Honoring Ed Roberts, Founder of Independent Living

 

January 23^rd marks Ed Roberts Day, honoring the disability rights activist often called the father of Independent Living. Roberts, who contracted polio at age 14, requiring an iron lung and the use of a wheelchair, became a fierce advocate for disability rights while attending the University of California, Berkeley. There, he founded the Rolling Quads, advocating for campus accessibility, which led to the establishment of the first student-led disability services program in the U.S.

Roberts' efforts extended beyond campus, culminating in the opening of the first Center for Independent Living in Berkeley in 1972, which became a model for similar organizations nationwide. His work was instrumental in changing societal perceptions of disability and influencing key legislation, including the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

In Ohio, Roberts' legacy lives on through OOD and its partnerships with the Independent Living Network. This network, comprising the Ohio Statewide Independent Living Council (OSILC) and 12 local Centers for Independent Living (CILs), continues Roberts' mission by providing resources, advocacy, and support to empower Ohioans with disabilities to live independently in their communities. Learn more at the Independent Living Network webpage.