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May 22, 2020,12:38pm EDT|
Ex-Congressman Tony Coelho Opens Up About Being Disabled And Where The Americans With Disabilities Act Fails In A Digital, Pandemic-Ruled Age
Steven Aquino
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Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Steven covers accessibility and assistive technology.
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Rep. Tony Coelho (D-CA)
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Editor’s Note, May 22: The story has been updated with information on Rep. Coelho’s work with the AudioEye company.
2020 will forever be remembered as The Year Covid-19 Ruled The World, but it is memorable in another significant way. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Signed into law by President George H.W. Bush (the elder Bush) on July 26, 1990, the ADA, as it’s colloquially known, is essentially the Civil Rights Act for people with disabilities. The ADA is a landmark piece of legislation.
The person credited with pioneering and writing the ADA is retired congressman Tony Coelho (D-CA). (Tom Harkin, a Democrat from Iowa, authored the final bill signed by President Bush.) Coelho has a disability, becoming an epileptic at 16 after injuring his head in an automobile accident. Doctors diagnosed him [...]
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