importance of disability leadership in public transit governance and comes as the Chicago region continues major conversations about the future of transportation funding, coordination, accessibility and rider experience.
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Access Living is a Chicago-based center for independent living and a nationally recognized disability rights organization. Led by and for disabled people, Access Living advances the civil rights, autonomy, and inclusion of people with disabilities through advocacy, direct services, community organizing, legal support and systems change.