Hosting Guests with Working Animals
Event Description: Join our panel of service dog users and legal experts in a safe space to answer your questions on guide dogs, hearing dogs, medical alert dogs, and more! Learn the responsibilities of cultural institutions in shaping policies for service animal handlers, interacting correctly with support animals and creating a sense of cultural inclusivity and safety. Examine how to create a welcoming environment for all visitors, including their working companions.
This event has ended. Please enjoy the archived video recording!
Pam Berman (she/her/hers)
Outreach Alumni Representative, Guide Dogs for the Blind
Pam is partnered with Gumbo, her 2nd guide dog who is a Golden Retriever Labrador cross. As an Outreach Alumni Representative, Pam shares not only her personal experiences but the overall benefits, realities and responsibilities of the profound partnership that develops when working with a Guide Dog.
Vision loss can be quite intimidating; Pam speaks to that anxiety and encourages audiences during her presentations. She is passionate about helping others to find strength and confidence within themselves.
Kelley Frake (she/her/hers)
Program Coordinator, Great Lakes ADA Center
Kelley Frake is the Program Coordinator for the Great Lakes ADA Center. She joined the Center in 2022 after working under the State of Michigan’s ADA Coordinator in the Michigan Department of Civil Rights (MDCR).
She currently serves as the Lead Technical Assistance Coordinator and organizes presentations for the Center’s ADA Audio Conference, Accessible Technology, and Ask an ADA Professional online webinar series.
Kelley graduated from Michigan State University (MSU) and has been certified through the ADA Coordinator Training Certification Program (ACTCP).
Carly Englander (she/her/hers)
Steering Committee Member, Cultural Access Collaborative
Carly is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor and Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor. She is currently working as a Career Placement Counselor at the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD). The Career Center at MOPD, which was launched in July 2022, seeks to increase meaningful employment and career opportunities for Chicagoans with disabilities.
Prior to joining MOPD, Carly worked at the Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind as a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor. Before moving to Chicago, Carly was an Employment Counselor at the Queensborough Public Library. She taught job readiness and technology workshops to library patrons. Carly developed staff trainings on appropriate ways to assist library patrons with disabilities and educated staff on disability laws and policies.
Carly’s career has focused on helping individuals with disabilities find meaningful employment and retain that employment; Carly takes pride in helping people find work and helping them in their journey towards independence.
Zhen Heinemann (they/them)
Steering Committee Member, Cultural Access Collaborative
Zhen is an audience-focused arts and immersive experience engineer whose work centers on creating more accessible, inclusive and inviting spaces and engagements for communities and individuals.
Currently they are the Director of Visitor Experience & Public Engagement with the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, creating and managing engagement spaces in the Chicago Cultural Center, consulting on guest-facing items in Millennium Park and at Taste of Chicago and created an Accessibility Plan for adding access initiatives across all divisions of DCASE.
They have over 15 years experience in public programming development, community engagement, production management and design. They hold a CPACC (Certificated Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies) Certification from IAPP (International Association of Accessibility Professionals) and are a member of the Disability Lead Network.