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A Bay Area woman is among five of President George W. Bush's nominees to the National Council on Disabilities to be confirmed to the post late last week, the council announced Monday. 

Kathleen Martinez of Oakland is deputy director of the World Institute on Disability, a non-profit research, public policy and advocacy center dedicated to promoting independence and societal inclusion of people with disabilities. 

Martinez was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Friday, the 12th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. 

The National Council on Disabilities is an independent federal agency that makes recommendations to the president and congress on disability policy.  

The council is currently coordinating a multi-year study on the implementation and enforcement of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and other civil rights laws, a spokesman for the council says.