Sandra Swift Parrino
Keynote

Sandra Swift Parrino pictured with George W. Bush at the signing of the ADA in 1990.

Sandra Swift Parrino is CEO of The Western Strategy Group, a government affairs, public policy and business investment consulting firm with offices in New York and Washington, D.C.

Ms. Parrino began her career in public relations and government affairs when she headed up the staff of Tom Carroll Associates (TCA), a public relations and advertising firm in New York City. TCA clients included Governor Nelson Rockefeller, Senator Kenneth Keating, the NYS Republican State Committee, the NYS Sports Facilities, the Winter Olympic Trials and NYS Republican Conventions. In addition to fundraising through telethons, banquets, and political dinners, her responsibilities included the organization and planning of State and Presidential Conventions and she participated in two successful gubernatorial campaigns.

In recognition of the important contributions that she had made over the years to the issues of disability and rehabilitation in the United States as well as in Europe, Russia and Asia, Ms. Parrino was appointed to the Chairmanship of the National Council on Disability, an independent federal agency of the United States. She was the driving force behind the creation of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) in connection with which she led the effort in writing and enactment of the Act. On July 26, 1990 Ms. Parrino was present on the podium at the White House Ceremony when President George Bush signed the Act into law. This groundbreaking legislation guarantees people with disabilities the same civil rights protections already offered to minorities in the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

As a result of her endeavors, the National Council issued the first national disability policy statement in 1984 called “A National Policy for Persons with Disabilities”. This report was developed by the Council in order to provide policy advice requested by the Executive Branch and Congress and it was drafted in consultation with more than two thousand members of the disability community. Thereafter, another important achievement was the first national survey of attitudes and experiences of Americans with disabilities in conjunction with Louis Harris and Associates. In 1988 the Council issued a major report to the Congress and the President entitled “Toward Independence” which outlined key components of a comprehensive civil rights law protecting people with disabilities. This has been hailed as one of the most significant policy documents ever issued. Ms. Parrino was also instrumental in influencing Congress to authorize and appropriate funds to create a nationwide Disability Prevention Program at the Centers for Disease Control in 1988. She later led her Agency in writing the Disabilities Prevention Act of 1991 (Silvio O. Conte Disabilities Act).

Christopher Bove

Presenter

Christopher Bove is a lifelong Rhode Islander hailing from Middletown. He served as president of URI’s College Democrats and College Democrats of Rhode Island, secretary of the URI ACLU, and secretary of the Middletown Democratic Town Committee. He brought his advocacy work to Washington, D.C. in 2023 for the National Federation of the Blind of Rhode Island, has served as a congressional intern for U.S. Rep. David Cicilline and U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, and as an outreach and communications intern for former Gov. Gina Raimondo. He recently received the A. Robert Rainville Award for Student Leadership at URI in 2023. Christopher is an OSCIL board of directors member, a Catherine T. Murray Memorial scholarship winner, and a proud URI alumni. He is passionate about public transit, housing, and Taylor Swift.

Panelists

Christina Battista

Christina is a Supported Employment Coordinator at Skills for Rhode Island’s Future where she focuses on helping individuals with disabilities prepare for successful employment. Christina serves on many different boards including the Ocean State Center for Independent Living Board, is the Chair of the Rhode Island Statewide Independent Living Council, and serves on the Trudeau Board. Christina is also a motivational speaker in which she shares her experiences living with a physical disability.

Jessica Podesva

Jessica Podesva serves as Director of Advocacy and Public Policy at the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL). Prior to this role, Jessica worked at the Boston Center for Independent Living (BCIL) as a Senior Community Organizer and Greater Boston Legal Services as an Equal Justice Works fellow. In these positions she worked primarily on healthcare and transportation issues, including improving Massachusetts’s non-emergency medical transportation program and working with the state’s Medicaid agency to shorten the timelines for wheelchair repairs. Jessica has a Juris Doctor degree from New England Law Boston and a B.A. in Communications from SUNY Plattsburgh.

Morna Murray, J.D.

Morna Murray is Executive Director of Disability Rights Rhode Island (DRRI), the federally mandated Protection and Advocacy (P&A) agency for the state of Rhode Island and has served in this role for the past five years. Prior to this Ms. Murray served as Commissioner of the CT Department of Developmental Services, as CEO of the CT Community Providers Association and as Senior Counsel to U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA). She has dedicated her career to advocating for the rights of vulnerable and marginalized children, adults, families and communities, primarily in the issue areas of health care and disabilities.

Representative Tina Spears

Representative Tina Spears was elected Nov. 8, 2022 to represent District 36 in Charlestown, South Kingstown, Westerly, and New Shoreham. She is a member of the House Environment and Natural Resources Committee, the House Municipal Government and Housing Committee, and the House Innovation, Internet, and Technology Committee.

Representative Spears has advocated for legislation to make housing more affordable, support public schools, and to protect the environment. Many of her efforts to improve health care services were included in the state budget, including more than doubling the Medicaid reimbursement rate for ambulance services.

Tina is also the Executive Director of the Community Provider Network of Rhode Island, which represents providers who support people with disabilities. She has long been an ardent advocate for families of children with disabilities, having learned from her own experience as the parent of a child with significant health challenges.

Elisabeth Hubbard Esq.

Elisabeth Hubbard specializes in disability rights law and graduated from Smith College in 2000. She obtained her Doctor of Law -JD from Brooklyn Law School in 2003.

She served as Staff Attorney for Rhode Island Disability Law Center for 18 years as well as Assistant ADA Coordinator for the State of Rhode Island prior to becoming Executive Secretary for the Rhode Island Governor's Commission on Disabilities in 2023.

Earnest Okwara, M.Ed, MS

Earnest I. Okwara is originally from Nigeria.

He was an educator and advocate for disability rights. He was the former president of the Rhode Island Association of the Deaf (RIAD). He was an elected board member of the National Association of the Deaf (NAD), where he also served as Chairperson of the Development Committee as well as a member of the Finance Committee.

He has served in various states of Rhode Island Boards and Commissions. His most recent appointment was in 2017, when he was selected by the Governor of Rhode Island to serve as a Commissioner on the Governor’s Commission on Disabilities.

Mr. Okwara is a retired educator who taught at various schools for the Deaf in the northeast. He was a former lecturer in economics at Gallaudet University. Mr. Okwara was the director of the Deaf Literacy Program at Brown University for over 15 years. He also taught at the Community College of Rhode Island.

Mr. Okwara’s advocacy and leadership have been recognized by various entities. He has been honored and recognized by the Governor of Rhode Island, the Rhode Island Association of the Deaf, the National Association of the Deaf, and the Connecticut National Black Deaf Advocates. He was one of the first recipients of the Paul G. Hearne Leadership Award from the American Association of People with Disabilities. He was also honored with the Laurent Clerc Award by Gallaudet University.

Mr. Okwara is a graduate of Gallaudet University, where he received his bachelor’s degree in economics and a master’s degree in Educational Technology, with emphasis in Instructional Design. He also received a master’s degree in Educational Administration from Providence College.

Sandra Swift Parrino Keynote

Christopher Bove

Presenter

Panelists

Sandra Swift Parrino
Keynote