Hale Zukas

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For other uses, see Hale Zukas (disambiguation).

Hale Zukas
Born	Hale J. Zukas (1943-05-31)May 31, 1943 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
💼 Occupation	Author, Accessibility
Known for	Disability rights activism
Movement	Disability rights movement

Hale Zukas

Hale J. Zukas is a disability rights activist who was born in 1943 and was diagnosed with cerebral palsy as a child.

Biography

Early life

Zukas was educated in San Luis Obispo, CA in a small school because his mother chose not to put him in an institution. He learned to use an electric wheelchair and communicate using a helmet-mounted pointer to point to a letter board. He earned a Bachelor's degree in Mathmatics at the University of California, Berkeley in 1971..

Activism

The University of California, Berkeley was among the first universities in the world to begin admitting people with physical disabilities. Ed Roberts was among the first students to attend, and the university began the Cowell Residence Program (CRP) to provide housing and assistance. Students were housed in a dedicated wing of the Cowell Hospital on campus. Additionally, the university provided attendants to help wheelchair riders navigate curbs and stairs. In the mid-1960s, Zukas joined the Rolling Quads, a group of students in the CRP who organized to advocate for the rights of students with disabilities. These students knew they could be much more independent if the environment surrounding them would only allow it. Zukas became one of the founders of the Physically Disabled Students Program on the Berkeley campus. In 1972, Zukas, [Ed Roberts|Ed Roberts (activist)]], and others founded the Center for Independent Living, Berkeley (CIL). He served as the CIL's first Coordinator of Community Affairs and held that position until 1982. During that time, Zukas became a leading advocate for the elimination of architectural and transportation barriers, especially on the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system in the San Francisco Bay area. The CIL led a movement in Berkeley to install Curb cut up and down Telegraph and Shattuck Avenues creating an extensive path of travel for wheelchair riders. In 1973, when there were protests against the ratification of section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, prohibiting discrimnation on the basis of disability, Zukas was one of the leaders of the movement and was chosen among other activists to lobby in Washington D.C. to confront the Carter Administration. In 1990 Zukas worked on the Americans with Disabilities Act which set a minimal guideline for accessible design. This document published a federal definition of what accessibility means and explained why it is essential to society. He

Career

Zukas co-founded the Bay Area Rapid Transit accessibility advisory group in 1975. He was a driving force in designing the button placement inside BART elevators at a height that could be reached easily by someone in a wheelchair. He is on the board of Transit Accessibility which meets monthly to discuss ways to make public transportation available to more people. Zukas became the vice chair of the Federal Architectural Transportation Barrier Compliance Committee in 1983.

Zukas is often asked in interviews about his mental state, and his emotional responses to his lifestyle. He told close friends he was depressed and contemplated with the thought of suicide, but he continues to prove his resiliency with his effective work. When asked why he did not give up or slow down in the process, he simply replied with: “I did not want my style cramped”^[7]. Hale Zukas has brought large-scale access to communities across the country that has lead to more inclusivity and ongoing fundamental changes to design nationwide.

Hale Zukas

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