ADA Bus Tour Quilts (2014-15)

Dave Fulton of the Disability Rights Center (DRC) went down to Sacramento, CA., to check on the Road To Freedom Bus in early 2014.  The previous owners (Jim Ward and Deborah Fletter) indicated that DRC would be able to get the Bus for storage fees.  DRC acquired the Bus and got it towed for service.  One of the containers left on the Bus was full of T-Shirts.  These T-shirts represented the historic Road To Freedom Tour from 2006-07.  Many in the disability community remember this tour.

Close to the same time, Corbett O’Toole was visiting Janine Bertram at her home near Mt. Hood.  The issue of what to do with the T-shirts came up.  She said she would volunteer to make a quilt.  By July 2014 the project turned into two quilts.  They were given to Janine Bertram with the understanding that these quilts would travel the country and be signed at the tour stops.

The larger quilt of the two.

The 2nd quilt is slightly smaller.

Lawrence Carter-Long adding his signature

These two quilts started on the recently concluded ADA25 Legacy Bus Project Tour in Houston, TX. July 2014.  For the 12 months leading up to the 25^th Anniversary of the signing of the ADA, these quilts have been traveling along.  So the quilts have also made all the miles and all the stops that the ADA25 Bus made.

So along the way, at all these stops, the quilts were displayed and signed by folks active in the disability rights community.  So we have many hundreds of signatures.  These quilts will be on display at stops on The Road To Freedom Bus Tour until we find a permanent home.