As Commissioner of the New York City Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities, Victor Calise has been an advocate for people with disabilities in both the Bloomberg and de Blasio Administrations. Responsible for ensuring that New York City is the most accessible city in the world, Calise advises the Mayor and agency partners on accessibility issues, spearheads public-private partnerships, and chairs the Accessibility Committee of the City’s Building Code.
A recognized expert on disability, the Commissioner regularly consults with high-level stakeholders regarding accessibility. He is frequently invited to national and international conferences and has given numerous keynote speeches. Passionate about the human rights of people with disabilities, Commissioner Calise supports the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and works with international partners to ensure that people with disabilities are mainstreamed into society.