Sylvia Walker

Sylvia Walker (July 18, 1937 - February 6, 2004) was a disability rights activist and professor with the School of Education at Howard University.

Born in New York City as a blind African American woman, Walker experienced ableism in her early education and worked to combat this discrimination in her professional career. Walker established the Howard University Centre for Disability and Socioeconomic Policy Studies, which is currently known as the Centre for the Study of Handicapped Children and Youth. Walker oversaw the Howard University Research and Training Centre (HURTC), which specialised in preparing low-income, disabled African American students for future employment, while she was at Howard. She also served as the department of psychoeducational studies chairman.

In 1995, Walker cofounded the American Association of People with Disabilities along with Bob Dole and Justin Dart Jr. In that same year, President Bill Clinton appointed Ronald W. Drach and Walker as vice-chairs of the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities after Walker had served on the subcommittee on employee disability concerns, starting in 1987. Provided by Wikipedia