Conversations with NCD -- An interview with Chair Clyde Terry

In the inaugural edition of our occasional audio series, Conversations with the National Council on Disability, NCD Chair Clyde Terry details the importance of a story, what is even better than finding a job, and how the “bearded man of New Hampshire” helped make voting across the nation more accessible for Americans with disabilities.

 “The best definition of independent living is a paycheck and money in the bank.” -- NCD Chair Clyde Terry

Host (Lawrence Carter-Long): Hello and welcome to CONVERSATIONS WITH THE NATIONAL COUNCIL ON DISABILITY.  In this, our inaugural edition, we’ll speak with NCD Chair Clyde Terry about the importance of a story, what’s even better than finding a job and, for him, how it all began with the bearded man of New Hampshire.

“Who are the bearded man of New Hampshire?”  NCD Chair Clyde Terry explains.

Clyde Terry: I was working for the developmental disabilities Council… A gentleman named Larry Robinson who was director of The Independent Living Center in the state and Lee Purcley, who was an attorney for the Disability Rights Center. We came together, in the case of Mr Robinson he couldn't get into a polling place unless the police officer came outside to get a smoke. For myself, I’m blind, I could never get a ballot that I could use privately owned independently house had to rely on someone else. Lee, was an advocate at heart, we all happened to have beards. We first tried to change the law in New Hampshire and were told “well, there's not much we can do here, you’ll have to go to Washington” and amazingly what we found is when we talked to folks with disabilities here in the beltway, is that everybody had a story or knew someone else had a story of problems with voting. We eventually got a small bill introduced in the Senate. The voting franchise became an important part of the national landscape.  Sort of ‘Mr. Smith Goes To Washington’ we tried to make a difference and at the end of the day I think we have.

Host: A real life example of how everything improves, how we’re all stronger when we're able to come together...

Clyde Terry: That's right. We don't do well when we fragment ourselves and segment ourselves. We're stronger when we recognize that we all have a joint interest in supporting the disability community as a whole.

Host: What are the milestones in terms of the work that NCD has done that you feel are significant? And are really informing the work that we're doing today?

Clyde Terry: The still landmark piece of work is first versions of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The idea that person with disabilities shall not be discriminated against in all aspects of American life. That clearly is a touchstone and landmark, but I'm sure back then when folks at the Council started this conversation, there were those that said, “Oh no, that couldn't be done. That's impossible ‘cause people with disabilities for whatever reasons, you know, should not have the same rights as everyone else. We have to make exceptions.”

I'm sure that was the conversation at the time but here we are twenty-five years later and sometimes we still hear some of those voices. For example, the Council did a report on sub-minimum wage. The Council’s view is not so much look at today, let's look at tomorrow. We don't know what technology, healthcare, education, is going to do for all our citizens -- including folks with disabilities, so we can’t have a public policy that discriminates. We have a public policy that includes. ... Click here to read the full interview. 

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