Tom Harkin: “I am honored to be the lead Democratic cosponsor of this resolution to commemorate the life, achievements and…”

“I am honored to be the lead Democratic cosponsor of this resolution to commemorate the life, achievements and contributions of Alan Reich. I was greatly saddened, last week, to hear about the passing of this great and passionate advocate for the rights of people with disabilities. As many Senators know very well, Alan was the founder and president emeritus of the National Organization on Disability. Over the past 25 years, both he and the National Organization on Disability have been tremendously effective advocates for the full and equal participation of persons with disabilities in all aspects of American life. The achievements of Alan Reich, and the sheer breadth of his activism and leadership, are simply remarkable. While president of the National Organization on Disability, he built a broad coalition of disability groups that successfully fought for the inclusion of a statue of President Roosevelt in a wheelchair at the FDR Memorial. He spearheaded critical research to track the progress of Americans with disabilities in key areas of life. He founded and chaired the Paralysis Cure Research Foundation; was president of what became the National Spinal Cord Injury Association; and he founded the National Task Force on Disability. Alan also led the way in taking the disability rights movement into the international arena.…”