[Colorado-Talk] In Memoriam Scott LaBarre: A Statement on his Passing

[Jo Elizabeth Pinto]

I didn't know Scott well, although I was inspired by his leadership as President of the Colorado NFB affiliate.

As a mother-to-be, I faced the terrifying and all too common horror of sighted people threatening to take my baby from me because they were worried about her well-being. Some of my family members were setting the stage to take legal action against me. Since they had infinitely more resources than I did, I invited the sighted father of my baby girl to move in with me, thereby removing the grounds for their legal case. I wasn't really ready for a relationship at that time, and if I'd known the mighty Scott LaBarre and been aware of the prowess of the NFB, I might have taken a different path. My family is strong now. We've prevailed. But I still cried the day the law passed in Colorado that made it so disability could not be the only grounds used in custody cases or when removing a child from its parents by CPS. That law needs to be passed in all fifty states! Thank you, Scott LaBarre! Your legacy will live forever.


Jo Elizabeth Pinto

Check out my author Web site at
http://www.brightsideauthor.com.

From: Colorado-Talk <colorado-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Julie Deden via Colorado-Talk
Sent: Sunday, December 11, 2022 7:05 PM
To: colorado-talk at nfbnet.org
Cc: Julie Deden <jdeden at cocenter.org>
Subject: [Colorado-Talk] FW: In Memoriam Scott LaBarre: A Statement on his Passing



The following message is from the National Federation of the Blind, the National Federation of the Blind of Colorado, and the Colorado Center for the Blind.



It has been a difficult year of loss for the circle of friendship we share in our movement. We regretfully share the devastating loss of Scott LaBarre, who passed away surrounded by his family on Saturday, December 10. Most recently serving as our national general council, Scott has been a longtime Federationist, a fierce leader in our movement, and a great friend to so many of us. The outpouring of love from the Federation family was deeply felt by Scott, but his challenging medical condition could not be overcome. More details about services for this extraordinary individual, along with information about how we can support his wife, Anahit, and children, Alex and Carter, will be coming soon.



We are overwhelmingly grateful for the decades of work that Scott did for the blind of his generation and beyond, from arguing in the courts on behalf of blind people who experienced discrimination, to his service as president of the Colorado affiliate, to the close personal mentorship he freely gave to hundreds of individuals-all while raising a family. Scott was a lawyer who ran his own private law practice in the areas of employment law, disability rights, and international copyright policy. He held several leadership positions within the American Bar Association and the organized blind movement. He served as chairman of the Colorado Center for the Blind, led the National Association of Blind Lawyers, and helped establish and guide the Jacobus tenBroek Law Symposium. His impact will continue to ripple across the world because of his leadership in securing the Marrakesh Treaty, an international agreement permitting the sharing of accessible books, which was just one among the many ways he created positive and lasting change.



The National Federation of the Blind of Colorado presented a Tribute to Scott<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBTHYWe7gnI> at the 2021 state convention that shares more about his story and enduring influence, and we will continue to celebrate his life and service. Per the request of his family, memorial contributions should be directed to either the Colorado Center for the Blind or the National Federation of the Blind for the work to empower blind people to live the lives they want, to which Scott gave so much. We send our love and gratitude to him and his family.
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