Who are the People in the Signing Photo?

Who are the People in the Signing Photo?

On July 26, 1990 at the signing of the ADA, President and Mrs. Bush, VP Dan Quayle, and four members of the disability rights community were on the platform.

After the opening prayer, two speeches were given.  The first by Evan Kemp to introduce the President and the other was the President’s speech.  After the speeches and to the right of the podium was a table where President Bush signed the ADA.  The actual pens used to sign the ADA were shared with the four attendees from the disability rights community who are in this photo taken by Tom Olin.

On the left side are:

Evan Kemp, the chairman of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, a lawyer and a wheelchair user, had counseled President Bush on disability issues for the greater part of a decade and urged him to become an advocate of disability rights.

Reverend Harold Wilkie, who gave the opening prayer using the metaphor of breaking the chains of slavery.  Born without hands, Reverend Wilkie brought disability consciousness into the religious community.

On the right side are:

            Justin Dart, the son of one of President Reagan’s closest friends, a former businessman, and a wheelchair user, had served in both the Reagan and Bush administrations and had convened special hearings to gather support for the ADA from coast to coast.        

           Sandra Parrino, the mother of a disabled child, chaired the National Council on Disability, the federal agency that made significant disability policy recommendations to the President