Deborah Kaplan

Deputy Kaplan oversees all aspects of programmatic accessibility compliance and technical assistance on behalf of MOD, including but not limited to accessibility complaints and concerns, effective communication and digital access, and citywide training on accessibility best practices.  She will also lead MOD’s disability community engagement efforts pertaining to Vision Zero and all local legislation impacting people with disabilities, and will advise the Mayor’s Disability Council (MDC). Ms. Kaplan advises the Director on budget needs, contract administration, and policy matters that directly pertain to programmatic access. Finally, she will assist with MOD’s overall emergency response and recovery efforts related to COVID-19. 

Before joining MOD on April 27, 2020, Deputy Kaplan was the founder or Enterprise Accessibility, bringing programmatic accessibility expertise to enterprise businesses.  At the World Institute on Disability, she pioneered projects on policy and focused on universal design in technology as a goal.  She headed the Accessible Technology Initiative for the California State University System, and most recently, she was the Section 508 Policy Lead and Agency-wide Section 508 Coordinator in the Office of the Chief Information Officer at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.