Moments in Disability History 13

Lowell P. Weicker, Jr., United States Senator from Connecticut from 1971 to 1989, was an advocate for people with disabilities and legislator who often worked independently to further the advancement of public policy on behalf of people with disabilities. In the halls of Congress, he often acted and spoke not only as a U.S. Senator but also as a parent of a child with a disability. He is widely regarded as the original "father" of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

In 1981, Peg Dignoti organized a hearing at the Connecticut State Capitol for Senator Weicker. Leading experts such as Tom Bellamy, Karen Green McGowan, and Bob Carl testified about possibilities. The Senator and his staff led the investigation of state institutions across the country, an investigation that culminated in strengthening the protection and advocacy legislation. Below are articles about the hearings that appeared in a 1981 newsletter of the Connecticut Arc and in a 1985 article in the New York Times.

During his years in the Senate, Senator Weicker introduced and co-sponsored numerous pieces of legislation that laid the foundation for the Americans with Disabilities Act. In the 1980s, the Senator became particularly interested in the institutionalization of people with disabilities, as states shielded their state institutions from allegations of abuse.