Biography

John Rife Torkelson founded the ACCESSpartnership,LP in 1997 to provide consulting services relating to accessibility for the ADA, FHA and local building codes nationwide for architects, building owners and institutions. He is licensed with the State of Texas and California; serves as an Accessibility/Usability Specialist with the International Code Council; and, is a recognized expert on Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Fair Housing Act (FHA). In addition, John has acted as a third party expert working on behalf of both the Plaintiff and Defense with clients as varied as the United States Department of Justice, The Equal Rights Center and the National Fair Housing Alliance.

John primarily serves as a resource to the design and construction community to avoid issues before they happen. This work includes assessing the level of compliance in a facility by identifying and reporting areas of non-compliance and assisting in understanding barrier removal options. As a result, John's services reach beyond acting as a 'problem identifier.' As an 'interpreter' who thoroughly understands the spirit of the code, John presents applicable accessibility requirements in language that is understandable to owners, developers, architects and contractors. Then he assists them in developing solutions for removing barriers in a timely and cost effective manner. John always strives to meet each individual challenge with the goal of educating his clients on how to avoid similar issues in the future.

John Rife Torkelson is both a founding member and past president of the Accessibility Professionals Association and a member of the Certified Access Specialist Institute.