Rachael M. Haven, known as Shelley to friends, colleagues, and clients, has worked for nearly 40 years helping individuals with physical, sensory, cognitive, and learning challenges to unlock their potential with technology. Shelley has a degree in engineering and is certified* both as an Assistive Technology Professional (ATP) and a Rehabilitation Engineering Technologist (RET).
Her experience in AT encompasses a wide range: evaluating client needs, custom designing and fabricating technology accommodations, conducting workshops, and writing and publishing training materials. In the education arena, Shelley has provided AT training and technical assistance to hundreds of schools and districts (both as a private consultant and as part of a state-funded program), and directed AT resources and services for Stanford University's Office of Accessible Education (OAE) from 2000 to 2008. She was instrumental in creating the Schwab Learning Center at Stanford (now part of CHC in Palo Alto) for students with learning differences and ADHD, promoted the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and laid the groundwork for Stanford's online accessibility program. Shelley created and taught an online college course for UCSC Silicon Valley Extension, “Assistive Technology for Learning Differences”.
Shelley currently works as an independent assistive technology consultant serving individuals, families, educators, school districts, private schools, and other professionals, both in person and online. Her latest endeavor is training education professionals to leverage generative AI for teaching and learning.
*Certification by RESNA (Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America)