This post is part of the series 13 Ways of Looking at the Northwest. You can find the initial post here.
By Heather Lowcock, Project Archivist, NHPRC Grant – News Tribune Collection
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law in July 1990 with subsequent amendments in 2008. Prior to the initial signing, however, the passage of the act stalled on issues related to transportation as public transit companies lobbied against the strict regulations for accessibility. In response, on March 12, 1990, a group of disability rights activists abandoned their wheelchairs and other mobility aids and crawled up the 83 steps of the Capitol building. This physical demonstration of the daily impact of inaccessible spaces on people with disabilities galvanized the cause and further illustrated the continued self-advocacy often required for people with disabilities in order to receive equal rights and access.
Jane Riese
In 1976, Jane Riese sent a letter to State Representative Mike Parker on behalf of Washington Disabilities Inc. advocating for the passage of HB 1303, a bill sponsored by Mike Parker that would require “all new purchases of mass transportation equipment and facilities” in the state to “assure reasonable access to and use by disabled persons” when such transportation is funded by public money. Concerned about Tacoma’s impending purchase of new transit buses, Riese urged quick action and reminded Parker of the continued advocacy that people with disabilities in Washington have done on their own behalf to “assert their civil rights.” She encloses in the letter examples of court injunctions in other states where people with disabilities sued to halt discriminatory transit purchases. She comments: “I don’t think we need these problems, do you?”
Jane Riese’ advocacy for people with disabilities was well-known within Olympia and Tacoma as she often testified before committees and lobbied for public building access and equal opportunity legislation. Soon after winning Miss Wheelchair Washington in 1974, the 29-year-old special education teacher attended a Tacoma City Council meeting advocating for passage of ordinance no. 20197 extending protections against discrimination to people with disabilities seeking housing, education, legal assistance, and employment. The ordinance passed the following week. However, two years later, State House Bill 1303, the transportation bill Riese wrote Parker about, failed to pass. Documents in Mayor Mike Parker's Papers suggest that, like with the ADA legislation, transportation access would require more self-advocacy on the part of people with disabilities. Cities, including Tacoma, argued that the cost of inclusive transit was prohibitive.
The pre-ADA federal disability rights legislation enacted in 1973 included section 504, banning discrimination against individuals with disabilities in their activities. However, while written, regulations in section 504 were not signed off for implementation. Tired of waiting, disability rights activists in 1977 participated in “sit-ins” at federal buildings across the country, and the 504 regulations were finally signed. Earlier implementation of 504 could have assisted Riese's advocacy for the passage of HB 1303 in 1976. However, as Riese foretold, disability advocates still had to continue to force compliance through court injunctions and lawsuits, including a suit in Clark County, Washington in 1989, when the Washington Superior Court held that section 504 required that all new purchases of equipment by the local transit authority be “accessible and usable by people with disabilities.”
Jane Riese’s advocacy extended beyond legislation into her own life. After stepping away from teaching, Riese pursued an interest she held since high school and became an actor in local stage productions, including a Tacoma Little Theatre production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof in the role of Sister Woman. Having been in a wheelchair since birth due to a tumor on her spine, Riese recounted in 1986 some of the challenges for an actor with a disability. Even before entering an audition, Riese had to negotiate old theatre buildings only equipped with stairs, and she noted, “I’ve died in more plays than I’ve lived through,” often cast in “invalid” roles. However, Riese, with the help of roles like Sister Woman, also saw improvement in acceptance, believing that people "are becoming more aware that not everyone looks like Farrah Fawcett. [...] Sometimes it seems like you go back to square one. I’m meeting that with a lot more confidence.”
Dave Keeley and Evergreen Radio Reading Service
The Washington Talking Book and Braille Library began in 1906 as a service of the Seattle Public Library to those in the state who read braille. Over the years, services expanded to talking books, changing format to fit the times, including phonographs, cassettes, radio, and digital books. In 1987, the Evergreen Radio Reading Service provided over 92 hours of reading material and information to radio listeners each week. Volunteers read books and magazines, hosted topical radio shows, and presented information from newspapers and businesses. One of the hosts, Dave Keeley started his weekly, one hour radio show “Footnotes” in 1984. In speaking about his show to The News Tribune, Keeley, who has Cerebral Palsy, said, “Sometimes I do disability-related topics, but it gets old. I don’t give a damn about the handicap; I care about the interview. [...] I like to think I’m informative [and] a little entertaining.” Karin Wallin, the station manager, believed the service connected those with disabilities to each other and society saying, “the radio destroys the idea [they] want to escape…they want to participate.” In 2011, the radio service was scaled back due to state budget cuts, but the station remained in service until 2014. Despite further cuts in 2025, the Washington Talking Book and Braille Library continues to provide information and reading materials to Washington residents.
The News Tribune photograph collection also includes images from the Special Olympics, including the medal-winning Rainer School swim team. L’Arche Tahoma Hope Community was also spotlighted by The News Tribune as they celebrated their 25th anniversary in 1989. Additional books and newspapers about disability are also available in the Northwest Room, including Different Times, a Seattle-based newspaper focused on disability rights and inclusion.
The digitization and processing of the News Tribune Photograph Collection was supported by a grant from the National Historic Publications and Records Commission at the National Archives.
Sources:
Ferguson, Howard. (1974, September 1). ‘I am not a stagnant me.’ The News Tribune.
H.R. 1303, 44th Legislature, State of Washington. (1976).
National Parks Service. (2025). Disability history: The Disability Rights Movement. https://www.nps.gov/articles/disabilityhistoryrightsmovement.htm
News Tribune staff. (1974, August 21). ‘Hire us,’ Miss Wheelchair says. The News Tribune.
News Tribune staff. (1986, March 30). Actress’ most inspiring role is her own life. The News Tribune.
Parker, Mike. (1947-2019). HB 1282 (1976), HB 1303 Handicapped Transportation, HB 1343, HB 1364 (1976), HB 1341 [legislation files]. Mayor Mike Parker Papers (1.2.2). Tacoma Public Library, Northwest Room, Tacoma, WA, United States.
Reed, Gale Norton. (1977). Equal access to mass transportation for the handicapped. Transportation Law Journal 9(1), 167-187.
Savalli, Carla. (1987, September 15). Radio reading service enriches lives of blind people. The News Tribune.
Washington Talking Book and Braille Library (2025). History. Washington Secretary of State. https://www.sos.wa.gov/washington-talking-book-braille-library/about/history
