WORCESTER, MA, January 8, 2024: Joseph E. Prochilo, MBA, has joined Massachusetts based accessibility and inclusion consultancy Direct Access Consultancy LLC. A certified DOBE™ – Disability Operated Business Enterprise, Direct Access employs a team of 17 people with disabilities working to improve access to buildings and facilities.
Mr. Prochilo will coordinate Direct Access Consultancy’s Americans with Disabilities transition plan and audit programs for municipalities and educational provision across New England and New York State.
Joe leads a team of people with disabilities undertaking facility audits and barrier removal reports for local towns and cities alongside a statewide contract for Massachusetts. This includes the accessibility audit of educational provisions in schools across the Boston metro area and accessible housing in Vermont.
As an Advocate for the City of Worcester, Mr. Prochilo developed a first-in-the-nation access survey criteria for Mobility-impaired, Deaf, Blind, and Low-Vision populations. He instituted an access Gold-Silver-Bronze program to recognize access compliance for businesses and developed initiatives in the housing construction market to increase the number of accessible housing units from 5% to 20% of all newly constructed housing to ease a 35-year backlog for affordable accessible apartment units in the city.
In recognition of his work, Mr. Prochilo was honored with an Outstanding Advocacy Award in 2019 from the City of Worcester’s Accessibility Advisory Commission. He credits his success to his unique experience of being someone without disabilities who later became disabled. He was recognized by being included in The Marquis Who’s Who in America 2022-2023 for his outstanding work and accomplishments in the field of Disability Rights and Accessibility Advocacy.
Direct Access President and Founder, Steven Mifsud MBE, is excited to be expanding the Boston team, saying “We are delighted to welcome Joe on board. His knowledge and experience of accessibility speaks for itself, with the unique perspective as a wheelchair user of the barriers that people with disabilities face. From our offices on Harrison Avenue, downtown Boston, we have grown our services across New England.”
Joe and Steven are quickly making a mark delivering a webinar on accessibility to municipalities in New Hampshire on Wednesday, 10 Jan and will be at the Massachusetts Municipal Association Trade Show January, 19 and 20 Jan.
To sign up for the event as an attendee and meet the Direct Access team, you can register for the event at the following link: https://www.mma.org/annual-meeting/register/.
68 Harrison Avenue,
6th Floor,
Boston,
MA 02111.
4600 140th Avenue North,
Suite 180,
Clearwater,
FL 33762.
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