Irene Bowen, J.D., is President of ADA One, LLC, a consulting firm that provides ADA consulting, speaking, and mediation services to public and private entities for titles II and III of the ADA, as well as assistance with section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and other disability rights laws.
Before she founded ADA One, Ms. Bowen’s career as a disability rights attorney spanned thirty years. She became known for her singular depth and breadth of knowledge and built a strong reputation as a knowledgeable, insightful, and visionary leader, attorney, and speaker.
In August 2008 Ms. Bowen left the Department of Justice (DOJ), where she had been Deputy Chief of the Disability Rights Section, overseeing enforcement of the ADA. She was actively involved in the development of the ADA, the original ADA accessibility guidelines, and DOJ’s existing and proposed regulations. She established the Disability Unit in the Civil Rights Division, the Department’s program for certifying state and local accessibility laws and codes, the first ADA investigation procedures, and the use of mediation as a means of resolving litigation.
Ms. Bowen has also been Deputy General Counsel of the U.S. Access Board, a disability rights advocate – co-founding the National Center for Law and Deafness as a law student – and a public interest attorney .
As of January 2009, Ms. Bowen also serves as Senior Policy Advisor for LCM Architects, a Chicago-based firm. LCM provides design services for public and private clients and also consults locally and nationally on compliance with the ADA, the Fair Housing Act, and other accessibility laws. She can be contacted there using this contact form.
Ms. Bowen holds a J.D. degree from the George Washington University School of Law and a B.A.in French and English from the University of Northern Iowa.
With 30 years of experience in the federal government, first with the Access Board, then with the Department of Justice, Irene Bowen has developed an understanding of both the big pictures and the details of the ADA, the ABA, 504, and other federal access laws and standards by being actively involved in writing, interpreting, and enforcing them. From that experience she has developed a level of understanding and insights that are unmatched by other consultants. Her knowledge of which laws and standards apply to her client’s situations, the details of those laws and her creative approach to solutions makes her an invaluable asset on large, high profile, or complicated matters. As a trainer, Irene gets high marks from workshop participants because she’s organized with practical examples, knowledgeable of the logic and both sides of questions, and she brings exceptional credibility from 30 years in high level positions at DOJ and The Access Board.
James L.E. Terry, AIA, CEO
Evan Terry Associates, P.C.
