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About the Hosts & Guests

Access UW Hosts

Bree Callahan, M.Ed. (she/her/hers)

Image of Bree Callahan. A white, fem-presenting person, with short blonde hair that is spiked in the front. Bree is seen wearing a purple sweater, black framed glasses, and smiling in front of a red brick wall.

Bree is the ADA Coordinator for the University of Washington and provides leadership, coordination, and oversight to advance the University’s strategic priorities relating to access and accessibility. Prior to this role, she directed disability services offices for fifteen years across three universities and has worked in a variety of higher education areas: admissions, academic advising, and residential life. She has over 20 years’ experience in higher education, determining accommodations and providing consultation on ADA compliance matters of digital, physical, and program access. Bree has held leadership positions for Washington Association on Post-Secondary Education and Disability (WAPED), and the Association on Higher Education and Disability’s (AHEAD); and served on two WA State Legislative Task Force’s charged with examining barriers in place for students with disabilities transitioning and transferring to Washington State higher education institutions. She currently serves as a member of UW’s Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology (DO-IT) Advisory Board. Bree has presented at local, state, and national conferences on a variety of topics relating to disability and access, transition of students with disabilities to postsecondary education, and systemic change toward more inclusive campuses.

Heather Evans, Ph.D. (she/her/hers)

Image of Heather Evans. A white, fem-presenting person, wearing a capped hat with a purple pin that reads "DISABLED & PROUD" and a green blouse with gold jewelry on. Heather is holding her cane in the photo and has her bookshelf in the background Heather is a socio-legal scholar who focuses on the ways in which institutions such as the law, higher education, and the medical field interact with marginalized populations. She has conducted statistical analyses, ethnographic fieldwork, and evaluation research. Heather’s current work is in the field of Critical Disability Studies examining disclosure, identity management, and workplace accommodations among people with physical, mental, and sensory differences that are not readily apparent. She is also committed to community based research and does consulting work for local social justice organizations, primarily focusing on disparities within the criminal justice system.  Heather earned a Ph.D. in Sociology at the University of Washington and spent 8 years teaching courses in the Department of Sociology; Disability Studies Program; and the Law, Societies & Justice Department at UW. She joined the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at UW in July 2021 as an Acting Assistant Professor and Research Director for the Northwest ADA Center serving Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. 

Toby Gallant, B.A. (he/him/they/them)

Image of Toby Gallant. A white-male presenting person with short curly brown hair, wearing a blue suit jacket and a white collard shirt, standing in front of the United Nations headquarters in Geneva, smiling at the camera. Toby is a Queer and Neurodivergent activist dedicated to creating inclusive and equitable educational experiences for all bodies, minds, and identities through advocacy, policy, and research. With over 7+ years of experience in disability community organizing on the West Coast, and guided by the principles of Disability Justice and Universal Design, their work navigates the intricacies of legal frameworks and education institution to bring about transformative change for disabled and d/Deaf people. Toby is a recent graduate and endowed scholar of the University of Washington Disability Studies Program and conducted his senior capstone research on the 50-year history of disabled resilience and advocacy on the Seattle campus. In his time at the UW, Toby served as the Director of the ASUW Student Disability Commission (2021-23), a Data Analyst for Disability Resources for Students (2022), and a Research Fellow for the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2022-23). Most recently, Toby joined the Office of the ADA Coordinator as a Program Assistant, supporting the development of events and resources for the 50th Anniversary of Section 504.