2025 SEGD Distinguished Member Award

November 25, 2025

The SEGD Distinguished Member Award recognizes outstanding volunteer contributions that significantly advance the mission, direction, and excellence of SEGD programs. Past honorees include Gary Stemler and Christina Lyons.

SEGD Accessible Design Task Force Representatives

Jessica Schrader, Simon Majarian & George Lim

In 2025, SEGD is proud to honor the extraordinary efforts of Jessica Schrader, Simon Majarian, and George Lim, representatives of the SEGD Accessible Design Task Force, whose leadership and long-term commitment have had a profound impact on accessibility in the built environment. For more than four years, they devoted over 4,000 hours to influencing national accessibility standards—ensuring that the experiential design community plays a vital role in shaping how buildings, campuses, and public spaces remain inclusive for people of all abilities.

The SEGD Accessible Design Task Force is uniquely positioned within our community. As SEGD’s representatives on the International Code Council’s (ICC) Consensus Committee on Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities, the Task Force participates directly in developing the ICC A117.1 Standards—one of the two defining accessibility standards used throughout the United States. These technical regulations ensure that environments are usable by people with disabilities when they open to the public. By holding voting and alternate seats on this body, SEGD ensures the voice of experiential designers is present at the highest levels of policy-making.

Through their rigorous review of technical requirements, Jessica, Simon, and George helped bring clarity to complex, long-debated issues. Their contributions include settling a thirty-year debate on sign contrast by defining new standards grounded in research and industry realities; raising critical concerns around proposed tactile-letter-size changes that lacked demonstrated benefits for people with low vision; and building consensus across a broad, multidisciplinary committee. Their advocacy ensured that accessibility standards remain evidence-driven, inclusive, and adaptable—balancing compliance with best practice and reinforcing SEGD’s commitment to human-centered design.

By advancing national accessibility codes, they have created a legacy that extends far beyond individual projects. Their work safeguards the laws and regulations that make public spaces more navigable, understandable, and equitable for millions of people, and strengthens the foundation upon which future generations of experiential designers will build.

The SEGD Accessible Design Task Force was re-established in 2022 and continues to grow as a vital platform for advocacy and education. Under the leadership of Jessica, Simon, and George, SEGD members have new opportunities to contribute expertise, participate in policy development, and help shape a more equitable built environment for all.

Meet the 2025 Accessible Design Task Force Committee

George Lim
Founding Partner of Tangram Design, past SEGD Board Member, and alternate voting member on the ICC A117.1 Committee. With more than 30 years of experience in community-centered design, George brings deep expertise and long-term leadership to SEGD’s accessibility advocacy.

Simon Majarian
Associate Principal at SKA Design and SEGD Los Angeles Chapter Co-Chair. As an alternate voting member on the ICC A117.1 Committee, Simon contributes nearly two decades of practical wayfinding experience, applying real-world insight to national code development.

Jessica Schrader
Associate at Entro, former SEGD New York Chapter Co-Chair, and SEGD’s principal voting member on the ICC A117.1 Committee. Jessica brings strategic expertise in accessibility and signage, advocating for solutions that uphold both usability and design excellence.

Together, Jessica, Simon, and George embody the true spirit of the SEGD Distinguished Member Award—leaders whose dedication advances accessibility, strengthens our profession, and ensures that inclusivity remains at the core of experiential design.