Democracy is a Disability Issue

Kim Charlson has been involved with Perkins Library since 1985, and has been director since 2001, overseeing the library’s mission of providing accessible reading material to people who are blind, have low vision, or physical or reading disabilities. Charlson also oversees the FCC iCanConnect program, the National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program providing free communication technology and training to eligible individuals. She is the co-chair of the Federal Communications Commission’s Disability Advisory Committee, and she serves as the co-chair of the Coalition on Assistive Technology. A distinguished expert on library and information services for people with disabilities, Charlson serves on several committees for the Library of Congress’ National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled and has contributed to numerous publications on braille and accessible library services. She was the first woman president of the American Council of the Blind (2013-2019) and a member of the Accessible Books Consortium to support the Marrakesh Treaty. Charlson is the president of the North America/Caribbean Region of the World Blind Union (WBU) and the chair of the WBU’s World Braille Council. In 2024, Perkins School for the Blind’s CVI Center presented Charlson with a Lifetime Achievement Award for her years dedicated to aiding the disability community, especially those with the leading cause of childhood blindness, Cerebral/Cortical Visual Impairment. In the same year, her work as a global advocate for the rights of people who are blind or have low vision was recognized with two of the highest honors in the blindness community: The American Foundation for the Blind’s prestigious Migel Medal and the American Printing House for the Blind’s Wings of Freedom Award.

Helen Michaud joined Clear Ballot in 2019. As Vice President of Product, she is responsible for the product strategy of Clear Ballot's election solutions and also oversees training and documentation. Helen brings more than 15 years of experience in technology to the team, including more than 10 years in product management. She is passionate about engaging with customers to understand how to better serve their needs with products and new offerings.

Santiago "Santi" Garces, driven by early experiences in his native Bogotá, Colombia, has dedicated his career to make government work better for people through technology, process, and design. As the Chief Information Offi cer (CIO) for the City of Boston. Santi served CIO in South Bend and Pittsburgh. Santi was named a Rising Star by Route Fifty, Executive of the Year by LocalSmart, and has received several awards for his work. A former Schmidt Futures International Strategy Forum Fellow, he is a Data-Smart Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School, and a Senior Fellow with the Burnes Center at Northeastern and the GovLab, working with Beth Noveck to enable AI applications for social impact. He also serves as a US representative to UN-Habitat as an expert on People-Centered Smart Cities. Santi co-founded the innovation and talent incubator nonprofit, enFocus, in South Bend. He served as a co-founding board member of the MetroLab Network.