In the shadow of Halloween, history was being made in Jackson on October 30th outside the state office building.  Senator Lowe Finney was recognized in front of a touring bus emblazoned in waves of red, white, and blue to promote the ADA Restoration Act.   

Senator Finney receives award.Senator Finney, who is sponsoring legislation to create a Department of Aging and Disability, was recognized with a “Certificate of Freedom” for his efforts on behalf of people with disabilities. 

The national tour began last year Washington D.C. when Jim Ward, President of National Coalition for Disability Rights, and his wife loaded up their two young children to travel the nation for a year to promote disability rights and educate the public about the history of the disability rights movement.  Ward and his family soon will end their year long, cross-country odyssey back in D.C. later this month.

 
The tour made four stops in Tennessee – more than any other state – that were coordinated by the Tennessee Disability Coalition (www.tndisability.org) and local partners such as the Star Center, the Jackson Center for Independent Living, the Human Rights Commission, and the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation.