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THIS DAY IN DISABILITY HISTORYJune 4th, 1956 — John Hockenberry is born. At age 19, Hockenberry was hitchhiking with his best friend in Pennsylvania when he was struck by a car, which left him a paraplegic. At college, he volunteered at a local NPR station. Hockenberry worked at NPR and later at ABC and NBC. In 1995, he published a memoir about being a disabled journalist traveling the world titled “Moving Violations.” He produced his own one man off-Broadway show, “Spokesman,” in 1996. He and his wife, Alison, have two sets of twins, Zoe, Olivia, Regan and Zachary. He is currently a distinguished fellow at the MIT Media Lab. June 5th, 1932 — Christy Brown is born. Brown, born with a severe case of cerebral palsy, was raised in a poor neighborhood in Dublin, Ireland. His autobiography, “My Left Foot,” was later expanded into the novel “Down All The Days” and became an international best seller. That was followed by a series of other novels, including “A Shadow on Summer.” He also published a number of poetry collections, including “Come Softly to My Wake.” He married Mary Carr in 1972 and died in 1981. A 1989 movie based on his life, directed by Jim Sheridan titled “My Left Foot,” received numerous awards, including an Oscar for Daniel-Day Lewis, who played Brown. June 9th, 1961 — Michael J. Fox is born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Fox moved to Los Angeles at age 18 and became an extremely successful actor, including roles in a TV sitcom “Family Ties” and a star turn in the “Back to the Future” movie trilogy. He met his wife, Tracy Pollan, on the set of “Family Ties.” In 1991, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and retired from full-time acting in 2000. He became an outspoken advocate of embryonic stem cell research and started his own foundation to increase awareness of the disease. June 15th, 1942 — Tony Coelho is born in Los Banos, Calif. At age 15, he was injured in a pickup truck accident, which doctors later suggested precipitated his epilepsy. He worked as a staff member for Congressman Bernie Sisk from 1965 until 1978. In 1978, Coelho was elected as a Democrat to the 96th Congress. He was re-elected to the five succeeding Congresses, where he served until his resignation in 1989. He served on the Agriculture, Interior, Veterans Affairs and Administration committees during his tenure, but he dedicated his tenure in the Congress to championing the rights of the disabled. June 19th, 1903 — Lou Gehrig is born. Gehrig became one of the best baseball players of all time, and his 23 career gram slams is still a record. On his 36th birthday, he was diagnosed with a neuromuscular disease called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and he died as a result of it in 1941. ALS would later be commonly called Lou Gehrig’s disease. July 22nd, 1955 —Tom Olin, a noted photographer of disability rights, is born. Olin began documenting rights actions in 1983 and later became a staff photographer for Mouth magazine. His work is seen in national magazines and has been featured in the Smithsonian Institution museum. His photo archive covers more than a half million images. Currently he is part of the cross-country Road to Freedom bus tour. July 26th, 1990 — The Americans with Disabilities Act is passed, signed into law by President George H.W. Bush. The ADA is considered by many to be the most sweeping civil rights legislation passed into law signed since the 1960s. ****************************** — Compiled from various sources by Michael Reynolds |
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