However, the most significant event in his legacy of contributions to public life was Coelho’s authoring of the Americans with Disabilities Act, recognized as one of the most important pieces of civil rights legislation in the last 30 years.

“The Civil Rights Act was enacted in the 1960’s,” Coelho said. “Do we still have discrimination against people of color? Yes. The ADA was passed in 1990. Do we still have discrimination against people with disabilities? Yes. But are we better off? Yes, definitely better. Will we get better in the future? Yes. Will we have setbacks? Yes.”

Coelho is the first to agree that the mere signing of a law doesn’t guarantee change, but does offer opportunities. Some of those opportunities have been narrowed for people with epilepsy—an irony that is all too clear to the ADA’s chief author.

“I’m disgusted with what the Supreme Court has done recently,” he acknowledged. “For the Supreme Court to say that the intent of the Congress was for people with epilepsy not to be covered by the ADA is despicable.

“Why would I write a law that in effect eliminates the very people who I represent and am part of? It’s ridiculous. For the Supreme Court to say that the intent of Congress was such, did they ask anyone in Congress? They don’t know what the intent of the Congress was; they’re just interpreting it the way they want to.”

Coelho remains integrally involved in making sure the ADA remains true to its original intent. He is a strong supporter of the bipartisan legislation, the Americans with Disabilities Restoration Act. He said, “I firmly believe that the time is right to restore the ADA to its original intent and meaning.” He was supportive when leaders from both parties introduced the ADA Restoration Act on July 26, 2007, the 17th anniversary of the ADA.

What People Think

“I think to a great extent, people with epilepsy are out in the open,” Coelho said. “Am I happy where we are? No. “We have entertainers and comedians who make fun of us and that is very heartbreaking,” he continued.

Coelho believes it’s important for people with epilepsy and for the Epilepsy Foundation to keep up the fight for recognition and respect. “We have to let the public know that we feel strongly about epilepsy and don’t think it’s something to be made fun of,” he said.

Coelho is also committed to helping children. He said, “Kids are our future. Kids are our greatest resource. Kids are our everything,” he said. “Young people with epilepsy need to know that they can succeed at whatever they want to do if they have a real desire. That the American dream includes them.”

But, Coelho added, it’s also important to get young people who do not have epilepsy to understand what it is—and what it’s not.

Working with young people, he believes, takes time, but is a great investment. “Our money should be spent working on kids—kids with epilepsy and kids in general about the perception of epilepsy.