ABILITY BEYOND APPOINTS LAURIE DALE AS SENIOR LEADER OF ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS

Ability Beyond, a leading nonprofit that provides services and programs to individuals with disabilities in Connecticut and Westchester, has promoted Laurie Dale to Senior Leader of Assistive Technology Solutions. Ms. Dale, a 25-year veteran of Ability Beyond,  previously served as the Director of Information Technology Service, where she oversaw the evolution of the agency’s technology infrastructure and pioneered the use of assistive technology to improve the everyday lives of the people in Ability Beyond’s care.

In her new role, Ms. Dale will be responsible for all aspects of assistive technology and for integrating new innovations that will revolutionize the way Ability Beyond supports people with disabilities. She will work to create new bridges between technology and the individuals supported by the organization, identifying and determining what will best allow them to increase their independence.

“As Ability Beyond continues to grow and serve more and more people who live with disabilities every year, it is critical that we advance our efforts in assistive technology,” said Thomas H. Fanning, CEO and President of Ability Beyond.  “Because of Laurie’s keen understanding of technology and her innovative ideas, we are fast becoming a national model in this arena.”

Since 1989, Ms. Dale, a resident of Sandy Hook, CT, has served in various senior level positions at Ability Beyond. Throughout her career, she has spearheaded many initiatives including growing the agency’s technology networks from 50 centrally-located personal computers to 800 wireless WAN units and VOIP across 90 locations, as well as implementing a healthcare compliance system that serves upward of 2,000 people each year, meeting rigorous legislative requirements.  Additionally, she is frequent speaker on assisted living technology and a national leader in the field.

Ms. Dale is a member of the Connecticut Technology Council, the New York Inter-Agency Council Technology Committee and the Best Practices Provider Group, as well as the Information Technology Advisory Committee of the Western Connecticut United Way and the Connecticut Association of Nonprofits’ IT Committee. She serves as the chairperson for the New York State Association of Community and Residential Agencies (NYSACRA) IT Advisory Committee. She is a frequent speaker at national conferences and is among the few national experts working to better the lives of people with disabilities through technology.