Ed Roberts (activist)
Encyclopedia
Edward Verne Roberts was an American
activist
. He was the first student with severe disabilities to attend the University of California, Berkeley
. He was a pioneering leader of the disability rights movement
.
," a technique for swallowing air using facial and neck muscles.
He attended school by telephone hook-up until his mother Zona insisted that he go to school once a week for a few hours. At school he faced his deep fear of being stared at and transformed his sense of personal identity. He gave up thinking of himself as a "helpless cripple," and decided to think of himself as a "star." He credited his mother with teaching him by example how to fight for what he needed when school administrators objected to his graduation from high school because he had not completed physical education and drivers education requirements.
he was admitted to the University of California at Berkeley
. He had to fight for the support he needed from the California Department of Vocational Rehabilitation to attend college because his rehabilitation counselor thought he was too severely disabled to ever get a job. On learning that Robert's had a severe disability, one of the UC Berkeley deans famously commented, "We've tried cripples before and it didn't work;" but other Berkeley administrators supported his admission and expressed the opinion that, "the University should be doing more."
Roberts matriculated in 1962, two years before the Free Speech Movement
transformed Berkeley
into a hotbed of student protest. When his search for housing met resistance in part because of the 800 pound iron lung that he slept in at night, the director of the campus health service offered him a room in an empty wing of the Cowell Hospital.
Robert's accepted on the condition that the area where he lived be treated as dormitory space not a medical facility. His admission "broke the ice" for other students with severe disabilities who joined him over the next few years at what evolved into the Cowell Residence Program.
The group developed a sense of identity and elan and began to formulate a political analysis of disability, they began calling themselves the "Rolling Quads" to the surprise of some non-disabled observers who had never before heard a positive sense of disability identity expressed before.
In 1968 when two of the Rolling Quads were threatened with eviction from the Cowell Residence Program by an authoritarian Rehabilitation Counselor, the Rolling Quads organized a successful 'revolt' that led to the counselor's transfer.
Their success on campus inspired the group to begin advocating for curb cuts, opening access to the wider community; and to create the Physically Disabled Student's Program (PDSP) - the first student led disability services program in the country. Ed Roberts flew 3000 miles from California to Washington DC with no respiratory support in order to attend a conference at the start-up of the federal TRIO program through which the PDSP later secured funding.
The PDSP provided services including attendant referral and wheelchair repair to students at the University, but it was soon taking calls from people with disabilities with the same concerns who were not students.
He earned B.A.
(1964) and M.A.
(1966) degrees from UC Berkeley in Political Science. He became an official Ph.D. Candidate (C.Phil.) in political science at Berkeley in 1969, but did not complete his Ph.D.
The need to serve the wider community led to the creation of the Berkeley Center for Independent Living (CIL), the first independent living service and advocacy program run by and for people with disabilities.
Contrary to common belief, he was not the founder of the Berkeley CIL, nor the CIL's first executive director.
He was teaching political science at an "alternative college," but returned to Berkeley to assume leadership of the fledgling organization.
He guided the CIL's rapid growth during a decisive time for the emerging disability rights movement. The CIL provided a model for a new kind of community organization designed to address the needs and concerns of people with a wide range of disabilities.
In 1976, newly elected Governor Jerry Brown
appointed Ed Roberts Director of the California Department of Vocational Rehabilitation - the same agency that had once labelled him too severely disabled to work.
He served in that post until 1983.
When California politics again shifted to the right, he returned again to Berkeley where he co-founded the World Institute on Disability with Judy Heumann and Joan Leon.
Roberts died on March 14, 1995, at the age of 56.
His papers are held at the Bancroft Library.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
activist
Activism
Activism consists of intentional efforts to bring about social, political, economic, or environmental change. Activism can take a wide range of forms from writing letters to newspapers or politicians, political campaigning, economic activism such as boycotts or preferentially patronizing...
. He was the first student with severe disabilities to attend the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
. He was a pioneering leader of the disability rights movement
Disability rights movement
The disability rights movement is the movement to secure equal opportunities and equal rights for people with disabilities. The specific goals and demands of the movement are: accessibility and safety in transportation, architecture, and the physical environment, equal opportunities in independent...
.
Early life
Roberts contracted polio at the age of fourteen in 1953, two years before the Salk vaccine put an end to the epidemics. He spent eighteen months in hospitals and returned home paralyzed from the neck down except for two fingers on one hand and a couple of toes. He slept in an iron lung at night and often rested there during the day. When out of the lung he survived by "frog breathingGlossopharyngeal breathing
Glossopharyngeal breathing is a means of forcing extra air into the lungs to expand the chest and achieve a functional cough. The technique involves the use of the glottis to add to an inspiratory effort by gulping boluses of air into the lungs...
," a technique for swallowing air using facial and neck muscles.
