DIversability inc. Team
amanda hamer
Executive Director
Amanda holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology with a minor in English from the University of Oregon and a Master of Science degree in Counseling from Oregon State University - Cascades, and is a Certified Community Health Worker. In her decades of experience working in the human service field, Amanda has honed skills in behavior intervention, group facilitation, connecting individuals and families to meaningful resources, professional consultation, education advocacy, and leadership. Since 2004, just after her oldest daughter was born with Down syndrome, Amanda’s focus has been working with and advocating for people experiencing diversabilities and their families. Amanda has served on several state and local boards, councils and committees and often speaks in classroom and conference settings. Currently, Amanda is a member of the City of Bend Accessibility Advisory Council and serves as the Team Lead for our Sibling Support and Community Resource Specialist programs. Outside of work, Amanda enjoys being with family and friends, cuddling fur babies, traveling and frequently changing her hair color!
Hayden Barsky
Direct SUpport Professional
Hayden has lived in Bend almost her entire life. She's had an interest in working with individuals with diversabilities since she was very young. During recess, instead of playing with friends Hayden would head into the special education class and help out! Hayden has volunteered and helped individuals in her community experiencing a wide range of diversabilities. She truly enjoys working with people and has always been an outgoing individual. Hayden attends the University of Hawai’i exploring the vast opportunities offered in undergraduate education. In her free time, Hayden enjoys writing poetry, spending time with friends, and engaging in anything creative. Hayden returns to Bend in the summer where she's so grateful to be a part of the Diversability Inc. team, and truly hopes to one day inspire others to pursue the things that make them happy.
Sophie Hansen
sib mentor
Sophie arrived at our door via South Africa and the Bay Area. Having landed in Bend, Sophie found our Sibling Support Program and quickly became a Sib Group regular. Sophie’s emotional intelligence, sense of responsibility, and ability to relate to Sibs of all ages led to her role as a group Facilitator. Leadership skills like those Sophie demonstrates are exceptional and not often found in young people. We are blessed to have Sophie as part of our Team and are already mourning the day when she flies off to post-high school adventures!
sarah goodman
Program Director
Sarah has been with Diverability since 2018 when she started as a Job Coach! She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology and a minor in Special Education from the University of Oregon. Born and raised in the Portland area, Sarah knew from a young age that working with individuals with diversabilities was her passion. In high school she volunteered as a peer tutor for students with diversabilities as well as worked in 3rd and 5th grade classrooms. In college Sarah volunteered with Special Olympics Oregon and worked as a Direct Support Professional on breaks. After college Sarah interned for Special Olympics Oregon and continued working as a Direct Support Professional. After traveling through Europe for two months Sarah returned to Portland to work as a Special Education Assistant. After traveling to Bend her entire life, she decided it was time to finally make the permanent move to. She loves to hike, ski, hang at the local breweries and float the river! Sarah is thrilled to be a part of the Diversability Inc. team and to serve the local community.
CANDACE MARTIN
JOB DEVELOPER - BUSINESS RELATIONS
Candace brings nearly 20 years of experience working among diverse groups of people with varying abilities in our community. Much of her time has been spent as an educator with a dabble, and then a dive, into the nonprofit service world. As an educator in Bend LaPine schools Candace facilitated collaboration between classroom teachers and students with diversabilities by supporting unique learning styles in both core and elective classes. Candace also supported students in managing barriers to learning, meeting them as individuals as well as academic learners, then supporting students in generating successful outcomes. One of Candace’s superpowers is cultivating success through creative, individualized modifications and accommodations for people living with diversabilities. Alongside educating in classroom settings, Candace spent 4 years as a coach for Special Olympics-Unified Sports. In this role Candace worked and played with students of all ability levels, with and without diversabilities, coaching athletic skills, teamwork and relationships. Candace experienced firsthand the positive impact Unified Sports, and its emphasis on authentic inclusion, has on everyone involved. Candace is passionate that opportunities are offered to everyone regardless of their label, diagnosis, or diversability. Her goal is to bridge gaps; in service, education, employment, and other areas presenting barriers in the lives of people who are marginalized due to their disability.
Being a mother is one of Candace’s greatest joys and adventures in life. In her personal time you can find her doing the things she loves: Sitting in or along the river, hanging out at Wickiup Reservoir, or spending time at her cabin in the woods with her family and 2 dogs.
Candace is beyond excited to join Diversability Inc.’s team! She’s ready to continue the path of bridging gaps and building meaningful relationships!
livi hamer
sib mentor
Alivia, or Livi, was born and raised in Bend, Oregon where she is the middle of three sisters, one of whom was born with Down syndrome. Livi is an emotionally intelligent, nurturing soul with skills beyond her years. Music, comedy and medical dramas are her go-to entertainment. At Bend Senior High School, Livi thrives as a Peer Mentor in Special Programs and Unified Sports, and also as a Childcare Assistant in the Infant/Toddler Center. We will miss her when she graduates and moves on to the exciting world of post-secondary education!
Kara Fallini
Job Developer
Kara earned a Bachelor of Art degree in English Literature from the University of Oregon and grew up in the California Bay Area. She has lived on both coasts and abroad, and thoroughly enjoys learning about the nation, other countries, and cultures. She has a passion for nature, being active, spending time with her family, friends, and pets. Kara is highly skilled with treatment planning and implementation, along with mentoring and collaborating for the best outcomes with clients. She has over 10 years of work experience achieving these goals with people ranging in age from 3-83. She has provided overall case management and community referrals with crisis intervention skills and emotional support while working with various caseloads for social service agencies. She has a talent for relationship building and is knowledgeable with both setting the stage for learning and meeting objectives. She is a results-driven achiever with solid planning and organizational skills and can think on her feet to solve problems, while simultaneously enjoying slowing down and appreciating life in-the-moment. She is excited to be a part of Diversability Inc.’s team and support positive lifestyle changes to help people be their best selves.
Shinshi Cunningham
Direct Support Professional
Shinshi graduated from the University of Minnesota with a Bachelors of Applied Arts Degree and licensure in Teaching English. Shinshi began her teaching career as a middle school Spanish teacher and then moved into substitute teaching across the Northeast and Midwest, in public and private schools, focusing on English, Spanish, French and German classes and settings focused on supporting individuals having disabilities. During her free summers Shinshi worked with the US Forest Service and National Park Service which brought her to Oregon and Washington. As a Wildland Firefighter, Wilderness Ranger, and Botanist, Shinshi fulfilled her passion of being in nature and working with youth and adults. Shinshi has worked with Youth Conservation Corps, Northwest Youth Corps, and Heart of Oregon Corps, which were comprised of individuals having varying cognitive, emotional, and physical abilities. Shinshi’s main focus was to meet individuals with empathy, understanding, compassion, and kindness. Shinshi transitioned from a career working with the Deschutes National Forest to Diversability Inc. by way of a motor vehicle accident which offered insights and healing opportunities that came through a Traumatic Brain Injury. Having the first-hand experience of living and working with an invisible disability has offered limitless opportunities to engage with individuals in ways that support them to be valued, seen, heard, and understood. Shinshi is beyond thrilled to wake up each day and know that she gets to show up for an individual offering respect, support and connection! Outside of these fulfilling employment opportunities, Shinshi has two fur-children, a narcoleptic fur-daughter with Thermo-regulatory Disorder and a hyperactive fur-son with OCD (Obsessive Curiosity Disorder) that are the focus of the majority of her home life time and energy. When not indulging their every whim and fancy, Shinshi is generally sitting on a cushion, on her bike, on the water, or on the trail!
