Erin Brown
Erin Brown, Ph.D. (hc)
Disability Inclusion Consultant | ParaTriathlete | Advocate
Erin Brown is a Grand Bahama native and the leading Disability Inclusion Consultant in The Bahamas. A Black woman with a limb difference and above-the-knee amputation, Erin uses her lived experience to influence inclusive policy reform, accessible tourism, and global disability advocacy.
She represents The Bahamas in the Commonwealth Disabled People’s Forum, is a UN IGF DCAD Fellow, and currently leads the Office of Disabilities and Compliance at the University of The Bahamas. Erin is the founder of Erin Brown Connects (EBC), the region’s only disability-led consultancy, advancing access, equity, and opportunities for people with disabilities.
A Royal Caribbean International Godmother and ParaTriathlete, she is widely known as Erin “Bionic” Brown. She also serves as an academic facilitator at NYU’s Tisch Center for Global Hospitality Management.
Motto: “Together, We Continue... Disabled Lives Matter.”
Position
- Access and Opportunity Advisory Council
Erin Brown, Ph.D. (hc)
Disability Inclusion Consultant | Advocate | Speaker | ParaTriathlete
Erin Brown, Ph.D. (hc), is a Grand Bahama native and a globally recognized Disability Inclusion Consultant. A Black woman with long blonde hair, blue-tinted glasses, and a proud above-the-knee amputee, Erin uses the pronouns she/her and self-identifies as a person with a limb difference.
She is The Bahamas’ most influential voice in the disability inclusion space, driving change through increasing access, inclusion, and opportunities for people with disabilities worldwide. Erin currently serves as the representative for The Bahamas in the Commonwealth Disabled People’s Forum (CDPF). Through collaboration, capacity building, and advocacy, she plays a key role in implementing the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across Commonwealth nations.
Erin is also a United Nations Internet Governance Forum (IGF) Dynamic Coalition on Accessibility and Disability (DCAD) Fellow, where she ensures that ICT accessibility remains a central issue in global Internet governance discussions.
Presently, she leads the Office of Disabilities and Compliance at the University of The Bahamas, providing leadership and administrative management while serving as a liaison to university stakeholders, the business community, and government ministries—advancing disability inclusion throughout the country.
As the principal of the region’s only disability-led consultancy, Erin Brown Connects (EBC), she spearheads both humanitarian advocacy and programmatic efforts through the organization’s national NGO arm, EBC: Disability Advocacy and Inclusion Management, based in Nassau.
With over 20 years of experience, Erin has developed Disability Inclusion strategies for:
-
Inclusive Policy Reform
-
Disaster and Emergency Risk Management
-
Equal Opportunities Act 2014 Compliance
-
Paralympic Development
-
Inclusive Employment, Education, and Health Systems
Her leadership has earned her roles on several national and international boards, including:
-
Latin American and Caribbean Women’s Network for Disaster Risk Reduction
-
Caribbean Disability Network
Erin is also deeply involved in philanthropic and justice-based work in areas such as:
-
Financial and Digital Literacy
-
Social Entrepreneurship
-
DEIA Training & Implementation
-
Inclusive Hiring and Communication Policies
-
Integration of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)
Academic & Professional Background:
-
B.A., Regents Program – West Virginia State University
-
Honorary Doctorate in Humanities – School of the Great Commission Theological Seminary
-
M.Ed. candidate in Instructional Leadership
-
Member, International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP)
-
Member, Association of Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD)
Erin is affectionately known as Erin “Bionic” Brown—making history as the first Godmother in the Maritime Industry from The Bahamas, a title bestowed by Royal Caribbean International for the Odyssey of the Seas. She is a proud ParaTriathlete and an advocate for accessible tourism, disabled entrepreneurship, and access to Micro, Small, and Medium-Sized Enterprises (MSMEs).
She also serves as an academic facilitator for New York University’s Tisch Center for Global Hospitality Management in NYC.
Motto: “Together, We Continue… Disabled Lives Matter.”
