SAN FRANCISCO, CA---Today, Mayor London Breed and City Administrator Carmen Chu announced the appointment of Eli Gelardin as the Director of the Mayor’s Office on Disability (MOD). Gelardin has served as the CEO of the Marin Center for Independent Living for the past 17 years and co-founded the Marin Aging and Disability Institute. His appointment follows a comprehensive search for the position.
“Eli Gelardin's longstanding commitment to supporting rights of people with disabilities as well as his strong ties to the community make Eli an excellent addition to lead the Mayor's Office on Disability,” said Mayor London Breed. “We must continue to advocate for and protect our most vulnerable populations, and under Eli's leadership the Office will continue to work to ensure people with disabilities of all ages can live healthy, empowered lives in San Francisco.”
“Eli’s record of advancing disability rights and services in partnership with government and community has had a tremendous impact throughout the Bay Area, and I am delighted that he will be bringing his skills and experiences to serve our City. San Francisco will surely benefit from his leadership and commitment to fostering collaboration, ending ableism, and improving equity, particularly for those with multiple marginalized identities,” said City Administrator Carmen Chu. “I look forward to working with him on our City’s efforts to make every service, program, and space accessible to people with disabilities.”
The Mayor’s Office on Disability works to ensure that City programs, services and facilities are fully accessible to and useable by San Francisco’s diverse community of people with disabilities. MOD oversees the local implementation and enforcement of the Americans with Disabilities Act and other disability rights laws, access codes, and programs. The Office also provides expert technical assistance to the Mayor, Board of Supervisors, and City departments and staffs the Mayor’s Disability Council, which provides a public forum for the elevation of disability policy matters.
Over the last several years, MOD has played a critical role in advising City projects and policies including the Central Subway, Accessible Business Entrance Ordinance, Shared Spaces program, JFK Drive Golden Gate Park Access and Safety, affordable housing, accessible transit, and remote public comment. MOD also worked with other City departments to develop the City’s Digital Accessibility and Inclusion Standard, which ensures the City’s digital services and web content are accessible to all. Last year, MOD facilitated disability access elements for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Summit as well as created an Anti-Ableist Strategies Training for City staff, now available to all City employees.
“I am deeply honored to take on this role and join the City and County of San Francisco in advancing its commitment to disability rights, accessibility, and equity,” said Eli Gelardin. “As someone with both professional and lived experience in this field, I am passionate about creating inclusive spaces and systems that empower all members of our diverse community. I look forward to working collaboratively with City leaders, advocates, and the broader disability community to ensure that San Francisco continues to lead the way in fostering access and inclusion for all.”
Gelardin has over 21 years of experience working in the field of disability rights, driving advancements in accessibility, equity, and inclusion for people with disabilities of all ages and backgrounds. As CEO of the Marin Center for Independent Living (Marin CIL), Gelardin tripled the size of the organization and expanded its service to over 2,000 individuals with disabilities a year across four Bay Area counties. In partnership with Marin County’s Aging and Adult Services, he co-led Marin County’s effort to establish Marin’s Aging and Disability Resource Connection, the sixth such coordination hub in the state that supports older adults and individuals with disabilities to age in place safely, access long-term services, and maintain their independence. Known as One Door, the Aging and Disability Resource Connection advances the state’s “one door” vision to provide single points of entry into a variety of long-term services. He also co-founded Marin’s Aging and Disability Institute, a one-stop physical campus dedicated to service coordination and advocacy for older adults, people with disabilities, and their family members and caregivers.
In August 2024, Gelardin was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom to serve on the California State Rehabilitation Council and advise the California Department of Rehabilitation on employment and independent living programs for people with disabilities. Gelardin previously served as Chair of the California State Independent Living Council and as a board member for the World Institute on Disability.
“We are thrilled to welcome Eli to the city and to this incredibly important role,” said Kelly Dearman, Executive Director of the Department of Disability and Aging Services. “Eli brings a wealth of experience in disability rights and we look forward to his leadership in carrying out the Mayor’s Office on Disability’s critically important work of ensuring accessibility across city services.”
“The Mayor’s Disability Council is very pleased that Eli Gelardin is so well connected to the disability community and has a wealth of experience to bring to San Francisco,” said Sheri Albers, Co-Chair of the Mayor’s Disability Council. “We look forward to working with him and collaborating with the Mayor’s Office on Disability to make San Francisco a truly disability inclusive city.”
Gelardin graduated from the University of California, Berkeley where he was a proud participant in the disabled students program. His appointment is effective January 6, 2025.