U.S. Access Board Mourns Passing of Former Board Member Shelley Siegel

With deep sorrow, the U.S. Access Board announces the passing of former Board Member Shelley Siegel, FASID of Lake Worth. Appointed to the Board in 2016 by President Barack Obama, Siegel used her tenure with the Board to regulate and implement the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and assist with the Board’s final rules on medical diagnostic equipment, information and communication technology, and buses and vans. She passed on May 11, 2022 in Palm Beach County, Florida. 

“Shelley was an inspiration to us all, and she brought vast knowledge and tremendous experience on interior design and accessibility to the Board,” remarked Access Board Executive Director Sachin Pavithran. “It was an honor to serve alongside Shelley as a member of the Board, and she will be missed by many of us. Her contributions to the Board and in the field of interior design will continue to make an impact for years to come.” 

Believing that encouraging independence in an aesthetically pleasing environment adds to the quality of life, Siegel was dedicated to bringing universal design concepts into the home, workplace, hospitality, and healthcare environments. Siegel championed the idea that a properly planned environment is not only safer and more accessible but promotes healing, and she was careful and attentive to include design elements that accommodate most of life’s changes. 

Siegel was an accomplished interior designer and educator, as well as an early pioneer of universal design. Since 1972, she was a consulting designer of the Siegel Design Group, Inc. and was the founder and president of Universal Design and Education Network, an interior design firm that specializes in universal design in residential and commercial projects. She served as a past President of the American Society of Interior Design (ASID) Florida South Chapter and a member of the Advisory Panel for the ASID National Universal Design Program, the Florida Coordinating Council on the ADA, the Florida Department of Cultural Affairs ADA Advisory Board, and the Design Alliance for Accessible Sustainable Environments.

In 2004, she was inducted into the ASID College of Fellows in recognition of her professional achievements. In 2010, she was inducted into the ASID Florida South Chapter Hall of Fame. Over the last fifteen years, Siegel was involved in the Palm Beach County Chapter of the American Cancer Society and served on the leadership committee for a number of years for the Wellington Relay for Life. 

The Access Board sends its condolences to Siegel’s family and friends.