Sheffield’s Sisson leaves lasting legacy on rehabilitation, disability community

The trail blazed by Dr. Graham Sisson during his 28-year career created a remarkable legacy. In the disability community, Graham has been a mentor, advisor, advocate, and friend.

Graham will officially retire on June 1 after helping many by following his motto, “Never give up. The sky is the limit.”

Dr. Sisson has worn many hats throughout his career. He said it has been a joy to have made a difference in the lives of people with disabilities through the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services (ADRS), and through many other organizations and nonprofits.

“It has been great,” he said. “There is nothing better than feeling like you have helped somebody at the end of the day. That makes all the difference when you get to help people.”

ADRS Commissioner Jane Elizabeth Burdeshaw praised Dr. Sisson at a recent celebration for his decades of work.

“Your life experience, both professional and personal, led you to a life of public service and made you a tremendous leader and advocate,” she said. “The resulting impact of your service led to changes in public policy, increased access for all, reduced barriers to community integration and employment, and enhanced public knowledge of disabilities and the law.”

Soon after graduating from Sheffield High School in 1982, Dr. Sisson became a person with a disability when he sustained a spinal cord injury and a closed head injury as a passenger in a car accident. He was in a coma for eight weeks and paralyzed from the waist down.

Dr. Sisson recovered, learning to use a wheelchair for mobility, and from there, the sky was the only limit for him.

He graduated summa cum laude from the University of North Alabama in 1987. From there, he earned his Juris Doctorate from Vanderbilt University in 1990 and a doctorate from Auburn University in 2016.

Dr. Sisson’s career in rehabilitation began in 1998 when then-ADRS Commissioner Lamona Lucas recruited him to manage the State Rehabilitation Council (SRC). He became an assistant attorney general and was asked to manage the Americans with Disabilities Act hotline.

In these roles, Dr. Sisson helped hundreds of people with disabilities and provided hundreds of presentations statewide on ADA requirements and related laws.

His reputation continued to grow, and in 2007, Alabama Gov. Bob Riley approached him about becoming executive director and general counsel for the Governor’s Office On Disability (GOOD).

“He said, ’Graham, I need to make a change and I need you to do this,’” Graham said. “You can’t really tell the governor ‘no.’”

From there, his responsibilities and advocacy efforts continued to grow. He served as deputy general counsel for ADRS, ADA coordinator for the state, headed the ADA reasonable accommodation team for ADRS, and worked on the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act accommodation team. He also served as the SRC liaison and general counsel.

Dr. Sisson has been active on many boards and nonprofits. He served as chairman of the board of Disability Rights and Resources, Lakeshore Foundation. Alabama Trails Commission, the Functional Access Needs and Disaster Task Force, and the Alabama Council for Developmental Disabilities.

Dr. Sisson said serving and chairing boards like the Alabama Trails Commission was a great way to ensure that facilities and recreational opportunities throughout the state were accessible to all.

“It’s a way to keep disability as part of the consideration when things are done,” he said. “I always stress universal design, like the trail system. I made sure that universal design was one of the strategies in the Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan.”

Dr. Sisson continued to keep people with disabilities in the conversation, reaching another milestone in June 2024 with the inaugural Governor’s Disability Policy Summit. The summit was created to bring together policy makers, advocates, and individuals with disabilities to address key issues and drive positive change.

Dr. Sisson has earned many accolades through the years, including the Easterseals Gold Award. In 2018, the University of North Alabama established the “Dr. Graham Sisson Disability Support Services Champion Award.” His twin brother, Emry and his wife Amy, established the “Dr. Graham L. Sisson, Jr. Distinguished Scholarship” at the University of North Alabama. It is targeted for students with disabilities and financial need. This scholarship is fully endowed. Dr. Sisson is extremely grateful to Emry and Amy for creating this scholarship.

Although his duties have been demanding and his hours long, Dr. Sisson said he has enjoyed a rewarding career.

“I’ve loved working for the state government and the people I’ve worked with,” he said. “All of the people at ADRS I consider family. That comes from the heart.”