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Accessibility Activist Devylder Dies
Longtime disability rights activist and retired DOT Senior Advisor for Accessible Transportation Richard Devylder died of natural causes at his home in Long Beach, CA, on Aug. 8.
Devylder, 46, who was born without arms or legs and propelled a wheelchair using his shoulder, said public transportation accessibility was key to his work.
President Obama appointed Devylder to his DOT position in 2010; he retired in March.
“I always say, the number one thing that can make us independent to the fullest is transportation. [Without it] we can’t go to school, we can’t get to work and we can’t live independently,” stated a DOT obituary recounting remarks Devylder made in 2010.
Prior to his DOT position, Devylder worked in the office of the governor of California and was the deputy director of the California Department of Rehabilitation. He also was the director of the Dayle McIntosh Center for the Disabled in Anaheim.
For APTA, he met with bus, rail and commuter rail CEOs to better understand their issues and concerns, participated in the Walk-and-Roll event at the 2011 Bus Conference in Memphis, conducted a rail accessibility workshop at the 2012 Rail Conference in Dallas and addressed the 2013 Youth Summit.
He attended Biola University in La Mirada, CA, and was a graduate of California State University, Long Beach, where he received a bachelor’s degree in communications.
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Retired DOT official and activist for people with disabilities Richard Devylder, far right, participated in the Walk-and-Roll event at APTA’s 2011 Bus Conference.
Photo by Susan Berlin |
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