E. H. What is your personal and professional story?

T.E. I was born in Middle Town, Connecticut, but my siblings were born in Mexico City. I was brought up bi-lingual and bi-cultural (Spanish/ English). My mother is Latina and my father is American. However, my father spoke Spanish fluently. He was a professor at a local University, and he taught Spanish American Literature. My father had the summers off. Each year, my family and I went to Mexico City for four months. We spent time with my grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. I was brought up by parents who had a strong sense of justice. They did not believe in discrimination. I learned from them that all people have value regardless of race or disability.

In my earlier years, my visual disability started to become evident. I was clueless of the nature of my condition. Some of the symptoms that I had were bumping into things, falling and night blindness. Despite my symptoms, I obtained my degree from the University of Pennsylvania in International Relations.

Gradual deterioration of sight
I worked for four years as an Accounts Executive in external sales at Bell Atlantic Yellow Pages. I drove a company car. Unfortunately, I started having car accidents due to my low vision. In 1987, I decided to have my vision evaluated. I was diagnosed as having Retinitis Pigmentosa. Since I was diagnosed as a person who was legally blind, I was no longer able to drive a car. I was decreased to a position as an inside sales man. My employer was understanding and accommodating, even though, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) did not exist at that time.

I was devastated with the news of my disability. I even got a second opinion. I was a successful person, and I was independent. I went from being independent to being dependent. I wanted to change that feeling of dependence into independence and security.

Following a new dream: law school
I decided to follow my dreams, and I decided to go to law school. I felt a renewed desire to practice law. I applied to two or three schools of law. On August, 1988, I began Rutgers School of Law in Camden, NJ. I took public transportation with multiple changes from buses to subway to rail, taking one hour to commute to school each way.

In 1989, (between my first and second semester break) I got married to Lisa. We had a short honeymoon in San Juan, PR.

I was a legal intern student at the U.S Department of Justice, Trustee Consumer Bankruptcy and Community Legal Services. I was also a clerk for a U.S. District Court Judge.

I graduated in 1991 from Rutger’s School of Law and passed the exam shortly after. I started practicing law representing workers’ rights litigations at Allen Kanner & Associates. I represented employees who were wrongfully discharged, workers who were laid off due to manufacturing plant closures and relocations of individuals who were members of the Oil, Chemical & Atomic Worker’s Union (CAW) against American Home Products. As a result, there was a 24 million dollar settlement. However this job required long hours, it was high pressure, and a stressful situation. This job also did little to advance the greater good for the public.

Fatherhood and shift in focus
At this time, I had my first son and decided to re-evaluate my professional life. A focus on improving systemic services and programs for public were absent from what I was doing. I wanted to enter the field of public interest law.

After one year, I saw an ad at the Bar Association for Staff Attorney at the Disabilities Law Project. I applied to the Disabilities Law Project. This was a great opportunity for me, because the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) had just passed into law. I was hired as ADA Staff Attorney; the job involved direct representation of adults, children and organizations who served people with physical and mental disabilities. I legislated cases under the ADA and gained a lot of experience.

Promoted to ADA Project Coordinator in 1994, I was acclimated to litigating, and I worked to organize clients into more systemic class action cases. For example, I represented people with disabilities and organizations to make polling places accessible. I gained a tremendous amount of experience while closely working with the following organizations: Disabled In Action, Epilepsy Foundation, ADAPT, Liberty Resources, Inc., United Cerebral Palsy Association, Mental Health Association of Southeastern PA, National Federation for the Blind, American Council of the Blind and many other client groups.

Because of my vision impairment, I looked at systems for people who were blind or visually impaired such as the Harty vs. Septa matter and the bus stop announcement. A large number of buses led to voice automation of the Septa buses system. The automation also helped the general public such as; first time bus riders. Over time, I began working with the National Federation for the Blind, American Council of the Blind and their local chapters in Pennsylvania. I facilitated numerous presentations of ADA enforcement strategies at the grassroots level. I also made continuous legal presentations to lawyers regarding Title I, Title II and Title III of the ADA.

Working with leaders on class-action suits
I worked closely with people who were leaders in the community who were also blind such as Ted Young, Pat Comorato, Pamela Shaw, John Horst and Suzanne Waters. Eventually, I worked on behalf of the Blind community. I led the first case in the country against Mellon Bank on behalf of numerous people who were blind and the National Federation for the Blind. This lawsuit aimed to enforce access requirements of the ADA under Title III to require ATMs to provide audio output through common headphones so people could independently and safely conduct banking transactions.

I never could have imagined that this case would lead to the wide spread use of audio output at numerous other banks. Every time I use an ATM, I think to my self, "Oh wow, this is great, I helped to do this!" This is my proudest accomplishment.