2026 40 Under 40 Honoree: Matthew Berwick (39)
“Some of the most impactful work I have done came from challenges I once viewed as obstacles.”
PHOTO BY LAURA PETRILLA
Matthew Berwick
Senior Program Manager, Disability Accommodations and Civil Rights Compliance, UPMC
Shining a light on barriers that most people never notice is what has shaped Matthew Berwick’s life’s work. He hopes to make accessibility an expectation rather than an exception, and as UPMC’s Senior Program Manager for Disability Accommodations and Civil Rights Compliance, he works daily to make that a reality.
Berwick’s work spans hundreds of locations and has strengthened compliance programs, expanded accessibility audits, improved accommodation processes and implemented disability regulations so patients can obtain care and information in helpful ways.
Berwick brings personal experience to the role as a person with a spinal cord injury — a responsibility he doesn’t take lightly. He pairs first-hand knowledge with more than a decade in disability services, making him uniquely qualified for the role.
Berwick also teaches at the University of Pittsburgh and leads the Pittsburgh chapter of United Spinal Association.
Active in adaptive sports and education, Berwick envisions Pittsburgh becoming America’s most accessible city, with people with disabilities fully represented.
