Customer Advisory Board on Disabilities

NWA formed the Customer Advisory Board on Disabilities in December 1999 to obtain advice and recommendations on how the airline can better serve and communicate with the growing travel segment of air travelers with disabilities.  It is the cornerstone of NWA's program for customers with disabilities, and demonstrates NWA's commitment to providing accessible air travel.

The 11-member Customer Advisory Board is made of individuals who represent different disabilities and disability advocacy organizations. Board members meet regularly to review Northwest's existing and proposed policies and procedures as well as training programs related to services for passengers with disabilities.

Most recently they completed a comprehensive review of Ground Operations, Inflight Services and Reservations initial and recurrent training programs. Recommendations are currently being evaluated for incorporation into future training programs.

The Customer Advisory Board is part of Northwest's Customers First service plan, which was  implemented on December 15, 1999.

Board Members

Ms. Shanti Aaron

Georgia Department of Labor

Atlanta, Georgia

Shanti Aaron is the Social Security programs manager for Georgia Department of Labor Vocational Rehabilitation Services. She holds a MS degree from the University of Wisconsin-Stout in Vocational Rehabilitation, as well as post graduate certification in Management. She has worked in all facets of Vocational Rehabilitation for twenty plus years. Ms. Aaron has served on a variety of Boards and Committees as an advocate for persons with disabilities.. She is married with two children and two grandchildren.

Ms. Lydia Graber
Michigan Commission on Disability Concerns (MCDC)
Lansing, Michigan
Lydia Graber is a District Director for Little People of America, Inc. (LPA) Ms. Graber has also been a member of the Michigan Commission on Disability Concerns since 1993 and served as chair from 1996 to 2003. MCDC has twenty-one governor appointed commissioners who serve in an advisory capacity and provide the perspectives of people with disabilities, the business community, and professional service providers. She resides in Belleville, Michigan.

JR Harding, Ph.D

Florida Department of Education

Tallahassee, Florida

JR Harding is a disability expert on ADA regulations and independent living, works for the Florida Department of Education, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation.  He served on the President’s US Access Board, the Election Assistance Commission, Commission for Transportation Disadvantage, the Governor's Commission on Disabilities, the Florida Building Commission Waiver Council, and the Governors ADA Working Group.  He co-founded the Florida Disability Mentoring Day initiative.   He volunteers for the Big Bend Business Leadership Network and Leadership Tallahassee.

Mr. Michael Harris
Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) - Michigan
Novi, Michigan
Michael F Harris is Executive Director of the Michigan Paralyzed Veterans of America.  Our members are honorably discharged veterans of the United States Armed Services who have incurred spinal cord injury or disease resulting in paralysis and are dependent upon the use of a wheelchair for mobility.  He has served on the Customer Advisory Board at Northwest Airlines since 2001.  He resides in Westland, Michigan.

Mr. Mark Johnson

Shepherd Center

Atlanta, Georgia

Mark Johnson is the Director of Advocacy at the Shepherd Center, a catastrophic care hospital in Atlanta. He identifies and researches disability rights issues, educates the staff and community to these issues and organizes self help networks to work on these issues.  Mark is a founder of ADAPT, a national network of activists and has served on numerous boards and councils.  In 2007, he received the Betts Award and was inducted into the National Spinal Cord Injury Association SCI Hall of Fame.

Mr. Patrick Maher
National Spinal Cord Injury Association
Chicago, Illinois

Patrick Maher is the President of the National Spinal Cord Injury Association and served on their board since November 2003.  As Managing Director for nAblement Services of SPR, an IT staff consulting and project management firm, Pat develops opportunities for organizations to hire qualified IT professionals with disabilities for a wide range of IT support needs. The nAblement Apprenticeship program has been designed to support an IT career path for new college graduates with a disability, and has been very well received by SPR clients. Pat resides in Westmont, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago.

Mr. David Nelson
National Association of the Deaf  (NAD)

Washington, D.C.
David Nelson has been with NAD since 1978 and received the organization's most prestigious award, the Fred C. Schreiber Distinguished Service Award.  David is disability advocacy specialist at the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak).  He is responsible for providing accessibility information and outreach activities to the disability community. He holds a bachelor's degree from Rochester Institute of Technology as well as degrees from National Technical Institute of the Deaf (NTID) and Florida School for the Deaf and Blind.  He resides Washington, DC.

Ms. Margaret Schuster
Ventures Travel, LLC
Eden Prairie, Minnesota
Ms. Schuster is President of Ventures Travel, LLC which provides educational and recreational vacation opportunities for people with developmental disabilities and others who benefit from supervised travel vacations.  In addition, Ventures Travel, LLC provides support and respite for parents, families, and other care providers.

Mr. Jay Stiteley

The Seeing Eye

Morristown, NJ

Jay serves with “The Seeing Eye” staff in Morristown, NJ. as Associate Manager, directing field representatives. He speaks throughout the United States and Canada, about the program, policies, and working philosophy of The Seeing eye.  Jay was the Director of the National Technology Program for the American Foundation for the Blind for three years assisting education and rehabilitation professionals in the field of blindness promoting effective use of computer access technology. Prior to joining AFB, Jay worked for The Seeing Eye as Field Representative for six years.  .

Glen W. White, Ph.D

RTC/IL University of Kansas

Lawrence, Kansas

Glen is Director of the Research & Training Center on Independent Living at the University of Kansas, serving as Principal Investigator of the Research and Training Center on Full Participation in Independent Living. He conducts research on housing, advocacy, developing community support for Independent Living Centers, and for the past several years he has been developing a systematic line of research in the area of prevention of secondary conditions. He is past president of the National Association of Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers, past Chair of the American Public Health Association's Disability Forum., and serves as an advisor and consultant to many national organizations. Dr. White is Professor of Applied Behavioral Science, where he teaches behavioral, community psychology, and disability studies.

Meeting Dates

Customer Advisory Board meetings are held regularly and in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota unless otherwise noted below.

2009 Meeting Dates

• April 23-24, 2009 - Atlanta, Georgia

2008 Meeting Dates

• April 1-2, 2008 - Detroit, Michigan

2007 Meeting Dates

• April 4-5, 2007 - Memphis, Tennessee

2006 Meeting Dates

• October 18-19, 2006 

2005 Meeting Dates

• April 28-29, 2005 - Detroit, Michigan
• October 20, 2005

2004 Meeting Dates

• March 10-11, 2004 - Memphis, Tennessee
• October 19-21, 2004

2003 Meeting Dates

• February 19-20, 2003 - Memphis, Tennessee
• June 18-19, 2003 - Detroit, Michigan
• October 15-16, 2003  

2002 Meeting Dates

• March 13-14, 2002 - Detroit, Michigan
• May 9, 2002
• August 1, 2002
• November 7, 2002

2001 Meeting Dates

• February 8-9, 2001 - Memphis, Tennessee
• May 10-11, 2001
• August 8-9, 2001

2000 Meeting Dates

• February 10, 2000
• August 10, 2000
• November 9, 2000

1999 Meeting Dates

• December 8, 1999