Steve Taylor - CEO
Steve Taylor has been shaping payments, commerce, and accessibility innovation for over 25 years.
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In 1998, he entered the payments and software industries, and by 2002 had licensed his e-commerce platform to Reynolds and Reynolds, transforming how the auto industry engaged in online commerce.
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In 2004, Steve partnered with EFunds (now FIS) to pioneer wireless commerce, launching nationally at farmers markets in 2008. This early work laid the foundation for what has since become mainstream mobile and wireless payments.
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In 2008, he launched a classifieds listings platform that was distributed through nearly every major hosting provider worldwide—reaching 20+ million free users, 20,000 commercial users, and helping the newspaper industry transition online during the housing crash.
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In January 2016, Steve invented the world’s first ADA-compliant mounting stands for card reader terminals at point-of-sale checkouts. His design was patented in March of 2018 and remains the only truly ADA-accessible POS mounting solution available today.
- 2021-2024 assisted the U.S. Access-Board by request to assist in laying down and forming a Point-of-Sale and SSTM (NPRM), Notice of Proposed Rule Making for new Regulatory requirements.
Today, Steve continues to lead in accessibility compliance, consulting as a recognized expert on ADA standards and point-of-sale accessibility for top-level policymakers in Washington, D.C. He serves on the policy team of the U.S. International Council on Disability (USICD) and is a Gold Star Family member of the U.S. Marines.
John Wodatch - Advisory
John Wodatch is the foremost architect of disability rights law in the United States and internationally, with more than 50 years of experience advancing accessibility and civil rights.
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He was the chief author of the Department of Justice’s 1991 ADA regulations, created DOJ’s first ADA technical assistance programs, and assembled its ADA enforcement staff.
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As DOJ’s chief technical expert, he served on the White House negotiating team during the drafting and passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. He also represented the U.S. in the United Nations process that developed the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), working in close collaboration with USICD.
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From 1990 to 2011, John directed the DOJ section responsible for ADA interpretation, technical assistance, and enforcement. He oversaw the first major revision of ADA regulations, including the 2010 Standards for Accessible Design. Earlier, he authored the first federal regulations implementing Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973—a foundational milestone in disability rights. In May 2024, he completed a major update to those Section 504 regulations.
John is a disability rights attorney who spent 42 years in the federal government, where he authored landmark regulations and led DOJ’s ADA enforcement office. In recognition of his career of service, he received the Presidential Distinguished Rank Award in 2010.
He holds a B.A. from Trinity College, an M.P.A. from Harvard University, and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center. John continues to shape policy as a member of the USICD Policy Team.
Janet E. Lord - Advisory
Janet Lord is a leading international human rights lawyer and scholar specializing in disability rights. She is a Senior Fellow at the Harvard Law School Project on Disability, Executive Director of the Center for International and Comparative Law at the University of Baltimore School of Law, and a board member of the U.S. International Council on Disabilities (USICD). She recently completed a term as Senior Legal Counsel to the U.N. Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Janet played a central role as a lead drafter of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and has advised on law reform in dozens of countries to advance disability rights. She has written extensively on international disability law and policy, worked closely with disabled people’s organizations (DPOs) worldwide, and provided expert counsel on inclusive development to the World Bank, the United Nations, USAID, the U.S. Department of State, and other institutions.
In addition to her international work, Janet serves on the Board of Amnesty International USA and teaches international disability rights at American University. She continues to shape global disability rights policy through her research, teaching, and advocacy as a member of the USICD Policy Team.