George H. W. Bush: Remembering a Champion for People with Disabilities

Last week, the nation mourned George H. W. Bush, the 41st president of the United States. One of his greatest accomplishments as president was signing the Americans with Disabilities Act into law on July 26, 1990, an event four years in the making. In 1986, Bush (who was vice president under Ronald Reagan at the time) and his wife Barbara read an early draft of the ADA before he met with the National Council on Disability. The proposal, which he supported, was meaningful to him because he had a daughter who died of leukemia at age three and a son who had a learning disability that included difficulty reading. Bush himself had to use a wheelchair in the last years of his life because he had a form of Parkinson's disease. The disability community, myself included, is forever grateful to him. For more information, go to https://psmag.com/social-justice/how-george-h-w-bush-proved-himself-to-the-disability-rights-community.

George H. W. Bush (middle) signing the ADA

(image via US National Archives)