The GLIDE Fund

Dr. Mark Bookman left this world a better place at 31 years of age on December 16, 2022.

Born April 20, 1991, Mark was diagnosed with a rare neurodegenerative condition at age 8, he received a heart transplant at the tender age of 10. Due to the immunosuppressive medications he needed to take to stay alive, Mark began a lifelong advocacy of universal design and accessibility in both public and private spaces.

By 2010 and for the remainder of his adult life - confined to a wheelchair, Mark was driven to problem solve for the community he represented.

During his life, Mark worked as an accessibility consultant, collaborating with government agencies and corporate entities in Japan, Canada and the United States. Mark worked on projects related to inclusive education, equitable transportation, and disaster risk management for diverse populations of disabled people as well as the International Paralympic Committee and United Nations.

A historian of disability policy, with a PhD and MA from the University of Pennsylvania as well as a BA from Villanova University and Postdoctoral Fellow at Tokyo College - Mark loved what he did and he had a plan to make the world a better place by raising awareness for the disability community.

The documentary “Mark - A Call To Action”, started filming in Tokyo in early 2022 but due to Mark’s unexpected passing, the project took on new meaning and direction.

With a scheduled release of December 2023 we are reaching out to ask for your support in securing the remaining $50,000 needed to complete the project.

Any additional funds raised will go to the GLIDE FUND, Inc (Global Leaders in International Disability Education) which will carry on Mark’s legacy.