He attended school by telephone hook-up until his mother Zona insisted that he go to school once a week for a few hours. At school he faced his deep fear of being stared at and transformed his sense of personal identity. He gave up thinking of himself as a "helpless cripple," and decided to think of himself as a "star." He credited his mother with teaching him by example how to fight for what he needed when school administrators objected to his graduation from high school because he had not completed physical education and drivers education requirements.
Activism
Ed Roberts is often called the father of the disability rights movement. His career as an advocate began when a high school administrator threatened to deny his diploma because he had not completed driver's education and physical education. After attending the College of San MateoCollege of San Mateo
College of San Mateo is a community college in San Mateo, California. It is part of the San Mateo County Community College District....
he was admitted to the University of California at Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
. He had to fight for the support he needed from the California Department of Vocational Rehabilitation to attend college because his rehabilitation counselor thought he was too severely disabled to ever get a job. On learning that Robert's had a severe disability, one of the UC Berkeley deans famously commented, "We've tried cripples before and it didn't work;" but other Berkeley administrators supported his admission and expressed the opinion that, "the University should be doing more."
Roberts matriculated in 1962, two years before the Free Speech Movement
Free Speech Movement
The Free Speech Movement was a student protest which took place during the 1964–1965 academic year on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley under the informal leadership of students Mario Savio, Brian Turner, Bettina Aptheker, Steve Weissman, Art Goldberg, Jackie Goldberg, and...
transformed Berkeley
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
into a hotbed of student protest. When his search for housing met resistance in part because of the 800 pound iron lung that he slept in at night, the director of the campus health service offered him a room in an empty wing of the Cowell Hospital.
Robert's accepted on the condition that the area where he lived be treated as dormitory space not a medical facility. His admission "broke the ice" for other students with severe disabilities who joined him over the next few years at what evolved into the Cowell Residence Program.
The group developed a sense of identity and elan and began to formulate a political analysis of disability, they began calling themselves the "Rolling Quads" to the surprise of some non-disabled observers who had never before heard a positive sense of disability identity expressed before.
In 1968 when two of the Rolling Quads were threatened with eviction from the Cowell Residence Program by an authoritarian Rehabilitation Counselor, the Rolling Quads organized a successful 'revolt' that led to the counselor's transfer.
Their success on campus inspired the group to begin advocating for curb cuts, opening access to the wider community; and to create the Physically Disabled Student's Program (PDSP) - the first student led disability services program in the country. Ed Roberts flew 3000 miles from California to Washington DC with no respiratory support in order to attend a conference at the start-up of the federal TRIO program through which the PDSP later secured funding.
The PDSP provided services including attendant referral and wheelchair repair to students at the University, but it was soon taking calls from people with disabilities with the same concerns who were not students.
He earned B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
(1964) and M.A.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
(1966) degrees from UC Berkeley in Political Science. He became an official Ph.D. Candidate (C.Phil.) in political science at Berkeley in 1969, but did not complete his Ph.D.
The need to serve the wider community led to the creation of the Berkeley Center for Independent Living (CIL), the first independent living service and advocacy program run by and for people with disabilities.
Contrary to common belief, he was not the founder of the Berkeley CIL, nor the CIL's first executive director.
He was teaching political science at an "alternative college," but returned to Berkeley to assume leadership of the fledgling organization.
He guided the CIL's rapid growth during a decisive time for the emerging disability rights movement. The CIL provided a model for a new kind of community organization designed to address the needs and concerns of people with a wide range of disabilities.
In 1976, newly elected Governor Jerry Brown
Jerry Brown
Edmund Gerald "Jerry" Brown, Jr. is an American politician. Brown served as the 34th Governor of California , and is currently serving as the 39th California Governor...
appointed Ed Roberts Director of the California Department of Vocational Rehabilitation - the same agency that had once labelled him too severely disabled to work.
He served in that post until 1983.
When California politics again shifted to the right, he returned again to Berkeley where he co-founded the World Institute on Disability with Judy Heumann and Joan Leon.
Roberts died on March 14, 1995, at the age of 56.
His papers are held at the Bancroft Library.
Awards and recognition
- 1984 MacArthur Fellows ProgramMacArthur Fellows ProgramThe MacArthur Fellows Program or MacArthur Fellowship is an award given by the John D. and Catherine T...
- In 2010, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law a bill by State Senator Loni Hancock (D-09) that declared January 23rd of every year to be a day of special significance.
- In 2011 a multi-agency independent living center, known as the Ed Roberts Campus, had its grand opening.
Source
- Shapiro, Joseph P. No Pity: People with Disabilities Forging a New Civil Rights Movement. Random House, 1993. ISBN 9780812919646
External links
- Ed Roberts Campus
- World Institute on Disability Founders
- Ed Roberts tribute from the Center for Independent Living
- "Who was Ed Roberts?", Ed Roberts Campus
- The story about Ed's wheelchair being donated to the Smithsonian
- Ed Roberts: The Godfather of Independent Living
- "Audio transcript: On Don Lorence and his power wheelchair", The Bancroft Library
- Oral History Interview with EDWARD V. ROBERTS