The Honorable Tony Coelho
Tony Coelho is a former United States Congressman from California, and primary author and sponsor of the Americans with Disabilities Act, signed into law in 1990 by President George H.W. Bush. By 1994, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that some 800,000 more people with severe disabilities had found employment than were employed when the bill was first enacted. His passion for this legislation stemmed from his experiences as a person living with epilepsy and from witnessing discriminatory behavior toward others with the condition. After leaving the U.S. House of Representatives, he then managed Vice President Al Gore’s 2000 presidential bid, resigning on June 15, 2000. Mr. Coelho founded the Coelho Center for Disability Law, Policy, and Innovation at Loyola Marymount University. He is a past chair for the Disability Council for the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and the Boards of Directors for the American Association of People with Disabilities and the Epilepsy Foundation. Mr. Coelho currently serves on the board for AudioEye and as a member of the Enterprise Equitable Health Institute’s National Advisory Council for Highmark Health.
