I was born and raised in Montgomery County, MD, which is about 20 miles northwest of Washington, DC. I attended James Hubert Blake High School in Silver Spring, Maryland where I was a member of the National Honors Society, the Tri-M Music Honors Society, the school orchestra, and the It's Academic team. I'm currently a freshman engineering student at the University of Pittsburgh who plans to major in bioengineering. Bioengineering combines two of my greatest interests: the human body and mechanics. I am specifically interested in researching prosthetic arms and hands, particularly those that are controlled using Brain Computer Interfaces. It is my goal to help create a prosthetic hand that can be controlled by brain signals alone and that has nearly the fine motor control of a normal human hand so that amputees may do tasks that require the utmost precision such as playing sports or a musical instrument. I am excited to begin doing work to help the disabled by working on this project with the Oakland Planning and Development Corporation. Outside of the classroom, I spend most of my time playing the violin. I do solo performances and competitions, was a member of Maryland Classic Youth Orchestra, and taught private violin lessons for 5 years. I am currently a first violinist in the University of Pittsburgh orchestra.
OPDC has recently gained ownership of a set of housing units at the top of Aliquippa Place, near Trees Hall. In order for them to make any renovations, they will need to know what will be required to meet regulations specified in the American’s With Disabilities Act (ADA). We will analyze this facility with respect to ADA guidelines, and provide them with a summary, along with recommendations for solutions to any violations.
ADA code of Regulations
Frequently Asked Questions about the US Department of Housing and Urban Development's Disabilities Guidelines. Provides some good answers about accessibility standards in plainer, less technical terms.
A page of Accessible Design/Universal Design Resources. Includes the Seven Principles of Universal Design.
United States Access Board Guidelines. The newest set of disabilities standards, combining both the ADA and Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) guidelines.