About Us

 Joey Ramp-Adams is a biocognitive neuroscientist, disability access advocate, and founder and CEO of Empower Ability Consulting (EAC). As a service dog handler in science, she overcame significant barriers through problem-solving and collaboration—making history at the University of Illinois when her service dogs became the first granted access to chemistry, molecular biology, genetics, and BSL-2 behavioral neuroscience laboratories. Joey developed OSHA-compliant safety protocols and PPE to enable safe, inclusive laboratory access.

She is also the founder and president of Sampsons Legacy Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting people with disabilities in achieving their full potential through inclusive education, meaningful employment, and independent living. Sampsons Legacy Foundation holds a Platinum transparency rating with Candid (formerly GuideStar).

Through EAC, Joey consults internationally and conducts national laboratory risk assessments and develops individualized, reasonable accommodations for disabled students and professionals, with a focus on service dog handlers in STEM. She has helped shape inclusive laboratory safety guidelines for the American Chemical Society and the American Society for Microbiology and has spoken before the U.S. House of Representatives on accessibility.

Joey is the author of INSISTENT: The Powerful Bond That Fueled a Global Fight for Inclusion, recommended reading for medical students by the APA, AMA, and the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. She is internationally recognized and endorsed by leading scientific and disability organizations, serves on the Legislative and Advocacy Committee of Assistance Dogs International.