Student Accessibility Support

Cara’s career in inclusive higher education, disability justice and opportunity equity spans more than a decade. Before coming to Brandeis she served as the inaugural associate director and director of academics, innovation and inclusion of the Threshold Program at Lesley University. During her 13-year tenure at Lesley, Cara oversaw higher education programming and curriculum building for students with intellectual, developmental, learning and physical disabilities, and led seven international trips with alumni. S

he has particular interests in inclusive college environments, Universal Design for Learning, self-determination and the transition from post-secondary settings into later adulthood. She has developed and taught social science courses and enjoys supervising and teaching social work students. Cara holds a BS in biology from Boston College, an MSW from Simmons University and an EdD from Boston University.

In her free time, Cara loves to travel, try new restaurants and do whatever her two children tell her to do.

Elizabeth Nako joined Academic Services in October 2018. She serves as an accessibility specialist for undergraduate students on the Student Accessibility Support (SAS) team at Brandeis. Elizabeth earned her BA in history from Providence College and her MA in higher education administration from Boston College. As a "lifelong learner,” Elizabeth loves working in the energetic and dynamic higher education environment, and creating a welcoming and comfortable atmosphere to engage with students on many levels. She enjoys meeting with students individually to support them through appropriate accommodations and services to be successful in the classroom, as well as helping students with disabilities work towards achieving their academic and personal goals. Before her role at Brandeis, Elizabeth worked in a variety of functional areas in higher education, including disability services, admissions and career services at other institutions in the Boston area.

When she is not working, Elizabeth enjoys spending time with her friends and family, reading good books, cheering on Boston sports teams, playing trivia, traveling to new places, staying active whether it is running, hiking, or taking a yoga class, volunteering in her local community and fitting in as much beach time as possible.

Kaitlyn joined the Academic Services Staff in October 2018. Before coming to Brandeis, she worked at other colleges and universities supporting students with documented disabilities, where she developed and presented faculty/staff/student trainings about championing individuals with disabilities, conducted student check in meetings, advised clubs and more. Using a holistic approach, Kaitlyn works with students to empower them through exploring their strengths, meeting their individual unique needs and teaching the importance of self-advocacy in order to assist in achieving their personal goals. Kaitlyn is a first-generation college student, who earned her BA in interdisciplinary Studies and humanities; and a Masters of Education in student affairs counseling.

Jaspreet joined Student Accessibility Support (SAS) in 2016 and has worked within SAS unit in various capacities. She is an alumna of the Heller School of Social Policy and Management and came to Brandeis as a Fulbright Scholar. Currently, she serves as an accessibility specialist for graduate students, working closely with faculty and other university partners to ensure classroom and exam accommodations for student success at Brandeis. She works with the SAS team on policies and processes to streamline the student experience, documentation review, and student support practices. In the past, Jaspreet has also been responsible for making coursework accessible for students with visual challenges, print and learning disabilities through a variety of software processes.

Jaspreet holds a joint master’s in sustainable international development and women, gender and sexuality studies. She is passionate about diversity and equity work and involved with various efforts on the campus for making it a more inclusive space. She is also the editorial assistant for J-CASTE, a global journal on social exclusion and was featured in an interview with WGBH series titled "Caste in America." She has also presented at various conferences on issues of caste, as well as gender and economic discrimination as systemic oppression in the society.

Jaspreet has participated in conferences, including New England-Association on Higher Education and Disability , Postsecondary Disability Training Institute, National Conference On Race and Ethnicity and the Zale Conference on Disability Inclusion for Intellectual Disabilities.

Outside work, Jaspreet enjoys writing, painting, cooking and bird photography.

Lenny Prado joined Academic Services and the Brandeis community in June 2016. He serves as program administrator for the Student Accessibility Support (SAS) team. Lenny earned a BBA in marketing from Baruch Community College, and an MA in Bible and Ancient Near East at Brandeis University. Lenny is currently writing his dissertation to complete a PhD in Bible and Ancient Near East at Brandeis University. Lenny is passionate about accessibility and learning about new ways that assistive technology can facilitate learning for students with disabilities.

When he is not working, Lenny enjoys spending time with his family, teaching the Bible and rooting for the Yankees, Giants and Knicks.

Gabrielle Clark joined Student Accessibility Support and the Academic Services team in 2021. A self-described "lifelong learner," Gabrielle received a BS in public health from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and MSEd in special education from Simmons University. She teaches a course at Simmons on inclusive lesson planning, accommodation strategies and assistive technology in the classroom. She is committed to sharing her passion for inclusion, equity and access for all and serves on the board for the New England Association on Higher Education and Disability. Her favorite part of her job as an accessibility specialist is meeting new students coming into college for the first time and sharing in their excitement.

Outside of work, you can find Gabrielle playing music, riding her bike and spending quality time with her cat, Ash.

Emily (she/her) joined Student Accessibility Support (SAS) in the Fall of 2022 as an Accessibility Generalist and has been working closely with coordinating exams for students with exam accommodations. She earned her B.A. in Psychology with minors in Thanatology, Human Development, and Justice, Law & Society from the University of Rhode Island in 2022. She is currently pursuing her M.Ed. in Higher Education Administration at Northeastern University as a full-time student. Prior to coming to Brandeis, Emily worked as a Behavior Specialist helping children with disabilities through Home-based Therapeutic Services, while addressing targeted behaviors. She has also briefly worked at a community college as a Disability Accommodations Assistant where she proctored exams for students registered with its Disability Support Services. While she is not working, she enjoys reading, watching shows, and playing video games, while also spending time with her dog, Angel.