The William W. Picard Inspire For
Life Foundation
- This Foundation is under
- the umbrella of the
- National Heritage Foundation
William W. Picard
(207) 782-5184
OBJECTIVE
My goal in starting Inspire For Life is to deepen employers', employees' and students' understanding of people with disabilities. Mainly, I want to inspire all people to be the best that they can be.
EDUCATION
B.S. in Business Administration with a Concentration in Management, December 1998
- University of Maine, Orono, Maine
- Additional Concentration in Developmental Disabilities
COMPUTER SKILLS
IBM compatible computers:
- Special Equipment - Pathfinder, Liberator, Touch Talker, Light Talker (talking keyboards)
- Word processing - Microsoft Word, Excel, Corel WordPerfect
- Presentation program - Microsoft PowerPoint
- Internet - Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator, E-mail
- Web Page Design - Basic HTML using Microsoft FrontPage and scanners
RELEVANT EXPERIENCE
- Lecturing at Maine schools, university classes, keynotes, conferences, workshops, and assemblies. Speaking schedule
- Database management of website, Opportunities to Completion (OTC): Post secondary Education for people with disabilities, project.
- Maintained website for Opportunity to Completion On line Disability Information System: ODIS.
- Maintained discussion group on campus FirstClass email system.
- Surveyed UM buildings for accessibility problems.
- Participated in a interview using my talking (Liberator) keyboard in a video called Breaking ground (which sold all over the country) about the challenges and obstacles students with disabilities encounter in college.
- Research on home ownership for people with disabilities
- Reviewed selected policies and practices at UNUM.
- Assessed challenges and included recommendations on enhancements.
- Promoted ideas to make their company more diverse and adaptable to employees with disabilities.
- Requested by Sandy Bishop (Manager of Diversity, UNUM Life Ins Co of America).
- Consisted of representatives from higher education, business and state and local government.
- Talked about my experiences of living, working and studying in Maine, what challenges I had to face and what things I would like to see different that would allow people with disabilities to be more productive citizens of our communities.
Center for Community Inclusion, University of Maine, May, 1998 - June 2001
Practicum, UNUM Life Insurance Company of America, Portland, Maine Jun. - Aug. 1997
Panelist at the Diversity Summit in Portland, ME, September 23, 1997
Web site
Managing my four businesses
- Miami, Florida at TASH’s national conference, I discussed post-secondary education from a personal perspective as a student and as an employee on a grant designed to increase opportunities for success in higher education for students with disabilities.
- University of Maine, Orono and other universities: A variety of presentations to undergraduate and graduate students about disabilities, special equipment and augmented communication devices in regard to my educational experiences in public school and two colleges.
- Awareness talks at Maine K-12 schools.
- Shared motivational information and advice with a high school student with a disability, as requested by the Maine Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation.
- Worked with Alfond Arena Management to get fair seating for people with disabilities.
Public Speaking: Presentations and Talks 1994 - present
- Showing people and businesses a new way to shop which will save them time and money.
Landlord 2000 - present
- Landlord of my college boarding house. 2000 - 2003
- Landlord of my eight unit apartment building. 2004 - present
Traveling Resources for every one especially People With Disabilities 2002 - present
- Bringing the ten top hotels together on one site to give the disability specs so people with disabilities will not have to spend hours and hours planning their vacation.
Management Experience 1988 - present
- Advertising for, and management of, my Personal Assistants including hiring and dismissing employees and keeping payroll records.
ORGANIZATIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
- National Honor Society
- Alpha Phi Omega-Fraternity
- The Union Board
- Friends of the University of Maine Women's Basketball
INTERESTS HOBBIES
- Supporting UMaine Women's Basketball Team
- Traveling
- Surfing the Internet
REFERENCES
- Available upon request
- For more information, see my About the designer link