Katie Rodriguez Banister survived an auto accident in 1990 that left her a quadriplegic, paralyzed from the chest down. After six months of rehabilitation and fifteen months with her parents, she returned to living independently in 1992. Katie and her husband Steve co-founded Access-4-All, Inc., with a mission to educate and empower others through motivational speaking and disability education. Katie has authored Aunt KatieC Visit, an educational book for children, which has been enjoyed equally by parents, teachers, and librarians.
As a person who gives back to her community, Katie has been a member of the Recreation Council of the Greater St. Louis Board of Directors since 1992, where she has served two terms as president. She is a board member and president of the Delta Center for Independent Living, and a board member of the VSA Arts of Missouri. She was also a performer and founding member of St. Louis Ability ProjectC and co-produced her own motivational video """"Change Takes Time.""""
She has co-hosted the public access cable show CFYBeyond BarriersC and was on a 2003 commercial for the St. Louis Community College that is still being used. Katie has been featured in local newspapers numerous times for her dedication to educating her community.