Building the Future of Accessibility with the Service Dog Advocate - Pawsitive🐾

A custom web application built using an AI-enabled project management framework

Click to See the Prototype in Action

As a Technical Program Director and Solutions Architect, my passion lies in building systems that truly empower people. I believe that technology, when thoughtfully applied, can break down barriers and foster greater understanding. A recent project, the Service Dog Advocate, was born from a partnership with a service dog organization seeking better handler advocacy, and it’s a direct reflection of that philosophy.

The Challenge: A Fragmented World for Handlers

Service dog handlers frequently encounter confusion, misinformation, or even confrontation in public spaces. Existing advocacy tools are often scattered, legal information is complex, and immediate support during a stressful encounter is virtually non-existent.

The core challenge was clear: How could we design a simple, intelligent, and deeply empathetic application that could unify these fragmented resources and empower handlers to advocate for themselves with confidence and authority?

The Solution: Authority and Calm in Your Pocket

Our answer was the Service Dog Advocate MVP—a live, functional prototype I collaboratively designed, built, and delivered. This is a digital accessibility tool engineered to provide immediate, authoritative support, transforming potentially stressful encounters into moments of calm and education.Service dog handlers frequently encounter confusion, misinformation, or even confrontation in public spaces.

Leading the Way: The Advanced AI Delivery Framework

Successfully delivering a high-speed, empathetic solution like this required mastery of advanced process. I didn't just run a project; I applied an AI-enabled project management framework integrated with Agile/Kanban to manage complexity and accelerate delivery. This allowed me to prioritize:

• Ethical AI Architecture: Architecting the system to ensure the technology served the user's best interests, specifically through secure data handling and non-biased legal interpretation.
• Agentic Prototyping: Utilizing low-code systems to rapidly build the functional prototype and simulate advanced logic, significantly accelerating core workflow development.
• Adaptive Governance: Running continuous learning sprints to quickly analyze user trends and refine the UX/accessibility, guaranteeing the system maintained trust and efficiency.

This mastery of process is why we could move so fast, proving that AI-enabled workflows and low-code architecture can dramatically shorten time-to-delivery without sacrificing empathy or quality.

Behind the Build: My Role as System Designer, Full-Stack Builder, and Project Lead

With the strategic framework established, I moved to execution, bringing together every facet of my technical expertise:

• AI-Powered "Advocacy Assistant": I engineered the core feature using the Gemini API (gemini-2.5-flash) to create an intelligent assistant that acts as a calm, knowledgeable ADA advocate. Users receive instant, de-escalation-focused guidance, like having an on-demand expert with them, 24/7.
• Accessibility from the Ground Up: I implemented a strict "Accessibility-First" UI/UX philosophy, utilizing high contrast, large, legible fonts, and a mobile-first design optimized for one-handed use during tense situations.
• Rapid Development with Modern Stack: I built the functional prototype using React, TypeScript, and TailwindCSS for a performant, mobile-first SPAIntegrated the Google Gemini API (gemini-2.5-flash) for real-time LLM-powered assistance and deployed on Google Cloud Platform.

The Service Dog Advocate is a powerful proof of concept. It demonstrates how mission-driven organizations can leverage smart, fast, and ethical AI-enabled systems to address complex social challenges. It exemplifies my commitment to building technology that truly empowers.