Candace Cable
Advisory Board Member
Candace is grateful for her spinal cord injury in 1975 at the age of 21 that resulted in the use of a wheelchair for her to be mobile in the world.
This type of mobility is responsible for her 27-year athletic career of 9 Paralympic Games appearances where she gained 12 medals in 3 sports, winning 84 marathons and becoming the first American woman to win medals in both the summer and winter games in 1992. All this has given her the “universally inclusive language” platform of sport, to create a second career speaking about how to uncork the necessary conversations about the need for social justice and human rights of people with disabilities to participate in our global humanity.
Candace continues those conversations as inclusion consultant and Chief Creative Officer for Social Cohesion Resources. She develops workshops, consultations and keynote addresses around the idea that understanding disability is an asset and critical for creating success and inclusion for all people to contribute and thrive in this twenty-first century global society. Candace provides insights to UNICEF’s global partnerships on inclusive education and adapted sport. She attends and contributes to the growth during the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities conferences.
Candace believes that spending time with disabled people is pivotal to create inclusion and she works as a universal access trainer with Open Doors Organization for the travel and tourism industries. She shares these messages hosting webcasts, created videos and writing a blog for the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation. Recently she was the acting director of Paralympic and Disability Engagement for the successful bid to bring the Paralympic and Olympic Games to Los Angeles in 2028 and is currently working on recommendations for education programs for the new LA2028 OCOG, the organizing committee.
Candace is a member and volunteer on the board of directors for the US International Council on Disability – USICD, the Southern California Olympian and Paralympian Association – SCOPA and the US Olympian and Paralympian Association – USOPA. She served as the Athlete Services Coordinator for 2010 Winter Paralympic Games in Vancouver Canada and during the 2012-2016 quad on the USOC Athlete Advisory Council.
As a faculty member at the renowned Loma Linda University School of Medicine (LLUSM), Department of Pediatric NeuroScience, David G. Erickson’s passion for whole person care jells perfectly with the university’s mission – to make man whole. He incorporates this philosophy as he manages a caseload of 500 patients at LLUSM’s Muscular Dystrophy Clinic. Mr. Erickson is also a consulting Occupational Therapist at Angel View Children’s Foundation, which operates 18 six-bed residential homes (ICF-DD/H/N/CN and CLHF licensed), and at Mountain Shadows, which operates 27 group homes, combined these companies serve more than 275 children and adults; Mr. Erickson’s hands-on philosophy and positive outlook help to ensure the highest quality of life possible for these residents/patients. Mr. Erickson sits on two Boards with Mountain Shadows; their Operating and Foundation Boards. He also consults at several other organizations, including Christopher Ranch, an ICF-DD/H facility, and the Angel View Day Program.
Prior to this, Mr. Erickson acted as Chief Supervising Therapist for California Children’s Services (CCS), where he administered the CCS program to a caseload of 4,000-5,000 pediatric patients.Mr. Erickson has been recognized for clinical excellence by the Occupational Therapy Association of California. In 1999, he was selected as one of ten “Community Heroes” by the San Bernardino County Sun Newspaper for making a positive difference in the community.
Mr. Erickson is a founding Board Member of the Valley of the Falls Community Center inc., in Forest Falls where he makes his home. He is the lead Fire Auxiliary coordinator for the local San Bernardino County Fire Department there in Forest Falls.Mr. Erickson was awarded a Bachelor’s Degree in Occupational Therapy from Loma Linda University, School of Allied Health Professions, Department of Occupational Therapy. He is registered with the National Certification Board for Occupational Therapists and holds a current license with the California Board of Occupational Therapy.
David Erickson, OTR/L
Advisory Board Member
Karen McCord
Advisory Board Member
Karen McCord is a physical therapist at Rady Children’s Hospital, San Diego. Karen specializes in the areas of brain injury, rehabilitation, spinal cord injuries and defects, arthrogryposis, neonatal intensive care, durable medical equipment, splinting/orthotics, and developmental delay. Karen is the lead PT for Rady’s Rehab Team, consults in the Acquired Brain Injury Clinic, Spinal Cord Injury Clinic, and Spinal Defects Clinic, and provides physical therapy to newborns and infants in the NICU. Prior to coming back to San Diego, Karen worked at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy in Portola Valley, and California Children Services in San Mateo.
Karen received her undergraduate degree in Social Ecology at the University of a California, Irvine and her Physical Therapy degree at the University of California at San Francisco. She is married to Mark Sullivan and they have 2 daughters, Janika and Julia. Karen enjoys volunteering with various adaptive sports organizations including Challenged Athletes Foundation, Life Rolls On, and Wheels 2 Water. She enjoys playing adult co-ed water polo, ocean swimming, sea glassing, biking at the beach, traveling and crafting in her free time.
John is an innovator and creator displaying his creative designs as founder of Colours Wheelchair. John’s SCI came in 1981 and he has dedicated himself to improving the lives of the disabled community since. He pushed the limits with a cutting edge marketing campaign while at the head of Colours getting the attention of the community and showing that this was a movement, that living life to the fullest and pushing the boundaries of what the disabled population is “supposed to be” will break down the attitudinal barriers and change the negative stereotypes.
John Box
Advisory Board Member
Steve Goldman
Advisory Board Member
At age four Steve contracted polio, which affected the use of his legs. From then on, until 1997, he had walked on braces and crutches. In 1997 Steve had back complications and is now very active while using a wheelchair full time.
His education included an M.S. in Business from Long Island University in Brooklyn. During his college years and beyond he played wheelchair basketball with professional teams and had many great moments competing around the country, winning a national championship once.
Soon after college I moved to southern California where Steve began what became a 27-year career in the “Medical Equipment” industry. His specialization was in the “long-term rehabilitation” area. As a manager, he also got involved in sales, which put him in direct contact with disabled children, their parents, teachers and healthcare providers. Again, many of these relationships have lasted until today.
Since retiring from full-time work in the medical business in 1997, Steve has been involved in helping out some of his old competitors when projects came up. To keep busy he volunteers as a “Citizenship Tutor” and is on The Accessible Advisory Committee for The Port of San Diego. In the past Steve have served on the boards of The M.S. Society and United Cerebral Palsy. In addition, have been a mentor for disabled teenagers.
Doreen Casuto has 42 years of experience in the field of rehabilitation nursing providing patient cam, education, and coordination of services. She has 30 years of experience as an independent case manager working with catastrophically injured children and adults. She has over 25 years’ experience preparing Life Care Plans and testifying in regards to the client’s current and future health care needs. Specialty: Spinal Cord Injury, Brain Injury, Chronic Pain, Neuromuscular Disorder.
