University of Arkansas at Little Rock

Melanie Thornton, M.A., CRC, LPC

Director, Project PACE
Associate Director, Disability Resource Center

As the Director of Project PACE, a grant-funded program of the Disability Resource Center at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Melanie works to promote the creation of usable, equitable, inclusive, and sustainable environments through her collaborative relationships, writing, presentations, and product development. Melanie’s work is driven by the belief that within every person lies the capacity to change the world and that changing the world begins with having the courage to change oneself. Melanie currently works to generate dialogue and discussion around the issues of social model of disability and universal design. She is passionate about assisting organizations and agencies to reinvent their vision, their identity, and their work as they keep these values in mind.
Email: mpthornton@ualr.edu

Cheryl Wilcox

Office Manager, Project PACE

Cheryl is the Office Manager for Project PACE. She joined our staff in January 2006 with 18 years of administrative experience with the University of Arkansas’ Rehabilitation Research & Training Center for Persons who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. Cheryl’s responsibilities include coordinating workshop registration and logistics, dissemination of PACE products and resources, coordinating travel for project staff and guests, purchasing of office equipment and supplies, managing budget records, and fulfilling other administrative responsibilities. Cheryl has an Associate’s Degree in General Studies earned from UALR and is currently pursuing her Bachelor’s degree.
Email: lcwilcox@ualr.edu

PACE Associates

Sharon Downs, M.S., CT

Director, Disability Resource Center

Sharon Downs serves as the Director for the DRC. She received her Master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling from the University of Arkansas, and her Bachelor’s degree from the Interpreter Education Program at UALR. She has been involved in the profession of interpreting since 1993, taught in the Interpreter Education Program at UALR for several semesters, and is RID certified. In addition to coordinating outreach to faculty and staff at UALR, and maintaining information on the DRC website, she supervises staff and activities of the department in the absence of the Director. Sharon also serves as the Product Development Specialist for PEPNet-South, creating quality products such as the A Closer Look series of CD-ROMs and overseeing product development for the region. Sharon has presented at several national and international conferences.
Email: sadowns@ualr.edu

John Barbuto, M.A.

Access Consultant, Disability Resource Center

John Barbuto serves as an Access Consultant for the Disability Resource Center. He recently joined the department all the way from Syracuse, NY. John earned his Master of Arts in Counseling from UALR and his Bachelor’s of Arts in Psychology from Le Moyne College, in Syracuse, NY.

Prior to coming to UALR, John worked in many facets of the disability-related field over the last decade. In his position here, John works with faculty, staff, administrators and students toward creating inclusive and sustainable learning environments. He collaborates with students to determine appropriate accommodations, and to identify aspects of the campus environment that may present barriers. John has a strong passion for the empowerment of all people with disabilities. He has extensive experience presenting at many local and national conferences.
Email: jabarbuto@ualr.edu

Boyd “Mickey” Kamer, B.A.

IT/Web Accessibility Consultant

Boyd (“Mickey”) Kamer, B.A. in Technical Writing from UALR, minor in Information Technology. Mr. Kamer will work under contract with PACE 3 as an expert in IT and web accessibility. He is an accessibility consultant for technology and software companies. He has worked for the state, and was a key figure in the development of the Accessibility Guidelines used to set state standards. He served as Arkansas’ liaison for accessibility in application design, web design, and technology purchasing. He provided technical assistance to faculty throughout PACE 1 and 2.

David Deere

External Evaluation

David Deere serves Partners for Inclusive Communities as the Associate Director for Pre-service Training and Research and Evaluation. He is the administrator of the Research and Evaluation section, with 22 staff. He was the lead evaluator for projects funded federally by Bureau of Maternal and Child Health, Health Resources and Services Administration, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Administration on Children and Families, and locally by Arkansas Independent Living Council, Arkansas Rehabilitation Services, and the Arkansas Spinal Cord Commission, among others. He was an evaluator for Starting Early Starting Smart and the Casey Family Programs and for Safe Schools, Healthy Students.