Katherine Schneider is an author and retired university clinical psychologist at the University of Wisconsin- Eau Claire. Schneider was born one month premature in 1949 with the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck. This resulted in her being blind from birth. She was the first blind student to graduate from the Kalamazoo, Michigan public school system in 1967 and was a valedictorian as well as a National Merit scholar. Three years later she graduated with honors from Michigan State University with a BS in psychology. After receiving her PhD in clinical psychology from Purdue University, she has worked at four universities: three of them public and one private. She worked at the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire from 1990-2004, working her way up from Clinical Administrator to Senior Psychologist. She has taught psychology courses from freshman psychology to the graduate level and has counseled, supervised, and administered university counseling services. Kathie has presented papers at national professional meetings and authored articles and book chapters on such topics as counseling people with disabilities, religion, and visual impairment. She has won awards for her professional work from the Courage Center, the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, and the University of Wisconsin System Regents, among others. She received the Academic Staff in Excellence Award through the UW-Eau Claire Foundation, in 1995.

She continues to meet with and educate a multitude of groups on both a state and national level. This allows Schneider to continue her legacy of education and accessibility information. She has spent her life advocating for those with disabilities and focusing on education as well as increasing accessibility for those who need it most.

As of 2022, an Access to Opportunity Internship Scholarship is available through the UW-Eau Claire Foundation. Recipients of this internship should have a documented disability or present evidence of a documented disability, must present evidence of being chosen for an internship, and must be in good academic standing and admitted with full standing. Recipients need to write a thank you letter addressed to Katherine Schneider in care of the UW-Eau Claire Foundation.

In 2025, an event was held to celebrate and examine the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. At this event, Schneider read a piece titled “ADA 35: Before, During and Hopes for the Future.” She also wrote articles in local publications to coincide with this event.