By: Hall, et al. S.C.R. No. 48
(Metcalf)
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Justin Dart Jr. made a lasting, positive difference
in the lives of countless Americans through his work to empower
people with disabilities; and
WHEREAS, Born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1930, Justin Dart
contracted polio in 1948; he found his purpose after beating a grim
prognosis of imminent death; his legs paralyzed, he relied on a
wheelchair for mobility and gained a deep understanding of the
challenges faced by others as well; after graduating from the
University of Houston, where he earned both a bachelor's degree and
a master's degree in history, he embarked on a business career; and
WHEREAS, After working with Tupperware Japan, Mr. Dart
settled in Texas in 1974, and six years later, he was named to the
Governor's Committee on People with Disabilities; he served as its
inaugural chair, and in 1981, he was also appointed vice chair of
the National Council on Disabilities by President Ronald Reagan;
the council drafted a policy to end centuries of discrimination,
laying the groundwork for the Americans with Disabilities Act; at
the end of the decade, as chair of the Congressional Task Force on
the Rights and Empowerment of Americans with Disabilities, Mr. Dart
helped craft the language of the ADA; he then barnstormed across the
country to galvanize support for the legislation, visiting each
state five times and addressing crowds in his trademark cowboy hat
and boots; President George H. W. Bush signed the ADA into law on
July 26, 1990; and
WHEREAS, Along the way, Mr. Dart further served as
commissioner of the Education Department's Rehabilitation Service
Administration, as chair of the president's Committee on Employment
of People with Disabilities, as president-elect of the National
Rehabilitation Association, and as a member of the National Council
on Disability; in 1998, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of
Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor; he died on June 22,
2002, at the age of 71; and
WHEREAS, Often called one of the fathers of the ADA, Justin
Dart was widely known for his rallying cry, "Lead On!"; his
visionary activism effected transformative change for people with
disabilities, and it would be most fitting to name the new transit
amenity center at 207 W. 14th Street in the Capitol Complex the
"Lead On! Transit Amenity" in his honor; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 88th Legislature of the State of Texas
hereby direct the Texas Facilities Commission to name the new
transit amenity center at 207 W. 14th Street in the Capitol Complex
the "Lead On! Transit Amenity" in honor of Justin Dart; and, be it
further
RESOLVED, That the secretary of state forward an official
copy of this resolution to the chair and executive director of the
Texas Facilities Commission.