Disability Services Advisor - Media Access Specialist
Bio:
Originally from California, Adrianna earned her Associate's degree from Santa Rosa Junior College located in Santa Rosa, CA. As a transfer student she earned her Bachelor's degree in History at Cal Poly Humboldt located in Arcata, CA. She then gained experience and training as a paralegal at law firms in California and Michigan. She is passionate about student advocacy and disability rights. She joined the SSD team in May of 2019.
Coordinator of Services for Students with Disabilities
Bio:
Jordan Funk joined Services for Students with Disabilities staff in January 2021. Previously, Jordan worked as an Accessibility Specialist for Student Disability Services at the University of Toledo. Jordan holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Capital University, and a Master's in Higher Education from the University of Toledo.
Coordinator of Services for Students with Disabilities
Bio:
Prior to coming to the university, Lisa was at Baker College in Allen Park for 12 years where she was an adjunct instructor in addition to being the Disability Services Coordinator. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Western Michigan University, and Master’s in Counseling from Spring Arbor University.
Dr. Oluwaferanmi Okanlami was appointed as the Interim Director of Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) and assumed the role of Director of Adaptive Sports, a newly established unit within Student Life, on July 1, 2020. Dr. Okanlami has since been appointed as Director of SAAS which oversees SSD, Adaptive Sports and Fitness, and the Testing Accommodation Centers, as of July 1, 2021. He serves as an Assistant Professor of Family Medicine & Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at Michigan Medicine.
Coordinator of Services for Students with Disabilities
Bio:
Jill came to Services for Students with Disabilities October 2006. She is a nationally certified sign language interpreter. Jill graduated from the Interpreting Training program at C.S. Mott Community College. She is an alumnus of the University of Michigan-Flint 1995. Jill had been a staff interpreter at Communication Access Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing for 21 years.
Fun facts on Jill: Jill likes to travel spending time with friends and family.
Coordinator of Services for Students with Disabilities
Bio:
Natalie Ridgway joined the SSD staff in October 2019. Previously, Natalie coordinated services for students with disabilities at her alma mater, Bowling Green State University. Natalie holds a bachelor's degree in communication sciences and disorders and a master's in counseling, with a specialization in higher education in student affairs, from Walsh University.
Erik earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology and Health Science from York University in Toronto, Canada. He worked for four years at Wheelchair Basketball Canada managing the operations for the National programs. He then pursued a Master of Business Administration at Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada that included his major research project “Examining the Potential Inclusion of Adaptive Sport in the NCAA”.
As a highly dedicated proponent of education, Cortney Totty joins the office of Services for Students with Disabilities with ten years of experience developing learning support services and programming focused on college success and retention at Eastern Michigan University, Washtenaw Community College, Madonna University, Miami University of Ohio, and the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. Her work in providing academic resources and support for first generation, students with disabilities and historically underserved students has helped many successfully complete their collegiate studies.
Christie is an educational equity advocate in all she does. She began her education career at community college and transferred to The University of Michigan-Dearborn, where she pursued her bachelor’s degree in English/Social Studies Education. Upon graduation, she was accepted at her alma mater for a master’s degree in Inclusion Education, where she focused on learning how to make education accessible for all students. Her career has consisted of working in 6-12 education and higher education institutions.
