Biography

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Irene Bowen J.D., President ADA One, LLC Irene Bowen, J.D., is President of ADA One, LLC, a consulting firm that provides ADA consulting, speaking, and compliance assessment services to public and private entities regarding titles II and III of the ADA, as well as assistance with section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and other disability rights laws. Before she founded ADA One, Ms. Bowen's career as a disability rights attorney spanned thirty years. She became known for her singular depth and breadth of knowledge and built a strong reputation as a knowledgeable, insightful, and visionary leader, attorney, and speaker. In August 2008 Ms. Bowen left the Department of Justice (DOJ), where she had been Deputy Chief of the Disability Rights Section, overseeing enforcement of the ADA. She was actively involved in the development of the ADA, the original ADA accessibility guidelines, and DOJ's existing and proposed regulations. She established the Disability Unit in the Civil Rights Division, the Department's program for certifying state and local accessibility laws and codes, the first ADA investigation procedures, and the use of mediation as a means of resolving litigation. Ms. Bowen has also been Deputy General Counsel of the U.S. Access Board, a disability rights advocate -- co-founding the National Center for Law and Deafness as a law student -- and a public interest attorney . Ms. Bowen holds a J.D. degree from the George Washington University School of Law and a B.A.in French and English from the University of Northern Iowa.