Justin Dart Jr.

Dart came from a wealthy Chicago family. His father, Justin Whitlock Dart Sr., was president of Dart Industries. His mother Ruth Walgreen Dart was the daughter of Walgreens founder Charles R. Walgreen and his wife Myrtle Walgreen. Justin's brother Peter Dart also developed polio.[2]

Dart contracted polio in 1948 before entering the University of Houston, where he earned undergraduate degrees in history and education in 1954; however, the university refused to give him a teaching certificate because of his disability. The university is now home to the Justin Dart Jr. Student Accessibility Center, a facility designed for students who have any type of temporary or permanent health impairment, physical limitation, psychiatric disorder, or learning disability.

During his time at the University of Houston, which was then segregated, Dart organized the first student group to oppose racism.

After graduating, Dart was a successful entrepreneur who founded three Japanese corporations, but in 1967 he gave up the corporate life to devote himself to the rights of people with disabilities, working in Texas and Washington, D.C., as a member of various state and federal disability commissions. In 1972, Dart switched from identifying as a Democrat to become a Republican.[3]

He opposed the efforts of President Ronald Reagan, a personal friend of the Dart family, to revise the 1973 Rehabilitation Act, and in 1981 accepted an appointment from President Reagan to be the vice-chair of the National Council on Disability.

On Capitol Hill, Dart worked closely with both Democratic and Republican members of Congress to advance the rights of disabled people, including U.S. Congressman Major Owens of New York City, who served as chairman of the Subcommittee on Select Education in the U.S. House of Representatives during the late 1980s and early 1990s as well as during the early crafting of the legislative language and the fierce debates on the Americans' With Disability Act (ADA) before its eventual passage in the House of Representatives.

"Road to Freedom" tour (part two)

The Darts undertook another tour of the United States with the purpose of continuing a national dialogue about disability. Again with the support of friends and disability advocates, they visited all 50 states as well as Puerto Rico, Guam, and the District of Columbia to hold public forums that were attended by more than 30,000 people. This consistent advocacy and long-term conversation is what ultimately earned Justin the title of "Godfather of the ADA" as the information, network and diligence became the foundation of the legislative conversation around the ADA.[4]

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 was signed into law on July 26, 1990. The signing ceremony included with President George H. W. Bush, Evan Kemp, Rev. Harold Wilke, Sandra Parrino, and Justin Dart.

President George H. W. Bush signs the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 into law. Pictured (left to right): Evan Kemp, Rev. Harold Wilke, Pres. Bush, Sandra Parrino, Justin Dart

In 1993, Dart left his position on the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities. Subsequently, Dart founded Justice for All with other activists to defend against congressional attempts to weaken the ADA, including those pushed for by Clint Eastwood. He also organized numerous ADA anniversary events. After the 1994 Congressional elections, Dart left the Republican party and eventually became a strong supporter of President Clinton.[3]

On July 25, 1995, Justin Dart founded the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) with Paul Hearne, Senator Bob Dole, John Kemp, Tony Coelho, Pat Wright, Jim Weisman, Lex Frieden, Sylvia Walker, Paul Marchand, Fred Fay, I. King Jordan, Denise Figueroa, Judi Chamberlin, Bill Demby, Deborah Kaplan, Nancy Bloch, Max Starkloff, Mike Auberger, Neil Jacobson, Ralph Neas, Ron Hartley and others.

Dart had a series of heart attacks in late 1997, which curtailed his ability to travel. He continued, however, to lobby for the rights of people with disabilities, and attended numerous events, rallies, demonstrations and public hearings. Toward the end of his life, Dart was hard at work on a political manifesto that would outline his vision of "the revolution of empowerment." In its conclusion, he urged his "Beloved colleagues in struggle, listen to the heart of this old soldier. Our lives, our children's lives, the quality of the lives of billions in future generations hangs in the balance. I cry out to you from the depths of my being. Humanity needs you! Lead! Lead! Lead the revolution of empowerment!"[4]

Dart featured on ADA poster

Dart received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Bill Clinton in 1998. At the ceremony, Clinton said Dart had "opened the doors of opportunities to millions of our citizens by securing passage of one of the nation's landmark civil rights laws."[3]

He died in Washington, D.C., on 22 June 2002 at the age of 71 from congestive heart failure related to complications of post-polio syndrome.[5]

For many members of the disability community especially in the Washington, D.C., area, Justin Dart is an icon for the modern disability movement and the ideals of inclusion, advocacy and leadership. In his final statement to the community for his death, Dart wrote:

I call for solidarity among all who love justice, all who love life, to create a revolution that will empower every single human being to govern his or her life, to govern the society and to be fully productive of life quality for self and for all.

• List of disability rights activists

• Appearances on C-SPAN