What People Are Saying

"Dear Ms. Shackelford I wanted to thank you for the recent ADA Training you did for my staff at Airlie Center. The information was useful, informative and eye opening. They enjoyed the relaxed nature of the training and your willingness to share personal stories. I've already noticed a change in the way employee refer to our guests that have disabilities. I hope to have the opportunity to work with you again in the future. It was certainly a pleasure. "

Paige Leazer
Director, Human Resources
Airlie Foundation

"Please accept our sincere thanks and appreciation for the outstanding workshop you convened, The Ten Commandments of Communicating with People with Disabilities, as part of Thomas Nelson's Institute for Diversity and Inclusion. The workshop was well received by the faculty and staff who attended, and was rated as one of the "best" offered during the 6-week long Institute. Your knowledge of disability issues combined with your personal story and professional expertise as a consultant/trainer was highly effective, and contributed to the open, engaging learning environment created around a topic not very well understood by many people……Thank you again for contributing your time, talents and expertise to Thomas Nelson's Institute for Diversity and Inclusion. We look forward to a long and enduring partnership, and your continued involvement with the Institute."

Deborah C. Fontaine, Ph.D
Chair, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Committee

"Congratulations on being inducted into the Cornell Wall of Fame. You are most deserving! It was wonderful to chat with you after all these years. You were amazing with the students, Ellen. Everyone is still talking about your presentation."

Mrs. Donna Belas
Superintendent, Cornell High School

"For the past two years, I have contracted with Ellen through her business - Connections Access Consulting Services, LLC - to facilitate a course entitled "Disability Awareness…Inclusion & Access for All." Ellen has done a superb job of facilitating this three-week diversity education course within the Hampton Diversity Leadership Academy. In fact, Ellen' course has turned out to be one of the most popular courses offered through the academy. Through my experiences with Ellen, I can confidently recommend her for your consideration as a consultant/trainer/facilitator. Ellen has consistently conducted herself with competence in disability knowledge and experience."

John L. Johnson
Executive Director
Hampton Citizens' Unity Commission

"Your presentations are always interesting; I have noticed a difference in the members as they discuss and interact with others with a disability. With the tools that you have given us, we have been quite successful in recruiting a number of young men and women with disabilities returning from Iraq".

Courtney B. Jackson, Post Commander
The American Legion Louis E. Randall Post 1997

"Ms. Shackelford, I really enjoyed your presentation, it was truly enlightening
and heart felt."
"Your story made me think about all the things that can happen, it made me
become more aware."
"Thank you for coming, your motivating spirit shows by your presence.
You have a wonderful spirit!"

Participants of the Victims Impact Panel - Newport News, Virginia

"Thank you for serving on the panel at the last PIP session. Hearing your story was valuable to current participants. Best of luck with Buggie Buddies Ashley Nicole."

Erin & Teri
Virginia Board for People with Disabilities

"Thank you for participating again in our annual Ability Awareness Day. You have a powerful testimony that really blesses others. Being transparent about your journey as you moved from anger to being able to reach out to help others is truly a gift that many do not have. You blessed all who were in attendance at our event."

Rev. Carol Powell, Coordinator
F.A.I.T.H. In Action Ministry - Gethsemane Baptist Church

"The Polio Support Group really enjoyed having you speak to us; all of us really enjoyed having you with us and look forward to you returning with additional fruitful information."

Alice George
Polio Support Group Chair

"Ms. Shackelford your presentation was very inspiring. The knowledge we gained will enhance our service to consumers with disabilities."

Patsy Wiggins
HR Professional, Greensboro N.C.

"Ms. Shackelford, your presentation entitled, "Disability Awareness: Inclusion is the Solution," was a wonderful addition to our event. Once again, your session contributed to the Human Resources (PHR), Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and Global Professional in Human Resources (GPHR) certifications."

Heather Moore, Diversity Conference Chair
Wake County North Carolina

"The interactive nature of Mrs. Shackelford's presentation and her willingness to share her own personal experiences helped our students understand, appreciate, and accept individuals with disabilities. Her presentation was moving and authentic. At a recent PTA meeting a parent shared a letter thanking us for acknowledging National Inclusive Schools Week. Mrs. Shackelford's presentation certainly was the highlight of the week."

"She is knowledgeable about the laws and resources that relate to people with disabilities and how to accommodate their needs. She is respected in the disability community both locally and nationally. It is my opinion that she could be of assistance to any business or organization interested in improving their knowledge of people with disabilities and improving access for people with disabilities in our community."

"Thank you for the excellent Accessibility Guide for Hampton! A great job, I am very proud."

"On behalf of the crew of the USS Carl Vinson, I extended my sincere appreciation for your moving presentation. Preventing alcohol related incidents continues to be a priority for the Navy and the USS Carl Vinson. It is obvious that retelling the story of how you lost your son and how you became disabled is still very difficult. I admire your courage and greatly appreciate your willingness to address the crew in the hopes of preventing future tragedies of this nature. Your presentation made a significant impact on everyone in attendance and hopefully many Sailors will reconsider when they are contemplating making a potentially tragic decision to drink and drive. Your personal story and participation helped to make it
a resounding success."

"Talking with high schoolers can sometimes be a challenging task, but your interactive and open presentation style enabled the young people to easily speak up and feel comfortable expressing their thoughts and opinions and asking questions that were on their minds. Now that the young people have an increased awareness and sensitivity to the language and attitudes associated with the people with disabilities, I feel they are ready for more advanced training."

"Thank you for your enthusiastic presentation at the Foster Grandparent Program June 2007 in service meeting. You and your partner did an exceptional job and I commend both. Your positive attitude while interacting with the volunteers was very beneficial in expanding their knowledge of available service in the community."

"Thanks so much for coming and speaking to our Employer Recognition Luncheon attendees today!! We really enjoyed your perspective and laid back approach. Folks love to laugh and you had such a pleasant and positive attitude in your speech. I hope this was as enjoyable for you as it was for all of us in DRS."

"Thank you for taking the time to present to my Business Essentials class. This course is designed to teach the students how to communicate with various audiences. According to the US Census Bureau, 21% of Americans currently have a disability; the number of people with disabilities will rise as the population ages. With this statistic in mind and the possibility of any of us becoming disabled, every person can benefit from having the knowledge of generally accepted terms and behavior. The students and I were very pleased with the information you presented. Your interactive style made the learning experience a lot of fun."

"I would like to express our sincere gratitude to you and your colleague Ms. Marguerite Edmonds for the informative presentation on Social Interaction when Speaking to People with Disabilities at our Veterans Day program. We are elated to know that there is a company such as yours in our realm we can draw from for information regarding disabilities."

"Ms. Shackelford - thank you for speaking to our group about issues which face the disability community. Our understanding of how to interact with a diverse people has opened our hearts to be more accepting and tolerant. We look forward to you sharing additional information in the near future."