Barbara A. Padilla, AIA is an Accessibility Specialist and Licensed Architect. At LCM Architects, a Chicago-based architecture and accessibility consulting firm, she provides third party plan review and technical assistance for compliance with 2010 ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act). Concentrating on ADA Title III public accommodations and commercial enterprises, she consults with corporations, building owners, developers, architects, and contractors seeking guidance on accessibility compliance for diverse project types in hospitality, healthcare, and commercial office industries.

Through a lifelong passion for architecture and professional practice over more than 25 years, Barbara has been sensitized to the effect of good design on our surroundings. As an architect, she embraced the value of integrating accessible features throughout the design process to create more universally usable spaces. Confronting her own long-term health, mobility, and strength issues led Barbara to see the built environment through a different lens. This personal perspective strengthened her resolve to meaningfully contribute to a more accessible built environment. She channels this passion through her daily work to promote accessibility and educate building industry colleagues on the importance of compliance.

Since 2020 Barbara has been a member of Disability Lead. Based in Chicago, Disability Lead is a network of people with disabilities who fervently believe the experience, ideas, and leadership of people with disabilities are vital to achieving social justice.

Prior to joining LCM Architects, Barbara worked at several architectural interior practices with a focus on corporate workplace projects. She holds a Master of Architecture from University of Illinois at Chicago and a Bachelor of Science, Architectural Studies, from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.