Allyson Robinson, Director of Accessibility Programs
Allyson specializes in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and assistive technology (AT) solutions. She is an adjunct lecturer at OSU teaching the AAC class to graduate students since 2013. She graduated from Oklahoma State University in 2006 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders and from the University of Kansas in 2008 with a Master of Arts in Speech Pathology. Allyson worked previously for Pawnee Public Schools serving children ages 3-18. Allyson and her husband, Kyle, have three sons, Carter, Callan, and Conley, and a daughter, Claire.
Office 103F, 405-744-4608, allyson.robinson@okstate.edu
Austin Bricker, Senior Administrative Support Specialist
Austin joined ABLE Tech Device Reutilization Program as the Senior Administrative Support Specialist in February 2022. He assists individuals with disabilities and their representatives with applying for our program, analyzing applicants’ needs and current inventory to identify appropriate OHCA guidelines that are being met, including monitoring appropriate documentation that has been received.
Austin graduated from Norman North High School but spent two years attending Steilacoom High School in Seattle Washington. He is interested in drawing and Art History.
Richard Buntin, Fiscal Operations Specialist
Richard Buntin joined the Oklahoma State University Department of Wellness Sponsored Programs in May 2021 as the Fiscal Operations Specialist. He received his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Grand Canyon University. Richard has retired from the US Air Force where he served 10 years as an Aircraft Electrical/Environmental Systems Technician and 10 years in Financial Management. He lives just outside of Stillwater with his wife and has three children and six grandchildren.
Dr. Gretchen Cole-Lade, State Leadership Training Specialist
After serving Oklahoma ABLE Tech as a presenter in the past, Gretchen Cole-Lade, Ph.D., is now a State Leadership Training Specialist for Oklahoma ABLE Tech. For the past ten years, Dr. Cole-Lade prepared early childhood education pre-service teachers to meet the needs of their future young children in inclusive classroom settings. Prior to teaching at Oklahoma State University, she was a special education teacher, having spent the majority of her long career teaching students with severe disabilities.
Dr. Cole-Lade earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Special Education from Old Dominion University, a Masters of Education in Early Childhood Education from Boston University, National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Certification in Exceptional Needs in 2001 and renewed the certification in 2011, and a Doctorate of Philosophy in Professional Education Studies with an emphasis in Special Education from Oklahoma State University. She recently renewed her National Board Certification for the second time in December of 2022. On a personal note, Dr. Cole-Lade is a guardian and best friend to her older brother, Michael, who has multiple disabilities and lives in a group home in the Washington DC area. She brings a family perspective to her teaching, research, and presentations because of Michael.
Leslie Dady, Administrative Operations Specialist
Leslie joined the Oklahoma State University (OSU) Department of Wellness Sponsored Programs in January 2022 as an Administrative Operations Specialist. Leslie joined us from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (OUHSC) where she served in several different administrative capacities for 8 years. Prior to her career at OUHSC, she worked at OSU for 17 years. Leslie is married, has one daughter, and resides in Perkins.
Lisa Dobson, Program Coordinator
Lisa grew up in Oklahoma before moving to Coeur’d Alene, Idaho. She is the mother of two sons, two daughters by marriage, and has four grandchildren. Lisa graduated with her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Idaho, majoring in Education. She has 24 years of experience in education, where she has taught at both the high school and postsecondary levels, as well as overseen academic departments. Lisa’s professional experience includes affiliations with North Idaho College, the University of Idaho, Gonzaga University, and the University of North Carolina. She is honored to be at Oklahoma State University, the alma mater of her father. Lisa’s desire to see students succeed motivates her work as the Coordinator of Student Accessibility Services.
Shelley Gladden, Program Manager
Shelley Gladden joined Oklahoma ABLE Tech in May 2012. As a Program Manager, her primary role is overseeing the core programs of the AT Act for Oklahoma, including the assistive technology and device demonstration, short-term loan, financial loan, and the device and durable medical equipment reutilization program. Shelley is the ABLE Tech hearing support specialist to consumers, teachers, and professionals.
She is a statewide trainer for the Hearing Loss Association of America and is active in several advocacy organizations including Oklahoma Rehabilitation Council, Hearing Loss Association of America – Central Oklahoma Chapter, Living Choice Advisory Council, and Oklahoma Healthy Brain Initiative. She has spent her career working with individuals with disabilities in various settings in both Oklahoma and Texas. She obtained her B.S. degree in Therapeutic Recreation and Graduate Certification in Non-Profit Management through Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, OK.
Office 103, 405-744-9863, shelley.gladden@okstate.edu
Brent Greyson, Instructional Design and Accessibility Specialist
Brent joined ABLE Tech in April 2022. In his role at ABLE Tech, he assists the Digital Accessibility team with developing effective training designed to create new practitioners and advocates for digital accessibility. Brent has long advocated for digital accessibility through his previous work in scholarly publishing and librarianship. He received his MLIS from the University of Oklahoma in 2012 and his MEd in Instructional Design and Technology from Sam Houston State University in 2021. He also holds graduate certificates in effective online teaching, educational technology, and diversity, equity, and inclusion in education.
