Lex Frieden is a symbol of strength and resilience throughout the world. He has played a central role in crusading for the rights of the disabled and was the chief architect of the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the first civil rights law protecting people with disabilities from discrimination. In defining the law’s new accessibility requirements, Lex coined the key phrase that has become vital to millions — “reasonable accommodations.”
After a 1967 automobile accident his freshman year left him a quadriplegic, Lex knew he could not maneuver at the older state school he was attending. A newer school in Tulsa rejected his application because he was disabled. Frustrated, Lex came to The University of Tulsa at the suggestion of a family friend. Harry Carter, dean of students, assured Lex that TU would schedule his classes in the soon-to-be-completed Oliphant Hall, which featured level entrances and an elevator. Dean Carter showed Lex a progressive way of thinking that involved practical simplicity and flexibility — exactly what he would need for his future endeavors.
Lex completed his bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1971, then went on to the University of Houston, where he earned a master’s degree in social psychology. Frieden’s work on a United States Congressional task force spurred creation of the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research in 1978; he went on to serve as Executive Director of the National Council on Disability during the 1980s. Today, Frieden is Professor of Biomedical Informatics and of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, and also directs the Independent Living Research Utilization (ILRU) program at TIRR Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston. He is also Adjunct Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Baylor College of Medicine.
In 1979, The University of Tulsa named Lex Frieden a Distinguished Alumnus. And in 2004, his friends and associates established the LEX FRIEDEN PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND as a permanent tribute to his extraordinary leadership and lasting impact.
