[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 148 (Wednesday, November 9, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2314-E2315]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO ALAN A. REICH

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. TOM LANTOS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 9, 2005

  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I announce to 
my colleagues in the House the sad news of the passing of one of our 
Nation's great leaders for rights of the disabled, my friend Alan A. 
Reich. I offer our heartfelt condolences to his family.
  Mr. Speaker, my wife Annette and I consider ourselves blessed to 
count Alan among our good friends. He inspired both of us with his deep 
compassion, his energy and humor, as well as his determination to 
overcome obstacles no matter how insurmountable they appear. Alan was a 
true American visionary, a person who never let circumstance define or 
defy him. This perspective enabled him to implement a new understanding 
of disability rights and human rights, which included both and united 
them.
  Mr. Speaker, only a few months ago, I informed my colleagues that 
Alan had retired as President of the National Organization on 
Disability (N.O.D.), which he founded. For the past 23 years, he 
provided extraordinary leadership as the head of N.O.D., one of the 
leading non-governmental organizations promoting disability rights in 
the United States and around the world. Alan Reich was an outstanding 
human rights and disability rights leader, whose courageous work has 
had an impact on people with disabilities around the world.
  In recognition of his leadership, President George H.W. Bush awarded 
Alan the George Bush Medal, an award that recognizes leaders in the 
fight to fulfill the promise of the Americans with Disabilities Act 
(ADA). Alan certainly epitomized the ambitious goals of the ADA, and I 
cannot imagine a more fitting recipient of this award. In commenting on 
Alan's extraordinary leadership, former President Bush said: ``As the 
Honorary Chairman of N.O.D. and its World Committee, I've observed 
first-hand Alan's tenacious commitment to providing hope and 
opportunity for millions of people with disabilities, not only in this 
country but also worldwide.''
  Mr. Speaker, Alan Reich joined the disability community over 40 years 
ago as a result of a swimming accident, and he has used a wheelchair 
since that time, but he refused to permit his disability to constrain 
his boundless energy and commitment to worthy causes. Alan has been at 
the center of progress on disability issues, including public 
awareness, disability programs and promoting important legislation, and 
he has made groundbreaking contributions toward uniting and engaging 
the community of people with disabilities. His outstanding abilities to 
move disability rights issues forward first became apparent as the 
founder of the U.S. Council for the International Year of Disabled 
Persons in 1981. He was the first wheelchair user to address the United 
Nations General Assembly when he called on the international 
organization to declare 1981 the U.N. International Year of Disabled 
Persons.

[[Page E2315]]

  While President of N.O.D., Alan built the coalition of disability 
groups that successfully fought for the inclusion of a statue of former 
United States President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in his wheelchair at 
the FDR Memorial in Washington, DC. He also spearheaded the critical 
survey research with Harris Poll Surveys that tracks the progress of 
Americans with disabilities in key areas of life.
  In addition, Alan is the founder and Chairman of the World Committee 
on Disability, the international arm of N.O.D., which further 
underscores the worldwide reach of his contributions. He is a founder 
of the World Committee's Franklin D. Roosevelt International Disability 
Award, which recognizes nations for progress toward the United Nations' 
goals for disabled persons. I should add, Mr. Speaker, that my wife 
Annette and I are honored to be members of the World Committee on 
Disability.
  A graduate of Dartmouth College, Alan has also had a distinguished 
career in both private business and government. Alan served as Deputy 
Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs. In 
this position, he developed international exchange programs to further 
mutual understanding. He also served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of 
Commerce for East-West Trade and Director of the Bureau of East-West 
Trade, where he was credited with the expansion of U.S. commercial 
relations with the People's Republic of China, the Soviet Union and the 
countries of Eastern Europe. Prior to his outstanding career as a 
public servant, Alan was an executive in manufacturing management and 
corporate long-range planning with Polaroid Corporation.
  Mr. Speaker, in many ways, Alan has changed the world's attitude and 
approach to disability issues and made groundbreaking contributions to 
uniting the disability movement. Our entire Nation is profoundly 
saddened at the loss of this outstanding leader. We join in expressing 
our deep condolences to Alan's family, and express our sincere 
gratitude for his outstanding achievements.

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