Peyton Haley, Accessible Communications Coordinator
Peyton joined ABLE Tech in July 2022 as the Accessible Communications Coordinator. She graduated from Oklahoma State University in 2019 with two bachelor's degrees: Animal Science and Agricultural Communications. She completed her Master’s in Agricultural Communications from OSU in 2021. She has previous marketing and communications experience in agricultural publishing and engineering extension.
She is excited to work with the Department of Wellness Sponsored Programs to further their communications and outreach efforts. Peyton spends her nights and weekends reading, cultivating a houseplant collection, and trying to keep her dogs, Tripp, Penny, and Peach, busy.
Terri Harris, Senior Administrative Support Specialist
Terri joined the team in December 2021, as the friendly voice on the phone and the smile at the front desk. She works within the Department of Wellness Sponsored Programs and Oklahoma ABLE Tech, as the Senior Administrative Support Specialist. She graduated from Oklahoma State University in 2017 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. She enjoys helping others, learning new skills (household or work), listening to audiobooks, fiction the most, and cooking.
Dr. Joshua Hawkins, State Leadership Program Manager
Joshua Hawkins joined the Oklahoma ABLE Tech team in July 2022 as the State Leadership Program Manager. He has 11 years of experience as a special education teacher and high school math teacher. Additionally, he has three years of experience as a site- and district-level administrator. For the past seven years, he served as the Special Education Program Coordinator at Northwestern Oklahoma State University.
Josh’s experience in the classroom and as an administrator has prepared him to serve Oklahomans in this new capacity. He is excited to work with students, parents, teachers, administrators, and other state leaders and entities to further meet the educational and functional needs of individuals who would benefit from assistive technology or accessible educational materials. Josh enjoys good literature and music, diverse outdoor activities, and spending time with his wife, Heather, and their six children. He and his family live in Stillwater.
Office 103H, 405-744-7609, joshua.hawkins@okstate.edu
Stephanie Hesser, Financial Loan Specialist
Stephanie Hesser comes to ABLE Tech as an addition to the Financial Lending team. She had served on Oklahoma Assistive Technology Foundation’s board of directors as Board President and when the opportunity came to become more involved with the lending team, she jumped at the chance. Stephanie has enjoyed a long career of helping others. Her experience ranges from creating affordable housing, working in a free medical clinic in Rwanda, to teaching history at a virtual school. In her spare time, Stephanie enjoys quilting, making quilting how-to videos on YouTube, and crocheting.
Averie Hinchey-Lucas, Speech-Language Pathologist Specialist
Averie joined the Oklahoma ABLE Tech team in September 2021 as a Speech-Language Pathologist. She graduated from Oklahoma State University in 2018 with her B.S. in Communication Sciences and Disorders in 2018 and in 2020 with her M.S. in Communication Sciences and Disorders. Averie has clinical experience working with individuals across the lifespan in private clinics, assisted living, and outpatient hospital settings.
Averie specializes in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Her experience includes working with and evaluating individuals using AAC technology and completing funding applications for individuals to receive their own speech-generating devices.
Angie Larison, Accessibility Specialist
Angie is the Accessibility Specialist for Student Accessibility Services. She determines appropriate accommodations for students and ensures that they have access to various campus resources. Angie believes that providing a welcoming experience for students and parents is important. In addition, she is passionate about helping students get what they need to be successful. Angie was born in Oklahoma and received a bachelor’s in music from Oklahoma State University. She is married to Bryan, and they have 3 daughters. Outside of work, Angie enjoys singing with the Stillwater Chamber Singers, going on walks, and eating delicious food.
Lyssa Prince, Digital Accessibility Program Manager
Lyssa joined ABLE Tech in May 2018 and now manages the Digital Accessibility Program. She works to advance digital accessibility initiatives across the state of Oklahoma and beyond by providing training and technical assistance to various groups, including higher education, state agencies, workforce development, and other states' Assistive Technology Act programs.
Lyssa is knowledgeable about a variety of topics, including web accessibility, accessibility testing and tooling, document accessibility, and accessibility policy. Lyssa graduated from the University of Oklahoma with her Master's in Library and Information Science in 2015 and enjoys applying the user-centered approaches she learned in her program to the field of digital accessibility. She was also certified by the International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP) as a Certified Professional in Web Accessibility (CPWA) in 2020. Lyssa lives in Norman with her dog and two cats, who always enjoy co-teaching training sessions when they can.
