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ABOUT US
Ramp-up's professional consultants have more than 50 combined years of experience providing quality Americans with Disabilities Act surveys and plan reviews. All of our surveyors are ICC and University of Missouri ACTCP certified.
We have been named both ICC and American Institute of Architects (AIA) certified providers of educational programs. This means you can be assured that you are recieving the highest level of professional ADA training around.
Staff
Mike Edwards- Principal Owner
Mike was the founder of MAE Disability Consultants from 2002 until late 2014. MAE specialized in providing facility access surveys for businesses and public entitites. In early 2015 MAE was dissolved so the focus could be put on his new company Ramp-Up Disability Consulting LLC.
Mike is also the Missouri Coordinator for the Great Plains ADA Center, which provides information, informal guidance, and training to those with rights and responsibilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). He has been with the Great Plains ADA Center since 2001 where he is a trainer and a technical assistance specialist on all titles of the ADA.
For the last 10 years he has been the Session Coordinator for the National ADA Symposium. The National ADA Symposium is the largest and most comprehensive annual conference on the ADA and disability rights laws. Professionals from all fifty states attend the Symposium each year where they receive the most current information from the federal enforcement agencies and other top experts in the field.
In 2010 he developed the ADA Coordinators Training Certification Program, a first of its kind program at the University of Missouri. This program was created in response to a need for both quality training on the Americans with Disabilities Act and a mechanism to verify completed training and depth of knowledge base on ADA issues for state and local government ADA coordinators. Mr. Edwards continues to oversee this unique program that has grown to over 1000 members nationwide.
Along with the University of Missouri ACTCP certification, Mike holds a Accessibility Inspector/Plans Examiner certification from the International Code Council and is an associate member of the National Association of Accessibility Consultants
Troy Balthazor- Affiliate
Troy Balthazor, M.Ed. and Founder of TPB Enterprises, has worked in the disability field for over 25 years. He has spent much of his career advocating for the utilization of Universal Design in the built environment and in the classroom, his primary goal being the inclusion of all members of our diverse communities in the activities and environments everyone enjoys. Troy’s passion is teaching and supporting those with diverse abilities in maximizing their potential and getting the most out of life.
Troy served as an Americans with Disabilities Act Specialist for the Great Plains ADA Center for over 10 years. The ADA Center is part of the University of Missouri’s Architecture Department in the College of Human Environmental Sciences. Troy provides training, education and technical assistance on the ADA and related civil rights legislation to businesses, public entities, people with disabilities and their families, and a variety of other audiences. He helped plan and host the National ADA Symposium annually, providing the most comprehensive training available in the United States on the rights and responsibilities set forth under landmark civil rights laws aimed at providing equal opportunity to all citizens, regardless of ability level. Troy also spent several years teaching inclusive recreation courses at the University of Missouri in the Parks and Recreation Department and continues to be involved across campus helping Mizzou move toward providing a fully inclusive and welcoming college experience for all that attend the university.
Troy lives in Columbia, Missouri and enjoys fishing, hiking, and spending time with his wife and two wonderful children. He is active in many local and regional boards and organizations; he currently heads the PedNet Coalition Board of Directors, supporting transportation mode shift through accessible and universal design of trail systems that improve safety and usability for those that choose to bike, walk and wheel throughout Columbia. He is also on the Board of Mid-Missouri Legal Services, which provides legal aid to citizens who struggle financially. Troy provides extensive support to his local community in maximizing the rights and opportunities for people of all abilities and backgrounds.