The Office Of Accessibility and Disability Resources

Kurt joined the team in 2022. He serves as Assistant Director and works primarily with students on the Health Science Campus.

Kurt has spent his entire career working with individuals with disabilities in educational settings. He began as a high school special education teacher. Along the way, he has acted as a special education administrator and worked with school districts and Social Security to enhance the employment of students with disabilities. Kurt comes to UToledo from Owens Community College, where he worked as an accessibility specialist for 3 years before serving as the director of the Disability Resource Office for 7 years.

Kurt was born and raised in the northern lower peninsula of Michigan. He spent time camping and participating in outdoor activities. This has carried over to adulthood. He now spends his time outside of work traveling around the country. He also spends much of his free time coaching various sports for his daughter and her classmates.

Lisa joined the office in August of 1992 and is currently serving as Assistant Director. She is a two-time graduate of UToledo with a Master’s Degree in Disability Studies and a Bachelor Degree in Special Education. Lisa graduated in January 2021 from the UToledo Staff Leadership Development Cohort. Prior to UToledo Lisa was a Special Education Teacher for the Lorain City School District. Lisa brings a background of collaboration, passion for equity, office historian and customer service skills to the team.

Lisa grew up in Lorain, Ohio and enjoys spending time with her husband, Bill, and three sons, Aaron, Alex and Dalton. She also loves to spend time with extended family, cook and go to concerts, home improvement projects and spoils her two dogs Riley and Lily.

Evan James Copeland (∀/Any/All) joined the team in 2022. Evan is a 6’2”, fluidly-nonbinary, queer, more masc-presenting, giant human with dark brown hair and beard, hazel-brown eyes and a big smile and booming laugh. Evan proudly identifies as disabled.

Evan received a Bachelor of Science in Mass Communications with a Studio Arts concentration from the University of Evansville and a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership – Higher Education and Student Affairs from Eastern Michigan University.

Evan started his professional work in higher education as the Hoosier Communication Coordinator and the National Communication Coordinator for the University of Evansville. Since then, Evan has served as an admission counselor, financial aid advisor, academic auditor, NCAA compliance attestor, accommodated testing center manager and senior administrative assistant at post-secondary institutions in Indiana, Texas, Michigan and Ohio.

Born and raised in Orange County, Indiana, Evan grew up rural but also loves living in urban areas. Evan and his partner, Kristopher, have called the Old West End their home for about 10 years. In Evan’s leisure time, Evan enjoys volunteering, teaching, performing at local theatres, gardening, creating art, cinema, singing and reading.

Tinola Mayfield-Guerrero is the immersed vocation rehabilitation counselor assigned to the University of Toledo for a state program called College2Careers. She is a certified rehabilitation counselor (CRC). Prior to taking on her current role, Tinola was an Ohio Transition Support Vocational Counselor for Opportunities of Ohioans with Disabilities. Prior to working for the State of Ohio, Tinola was an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Rhodes State College and before that was the Chair of Arts and Sciences for Owens Community College (Findlay campus). Tinola teaches part-time at the University of Toledo in the department of Women and Gender studies.

Tinola was born in Buffalo, NY and raised in Amherst, NY. She obtained her BA at the University of Toledo in Women and Gender Studies where she began making feminist documentary films and exploring the semiotics of visual language. Tinola obtained her MA in Sociology from the University of Toledo where she completed her thesis work in Cuba and explored the commodification of space in relation to International tourism. Tinola has an MA in Philosophy (also obtained at the University of Toledo), her thesis explored William of Ockham as an early empiricist. Tinola holds an MBA from The Ohio State University where she was part of the inaugural cohort for Bright New Leaders for Ohio Schools (an initiative to place new concept leaders in urban and rural schools throughout the state of Ohio). Tinola is currently ABD at Bowling Green State University.

Tinola is a long-distance runner, a triathlete (with the hope of completing an Iron Man one day), a mixed media artist, a mother to two sons, a social justice advocate and a long-time writer and lover of poetry. She enjoys reading fiction and feminist philosophy, gardening, and taking family bike rides.

Hunter Morrison joined the team in 2020 as the Academic Accommodations Specialist, Compliance. She is a graduate of UToledo with a Bachelor’s Degree in Disability Studies and is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in the Masters in Liberal Studies program focused on disability and technology. Hunter currently serves as the professional development co-chair for Ohio’s Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD). She has worked in the field of social services for people with disabilities in many different capacities but became drawn to accessibility within higher education. As a disabled college student, Hunter learned how important accessibility was to her success, and just how valuable the services this office provides are for students. Hunter now makes it her mission to make sure all students can be successful in furthering their education. Hunter comes to us after working at The Ohio State University where she was a part of their disability service and exam services team.

Outside of work Hunter enjoys spending time in nature; whether that be hiking, camping, or taking a stroll through her neighborhood. She also loves a quite night at home on the couch eating junk food and binging whatever television series she is currently hooked on. She of course doesn’t do anything without her best friend and sidekick, Waffles, her service dog.

Sara Soper joined the team in 2021. Sara obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Interpersonal Communication from Ohio University and studied rehabilitation counseling at Bowling Green State University. She has spent the last eighteen years doing what she loves, working to assist students with disabilities to successfully transition from high school to post-secondary education or employment. Sara comes to UToledo from Lourdes University where she was the Accessibility Services Coordinator and the Academic Coaching Coordinator.

Sara is a voracious reader and a lover of strong coffee. She laughs loudly and often and takes great joy in getting to know her students. Sara is accompanied everywhere by her guide dog who is also very excited to be part of the team. When Sara is not working, she loves spending time with her husband, two boys, her identical twin and her friends.

Diana Watts joined the team in 2022. Diana obtained a bachelor’s degree in Independent Studies with a focus on Counseling and a minor in Music from the University of Toledo. Before coming to work at the Office of Accessibility and Disability Resources, Diana worked in various departments on campus with most of her years spent at Transit Services as Transit Program Coordinator. She also worked in the Work Center at Plant Operations.

When not at work, Diana enjoys spending time with her family and friends, traveling, crafting, watching movies and YouTube videos, and listening to a variety of musical genres and corny jokes.

Waffles is an in-training multipurpose service dog. He is a labradoodle who comes to Toledo from Las Vegas, Nevada and returns for training to learn manners and tasks to help his handler. When Waffles is not hard at work, he enjoys playing several rounds of fetch, chasing leaves or snowflakes as they fall, and snuggling on the couch with his human.

Polaris has been partnered with Sara since August 2021. He takes his job as her guide dog quite seriously, rarely taking time during his work day to play. He doesn’t mean to be standoffish, but is very focused on Sara’s safety when he guides her throughout Rocket Hall and across campus and beyond. His favorite job duty is to target places on and off campus for Sara including the coffee counter in Rocket Hall.

Polaris has a kind and loving heart and while taking care of struggling students isn’t part of his job description, he has an innate sense of when students may need a dignified cuddle from him. When he’s not working hard, Polaris enjoys spending time with Sara’s kids and playing "bite face" with Sara’s pet yellow lab.