A panel conversation on disability inclusion in celebration of National Disability Employment Awareness Month hosted by Tracy Vollbrecht, co-lab member, Adaptive Fashion Designer and Consultant.
Krystal Bailey, Senior Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor
Krystal Bailey was born in Chicago, Illinois (South-Side), and grew up on east side of Long Beach, California. She earned her Bachelors degree in Communications (i.e. Organizational Communication) from Saint Xavier University and her Masters degree in Counseling (i.e. Rehabilitation Counseling) from Illinois Institute of Technology. She is the youngest of four and the only girl on her mother’s side. Krystal has a wide variety of interests ranging from volunteering, traveling, and being a foodie, to modeling, and playing adaptive sports. Krystal now lives in the Bronx, New York working as a Senior Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor.
Jessica Hayon, Joe Fresh, Fabric Manager
Jessica Hayon is a professional in the apparel industry specializing in Fabric R&D/sourcing. She also became a wheelchair user as a teenager due to an undiagnosed condition that caused weakness and paralysis in her legs. She did not let her disability hold her back and continued her education at the Fashion Institue of Technology. She is currently Fabric Manager at Joe Fresh and has worked at other companies, such as PVH and Global Brands Group over the last 10 years.
Jonathan Joseph, Little Red Fashion, CEO
Believing that fashion is a lens for teaching kids everything from history to literacy to empathy and STEM Jonathan Joseph applies the power of storytelling and creative play to books & resources for kids grades K-12. More than a company Little Red Fashion is a movement to bring the the diverse threads of the industry together to co-create a better fashion future. As a lifelong advocate & educator for the disabled & queer community, its no surprise that Part of Little Red Fashion’s mission includes a forthcoming consulting division to help provide solutions for fashion brands looking for a more intentional approach to DEI and CSR. Prior to LRF, Jonathan consulted to clients across a broad range of areas from strategic planning to fundraising management and charitable operations. Jonathan is a member of the IBPA and serves as a Board Member of The New Haven Pride Center. To learn more about Jonathan’s work or book him, his personal website is TheRealJJoseph.com; or head to LittleRedFashion.com for the latest on LRF’s work including their Little Red Village podcast, Little Red Literacy Program and more.
Tracy Vollbrecht, Adaptive Designer and Consultant
Tracy is an adaptive fashion designer and consultant who was inspired to focus on universal design after observing her dad’s struggle with Multiple Sclerosis. After spending 2 years as the founding designer of JuniperUNLTD's Yarrow and ULEX brands, Tracy is now consulting brands and universities on their journeys into the adaptive market segment. With experience designing for and advising start-ups, corporate brands, and universities, Tracy is changing the narrative of adaptive fashion - adaptive fashion can be both functional and fashionable. When she is not designing and consulting, she can be found tending to her plants, expanding her sustainability knowledge, and exploring new destinations.
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