The Chicago Transit Board today officially welcomed disability rights champion Michele Lee as its newest member of the Board for the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA). Lee was appointed to the Board by Chicago Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot in April.
Passionate about accessibility and equitable transportation, Lee is vital asset for the Chicago Transit Board and will leverage her own personal experiences to bring about positive changes for the transit agency and its ongoing commitment to make all rail stations vertically accessible by 2040.
Lee fills an essential role on the Chicago Transit Board that was vacated last month with the departure of long-tenured Board Member Kevin Irvine, who since 2012 has served as the leading disability rights advocate for the Board and its various committees.
Many may already be familiar with Lee who has served as Vice Chair on CTA’s ADA Advisory Committee, which serves in an advisory capacity to the transit agency. This committee meets quarterly and is tasked with providing recommendations on the CTA’s compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), facilitate a dialogue between the CTA and the disability community, and increase the use of the CTA’s services by people with disabilities.
Previously, Lee has worked in both the nonprofit and corporate sectors. Currently she is the Accessibility Lead at Cruise, a self-driving car service. Lee is a Disability Lead fellow, has been appointed to several committees by the City of Chicago and served on multiple boards all to advance rights of people with disabilities.
Lee is a proud, longtime resident of Chicago and earned a B.A. from the University of Arizona.
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