Joni ThomasAfter working steadily full-time since 1988, Joni retired in November 2023. Her career spans over three decades, primarily in disability system change, advocacy, awareness training, and managed care. Joni has lived with a significant physical disability since the age of 2 1/2 after contracting polio during a resurgence after the vaccine was discovered. Joni began her personal advocacy training alongside her mother, who argued for the right of her daughter to be educated at the age of five. Times were very different then. There was no right to education and no in-home services compared to today, and accessibility was not guaranteed when in public places. Schools were segregated, and education typically stopped after the eighth grade. The fight to be educated beyond what was then junior high and high school was real. College in Nebraska was also difficult in the late 80s due to inaccessibility.
Upon retirement, Joni began creating Tectonic Change, a nonprofit dedicated to changing the perspective of Home Care services, businesses, and corporations regarding hiring and serving those who experience disabilities. Tectonic Change is all about conveying the message that people with disabilities are not only valuable as employees but also more dependable and have higher Longevity than their non-disabled counterparts.
Tectonic Change also promotes the use and education of utilizing an independent living philosophy modality in the Home Care industry services. Services where those receiving the care have a say in how the Customer’s services are delivered. The individual receiving the services needs to be an active partner, along with the personal care aid and the home care agency. Three-legged stool of sorts, each leg carrying a significant portion of the weight. A piece of the total sum. This is Joni’s vision and purpose for creating Tectonic Change.
Paulette Monthei
Paulette was born with congenital cataracts a genetic disorder from her parents, both visually impaired. Paulette’s father served the disability community as an occupational therapist, and her mother was a rehabilitation teacher for the Blind. Her parents shared their passion for working directly with people living with disabilities to make an impact on their lives. Paulette grew up immersed in activities and events for people with disabilities. When it came time to decide what she wanted to do for a career as an adult, she felt a calling to work in the disability field. She obtained her Bachelors in Social Work with a specialization in Disability Law from the University of Iowa.
After graduating, Paulette worked for IndependenceFirst, one of the largest independent living agencies in the nation. In this capacity, Paulette developed an extensive network of partnerships with local and national services for people with disabilities. As the Executive Director of the Center for Deaf-Blind Persons, and later Outlook Enrichment she expanded both agency's services and the public’s awareness of the deaf-blind and visually impaired population. While working on her Master’s in Public Administration, she founded the Midwest Resource Network on Vision Loss and Disabilities, a web-based referral program for services and resources for individuals with disabilities in nine Midwestern states. Paulette, always the student, continued her education in disability law by obtaining her Certification as an Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator from the University of Missouri in 2022.
Paulette has specialized in low-tech and high-tech adaptive technologies throughout her 30-year career, and has been a web accessibility consultant since 2000. As an adaptive technology trainer for individuals with a wide array of disabilities and capabilities, she brings Tectonic Change’s clients a unique perspective.