Patrick Cannon, director of the Michigan Commission for the Blind (MCB), Department of Labor & Economic Growth, also serves as state Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) coordinator.

The coordinator’s position was created by Governor Jennifer Granholm under Executive Order 2004–31, signed June 3, 2004. Pat is the state’s primary liaison with departments and agencies on matters of compliance with state and federal disability rights laws. ADA coordinators are designated for each state department and work in conjunction with Pat. The Office of the State Employer retains primary responsibility for compliance with state and federal disability rights laws on matters relating to state employment. (For the full text of Executive Order 2004-31, go to the following Web address: http://www.michigan.gov/gov/0,1607,7-168-21975-94842--,00.html.)

“Pat’s ceaseless dedication to promoting the abilities of people with disabilities and his many years of service in the disability rights arena will serve the state well,” the Governor said. “My administration is one of inclusion and engagement, dedicated to capturing the best thinking and ideas of all of our citizens, including people with disabilities.”

Pat served as director of the Michigan Commission on Disability Concerns for 10 years, where he was instrumental in gaining passage of the 1990 amendments to the Michigan Handicappers’ Civil Rights Act and advocated for enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act. He was appointed by President Clinton in 1995 to the U.S. Access Board, an independent federal regulatory agency whose mission is accessibility for people with disabilities. He served as chair in 1997and 1998 and was reappointed for a second four-year term in 1999.