A Conversation with Brian Frumkin
DRA is excited to welcome Brian Frumkin to our board of directors! Brian has been an attorney with Bank of America for over 30 years, specializing in consumer financial services and digital payment solutions. He also provides legal advice on accessibility matters to the retail bank and is especially proud of his work in helping the Bank maintain a leadership position in accessible banking services.
How did you first learn about DRA?
I first learned about DRA from Lainey Feingold and Linda Dardarian, two prominent disability rights attorneys with whom we collaborated as part of a structured settlement. I became much more familiar with the work of DRA when I was honored to accept an Eagle Award on behalf of Bank of America at the 2019 Gala in New York.
Why did you decide to join DRA’s Board of Directors?
I felt that my experience as an ADA lawyer on the corporate side would provide a useful perspective to DRA. I’m also very proud of the leadership role Bank of America has taken in making its services accessible to persons with disabilities. As I approach the next chapter in my life, I look forward to using my experience, commitment and enthusiasm to help DRA achieve continued success on behalf of people with disabilities.
Do you have any perspectives on the 31st anniversary of the ADA?
I was recently reflecting on the experience of the last sixteen months and how so many of us were forced to stay at home to protect our health. Thanks to the internet, most of us were able to keep our jobs, stay in contact with our friends and family and otherwise provide for our daily necessities. Then, I thought what life would have been like without the internet, and it struck me that this was similar to what many persons with disabilities faced prior to 1990. Many were forced into isolation, not because of a pandemic, but because employers wouldn’t hire them, public transportation was inaccessible and stores and businesses didn’t accommodate them. Essentially, persons with disabilities were simply unseen. We’ve come a long way thanks to ADA but, based on DRA’s ambitious case load, we also have a long way to go to insure equal accessibility and visibility for all.
What issues would you like to see DRA tackle in the coming months/years?
Building on, and in support of DRA’s tremendous litigation work, I hope we are able to expand our education and outreach activities to broaden our visibility in the communities we serve and enlighten private companies and public agencies to the opportunities for both improving the lives of persons with disabilities and increasing their contribution to society.
Any other details you’d like to share about yourself?
I am a proficient amateur cellist and I have a passion for chamber music. Recently, I fulfilled a long time goal of establishing a permanent chamber music scholarship at my undergraduate alma mater, the University Of Wisconsin School Of Music in Madison.