Written by Kate Suits, Mary Ann MacLean Educator 

Marca Bristo was a nurse in Chicago when she was paralyzed from the chest down following a diving accident at age 23. Following her accident, Bristo lost her job, health insurance, and access to basic infrastructure like public transportation. Bristo turned her attention to disability activism. 

In 1979, she became the founding president and CEO of Access Living, a non-profit organization that focuses on advocacy and providing resources for people with disabilities in Chicago. In 1984, as part of a protest, a group including Bristo physically blocked Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) busses and filed a lawsuit that forced the agency to install lifts on all public busses. She campaigned tirelessly for equity and access for people with disabilities within Chicago. Her successes within the city made waves across the country.

In 1990, Bristo was one of the key figures in the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) that granted civil rights to people with disabilities. After the passage of the ADA, Bristo continued her advocacy, serving on many boards and committees that worked to advance the rights of people with disabilities. She served on the National Council on Disability and in 1994, was appointed by President Clinton to serve as chair, the first person with a disability to do so. She passed away from cancer in 2019 at the age of 66.