[Colorado-Talk] Colorado civil rights attorney Kevin Williams, who fought to improve lives of people with disabilities, dies at 57 After a diving accident that left him paralyzed, Williams became a lawyer for the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition

[Amy Sabo]

hello gary and all,

first of all thanks gary for posting this article on kevin to the list
which was in today's denver post. i sort of knew of him but, not
really. it's sooo sad that we are now losing a another good lawyer who
fought for the rights of people with disabilities who also had a
disability themselves too!

i give my support to his friends and family in this tramua in their lives.

thanks again for posting this and, i will talk to you soon.




sincerely,
amy sabo

On 2/12/24, Gary Van Dorn via Colorado-Talk <colorado-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> It is with sadness that I share the obituary of Kevin Williams from
> yesterday’s Denver Post.  I knew Kevin and highly respected him.  I know
> Scott LaBarre respected him too.  We already miss Scott and shall miss Kevin
> too.  I am sure they are enjoying a nice drink together wherever they may
> be.
>
> Gary
>
> Colorado civil rights attorney Kevin Williams, who fought to improve lives
> of people with disabilities, dies at 57
> After a diving accident that left him paralyzed, Williams became a lawyer
> for the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition
>
> Bruce FinleyFebruary 10, 2024 at 4:48 p.m.
> Civil rights lawyer Kevin Williams, left, leads paralympic athlete Scot
> Hollonbeck, right, away from federal court in Denver on July 28, 2003.
> Williams and other attorneys had filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Olympic
> Committee claiming discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act
> and the Rehabilitation Act. (Denver Post file photo)
> Civil rights lawyer Kevin Williams, left, leads paralympic athlete Scot
> Hollonbeck, right, away from federal court in Denver on July 28, 2003.
> Williams and other attorneys had filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Olympic
> Committee claiming discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act
> and the Rehabilitation Act. (Denver Post file photo)
> Colorado civil rights attorney Kevin Williams died this week after 26 years
> of fighting to improve the lives of people with disabilities. He was 57.
>
> Williams died Tuesday after a short illness, according to colleagues at the
> Denver-based Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition, where he launched the
> legal program in 1997 upon graduation from law school.
>
> A quadriplegic paralyzed from his chest down following a diving accident at
> age 19, Williams steadily increased access for disabled people by filing
> lawsuits — pressing for enforcement under the Americans with Disabilities
> Act, the Rehabilitation Act, the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act and the
> Fair Housing Act.
>
> He began this work as a third-year law student at the University of Denver.
> Shortly before his graduation, he sued his law school. The issue was
> compliance with the ADA. He prevailed, leading to required improvements,
> including a wheelchair-accessible graduation venue.
>
> Often serving as the plaintiff, Williams repeated that feat again and again,
> expanding access for Coloradans with disabilities in stores, restaurants,
> public transit systems, theaters, arenas and travel pathways around the
> state. For example, his litigation compelled the operators of Red Rocks
> Amphitheatre to provide accessible parking, seating and ticketing.
>
> He also led other lawyers into disability rights work.
>
> Williams grew up in the suburbs of Cleveland.  He made Colorado his home in
> 1990, the year President George H.W. Bush signed the ADA into law. He
> enjoyed drives in the mountains, attending concerts and visiting local
> breweries and distilleries.
>
> Friends this week remembered him as passionate in his pursuit of civil
> rights.
>
> “Kevin was contemplative, thorough and certain not to leave any stone
> unturned, especially in litigation,” said Andrew Montoya, who worked in the
> coalition’s legal program as an assistant and then was inspired to attend
> law school.
>
> “Even seemingly mundane legal issues could occupy hours of lively discussion
> ranging from interpretive case law to contemporary and historical politics
> to litigation strategy to the meaning of life, and back again,” Montoya
> said. “His passion for civil rights, both in general and specifically those
> of people with disabilities, clearly animated his work, both in the
> courtroom and in the rest of the world.”
>
> He also had a knack for making light of difficulties. Friends recalled his
> adaptation of the Beatles’ “Let It Be” — a rendition that he titled “Let Us
> Pee.” (“When I find myself in times of trouble; The bathroom door is
> two-foot-three; Whisper words of wisdom; Let us pee, let us pee.”
>
> “He was intense, passionate, focused and very analytical. What kept him
> motivated was seeing people with disabilities face discrimination and
> knowing that the laws that are supposed to protect us are being violated,”
> said Julie Reiskin, co-executive director of the coalition.
>
> “What bothered him was the blatant violation of the law, especially by those
> who should know better, such as courts and lawyers that made excuses rather
> than working to fix the problem.”
>