Douglas George Towne,
Chair and CEO, Access Ready, Inc.

Douglas George Towne began his life as an advocate for people with disabilities at age thirteen while attending the New York State School for the Blind at Batavia. As a member of the Student Council and Editor and Chief of the school paper he successfully led several actions designed to improve the life of the students. His lifelong advocacy efforts garnered him the prestigious Statewide Advocate of the Year for 2002 from the Florida Independent Living Council and recognition from Congress as well.

Transferring from the school for the blind he became one of the first blind students to graduate from public school under the new law in 1976, going on to study history and journalism at the State University of New York. His continuing education has yielded several professional licenses and designations throughout his progressive career.

In 2001 he founded Disability Relations Group (DRG) to return to his first love of advocacy and public policy in the disability arena. As Chairman of DRG and its chief consultant, for 17 years he spent a great deal of time writing and has penned a number of policy works and many social enterprise plans. His social enterprise work has come as the result of his certification by the State of Florida as a Certified Business Technical Assistance Consultant (CBTAC).

Throughout his career he has spoken to groups both large and small from local civic clubs in the majority of the state capitols and before members of Congress in Washington.

His motivational style has excited sales forces and his Biblical approach to disability has fascinated congregations. He has been a guest on numerous television and radio shows and quoted in publications around the world.

This lead directly to the creation of Access Ready Inc. as a nonprofit, cross disability advocacy organization with a concentration on accessible information and communications technologies.

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