David Nelson, Sr. Community Outreach Specialist in Government Affairs, has been employed at the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) for 25 years.  David is responsible for providing accessibility information, managing outreach activities by Amtrak to the disability community and coordinating internal projects to ensure accessible compliance.  Prior to joining Amtrak, David worked as a computer system manager for the Honorable Tony Coelho (D-CA), who was one of the authors of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which marked its 25th anniversary in July 2015. David is an active member of the National Association of the Deaf (NAD), and he received NAD’s prestigious recognition, the Frederick C. Schreiber Distinguished Service Award.  He now represents NAD on issues concerning telecommunications and transportation. 

David served as president of the District of Columbia Association of the Deaf and the Florida School for the Deaf Alumni Association. David gives presentations on deaf culture and how to serve deaf and hard of hearing customers to various groups and companies.  He also has participated on advisory boards for Amtrak Cross-Cultural Diversity, Northwest Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Greyhound Lines and the Open Doors Organization, as well as many task forces addressing transportation-related issues for deaf and hard of hearing people. In 2015 he was selected as the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) 2015 Distinguished Alumnus for the National Technical Institute for the Deaf in recognition of his professional accomplishments and community achievements. He holds a bachelor’s degree from RIT, as well as a degree from the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID). He attended high school at the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind. David currently resides in Washington, D.C.