Looking Back: Fireside Chat with Tony Coelho and David Moradi

Earlier this year, ex-Congressman Tony Coelho (D-CA), the primary sponsor of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and a member of AudioEye’s board of directors, joined David Moradi, AudioEye’s CEO, for a fireside chat celebrating the 33rd anniversary of the ADA.

This blog recaps some of the key moments from their conversation, including Mr. Coelho’s personal experience with disability, the biggest achievements of the ADA to date, and ongoing efforts to build a more inclusive digital future.

Click here to listen to the full conversation between Mr. Coelho and Mr. Moradi.

A Personal History of Disability

When Mr. Coelho was 16, he was in an accident where he injured his head. A year later, doctors diagnosed him with epilepsy after he had a grand mal seizure while working on his family’s dairy farm.

After graduating college, Mr. Coelho wanted to become a Catholic priest but was unable to enter the seminary because of his seizures. Instead, he turned to politics — and discovered that people with disabilities could be legally discriminated against because their basic rights weren’t protected.

Mr. Coelho resolved to do something about that once he became a member of Congress. After being elected in 1978, he started working on an early draft of the ADA — and by 1981, was able to secure bipartisan support in both the House and the Senate.

On July 26, 1990, President George Bush signed the ADA into law.

What Are the Biggest Achievements of the ADA?

During the conversation, Mr. Coelho was asked to reflect on the most significant achievements of the ADA.

At a high level, he talked about how the ADA has helped advance disability rights and accessibility by eliminating some of the barriers the disabled community has traditionally faced regarding employment, education, and more.

However, he also shared more personal examples of hearing about people whose lives have been enriched by the ADA — like the young man and woman who were able to get jobs at the same office and ended up getting married and starting a family together.

Where Do We Still Need to Make the Most Progress?

According to Mr. Coelho, the next step is improving digital accessibility. Despite some of the gains made in the physical world, people with disabilities still struggle to fully access the internet. And even though he believes the ADA has always applied to the internet (in spirit if not in writing), some courts have disagreed.

During their conversation, Mr. Coelho noted that the pandemic clarified the importance of equal access for everyone:

“When we went through the pandemic, I think those so-called able-bodied folks had a way to pay bills, and to shop, and so forth all through the internet. Just think of people with disabilities. They still haven’t been able to access the internet. And so that’s a wrong — I say it’s a moral issue.”

Closing Thoughts and a Rallying Cry

As the conversation ended, Mr. Coelho offered words of encouragement to people with disabilities, urging them to believe in themselves and speak up. He emphasized the right to demand and expect equal treatment, echoing the fundamental principles that underpin the ADA.

“I think the most important thing is for those of us with disabilities is to believe in ourselves. We have to, I always like to say, we have to end up loving ourselves because if we can’t believe or be positive and so forth, we really can’t influence the rest of the world in regards to who we are, what we need, and so forth.

And so I say to young people, be positive. Be aggressive. Speak up. Speak out. Don’t be afraid to speak to power. We have a right to demand and expect that we have a right to participate in society like anybody else. But it's important that we, young and old, we are willing to insist that our rights are there and go after it.”

Click here to listen to the full conversation between Mr. Coelho and Mr. Moradi.