John D. Kemp is a lawyer and expert on disability issues, with a federal law and legislative practice in the areas of disability, rehabilitation, health care, and nonprofit organizations. He is a principal of the law firm Powers, Pyles, Sutter & Verville PC.

Mr. Kemp is the co-editor, with Stanley D. Klein, of Reflections from a Different Journey: What Adults with Disabilities Wish All Parents Knew (McGraw-Hill, 2004). In the book, 40 successful adults who grew up with disabilities offer insights into what it is like for children with disabilities and their families to overcome community prejudices and other obstacles.

A graduate of Georgetown University in 1971 and Washburn University School of Law in 1974, Mr. Kemp currently serves as president and CEO of HalfthePlanet Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports the application of technology to promote the values of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Mr. Kemp is also Chief Executive Officer of Disability Service Providers of America, a national trade association founded in late 2001. Most recently, he was President and CEO of VSA arts, an international organization providing learning opportunities through the arts to persons with disabilities, especially children and youth. He is the former National Executive Director of United Cerebral Palsy Associations, a national direct service and advocacy organization, and former General Counsel and Vice President of Development for the National Easter Seals Society.

Born with a disability, Mr. Kemp uses four prostheses, and is one of the few executives in his field who have personal experience with a disability. In 1995, he co-founded and today serves as Board Chairman of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), a 25,000-member association that promotes the economic and political power of people with disabilities. He also serves on the policy and advisory boards of a number of other organizations, including the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, the National Rehabilitation Hospital, and The Abilities Fund for entrepreneurs with disabilities. An appointee of former President Clinton, Mr. Kemp served on the National Council on Disability for six years ending in 2002.

Mr. Kemp was inducted into the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans in 1991, an honor extended to singularly accomplished individuals in recognition of their achievements in the face of extraordinary challenges. He is also a member of the National Hall of Fame of Persons with Disabilities.

Mr. Kemp joined the CAST Board of Directors in December 2003.