DNC Chair Tom Perez, DNC Disability Caucus Chair Tony Coehlo, and DNC Disability Caucus Honorary Chair Judy Heumann released the following statement on the passing of disability rights advocate Marca Bristo:

“Every time Marca Bristo was told something couldn’t be done, she went ahead and did it. From founding Access Living in Chicago to helping pass the Americans with Disabilities Act, Marca spent her life championing the rights, dignity, and opportunities of people with disabilities. As the first disabled person to chair the National Council on Disability and one of the architects of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, she was a trailblazer who was never afraid to call out inequality and discrimination.

“Our hearts go out to Marca’s family and all who had the fortune of knowing her. At the DNC, we will continue to carry on Marca’s legacy by fighting to expand opportunities for people with disabilities and advocating for the U.S. Senate to ratify the U.N. treaty she helped craft.

“When she became paralyzed at the age of 23, Marca lost nearly everything: her job, her home, her health insurance. But, she said, she never lost her fighting spirit. Instead, she used that spirit to fight for others and change the world. And we’re all better for it.”