405-701-6027, lyssa.prince@okstate.edu
Natalie Rohwer, Financial Loan Coordinator
Natalie joined the Oklahoma ABLE Tech team in August 2019. She manages the financial loan program for the purchase of assistive technology. Her prior experience includes working for 17 years at a commercial bank. She graduated from Oklahoma State University with a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science and a minor in Agriculture Finance. She has two kids, a daughter, Morgan, and a son, Colby.
Office 103K, 405-744-4254, natalie.rohwer@okstate.edu
Lindsey Romero-Kopenhagen, SAS Administrative Support Assistant
Destined to be an Oklahoma State Cowboy, Lindsey was born in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and raised just a few miles away in Pawnee. With a unique background in both medicine and law enforcement, she was blessed with the opportunity to join the Student Accessibilities Services office at Oklahoma State University where she has served as the Administrative Support Assistant for the past two years. Lindsey is currently completing her bachelor’s degree in Psychology at OSU. When she is not on campus helping students or studying for her courses, you can find her at any number of activities with her two teenage sons who are both active in band, sports, and FFA.
Louise Ruleford, Program Specialist
Louise joined the ABLE Tech team as a full-time Program Specialist in September 2022. She has been an ABLE Tech team member since November 2021 and has loved every day of it! Louise is pursuing a bachelor's degree in Recreational Therapy and plans to further her education and acquire a Master's in Occupational Therapy. Her responsibilities include fulfilling and shipping out device short-term loans, sanitizing returned devices, assisting with device demonstrations, documenting data, and more. She serves as a direct point of contact for clients and is eager to help people find the right AT for them.
In her free time, Louise enjoys rafting, ziplining, hiking, going to the movies, binge-watching the latest Hulu series, and spending quality time with her three precious nieces. Louise was born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Louise's favorite spot in Stillwater is the OSU Challenge Course on Western Road.
Shelby Sanders, Assistive Technology Specialist
Shelby manages the short-term device loan and demo program at Oklahoma ABLE Tech. She works with all Assistive Technology categories. Shelby has her Assistive Technology Applications Certificate Program (ATACP) from California State University, Northridge. Shelby attended the University of Central Oklahoma from 1994 to 1996 on a tennis scholarship and transferred to Oklahoma State University to complete a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology. She has two daughters, Brooklyn and Blair.
Brian Sargent, Reutilization Site Coordinator
Brian is the Site Coordinator for the Oklahoma Reutilization Program. He is responsible for the retrieval, sanitation, refurbishment, and reassignment of durable medical equipment, as well as coordinating with vendors for equipment repair. Brian previously was a sports reporter for newspapers in Tahlequah and Norman, and a general assignments reporter for an Oklahoma City newspaper. During Oklahoma’s centennial celebration, he coordinated and was responsible for the Oklahoman’s coverage of the 2007 event. Brian grew up in Stillwater and attended Oklahoma City University where he received coursework in mass communications. He lives in Oklahoma City with his son, Cody.
Adam Thiel, Digital Accessibility Coordinator
Adam joined ABLE Tech as the Digital Accessibility Coordinator in September 2021. He has previous state-level experience including building the Oklahoma State Department of Education’s (OSDE) accessibility program from scratch as their first Digital Accessibility Coordinator, and as a Purchasing Coordinator, also for the OSDE, where he held a Certified Procurement Officer (CPO) certification. Adam loves board games, heavy metal music, and anime, and currently lives in Moore with his wife Kendra, daughter Paisley, and dog Boo.
Amy Woods, Occupational Therapy Assistant
Amy has been involved in pediatric occupational therapy since graduating from Tulsa Community College in 2011 where she earned her Associate of Applied Science. Amy's experience in occupational therapy has included working with ages ranging from infants to 18 years of age. Her personal experience with diagnoses includes TBI, Down Syndrome, ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Cerebral Palsy, Sensory Processing Disorders, Fine Motor, Visual Motor, Handwriting, and Developmental Delays.
Kim Young, Device Reutilization Program Specialist
Kim joined the Oklahoma ABLE Tech Device Reutilization Program as the Program Specialist in August 2021. She directly interacts with the public statewide and assists individuals with disabilities and their representatives with receiving needed durable medical equipment (DME) and assistive technology (AT), as well as assisting with the intake of donated equipment. She maintains the database of available devices and equipment; and manages the day-to-day office tasks at the Oklahoma City location.
Kim grew up in Moore, OK graduating from Westmoore High School, and has taken courses at Oklahoma City Community College, with an interest in design. She currently lives in Oklahoma City with her beloved dachshund, Bruce.
Michele Young, Grant Manager
Michele joined the Oklahoma State University (OSU) Department of Wellness Sponsored Programs in March 2021 as Grant Manager. She received her Bachelor of Science in Business Management and Ethics from Mid-America Christian University and completed her Masters in Human Relations from the University of Oklahoma. She recently retired from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center after 31 years of sponsored grants finance and management. She lives in Oklahoma City and has four children – her youngest daughter marched in the Cowboy Marching Band and graduated from OSU in 2018.