Margo Dawn Downey
MemberDate Appointed: 06/20/2013
Commissioner Margo Dawn Downey was born in Kansas but spent most of her childhood in the Fort Worth-Dallas, Texas area. She graduated as valedictorian from the Texas School for the Blind in Austin, Texas. Her other educational experiences include a wide range of classes attended at several colleges in Texas and Louisiana, disability advocacy courses as well as training in the travel and hospitality industry.
Commissioner Downey’s work experience includes working for Juno, an internet service provider, the Internal Revenue Service, the VA Medical Center, teaching computer skills on a freelance basis and teaching daily living skills to individuals with disabilities at an independent living center.
Volunteer activities for Commission Downey include memberships in the National Federation of the Blind and the American Council of the Blind, serving on the LGBTQ+ and Braille Advisory Committees, as part of the New York State Commission for the Blind and appointment by New York State’s Governor Kathy Hochul to the Most Integrated Setting Coordinating Council.
Commissioner Downey is very familiar with the accessibility needs of various transit-dependent groups and has had extensive ADA and advocacy training. She shares her expertise with new bus and paratransit drivers, training them on the ADA, sensitivity, and customer service. Commissioner Downey is a transit-dependent individual and has personal expertise on local public transportation.
Other interests for Commissioner Downey include reading, listening to all kinds of music, singing, jogging, water sports, cooking, traveling, lifelong learning, and watching movies.