Thank you Paul
This past weekend we said goodbye to a legend, Paul Spooner, Executive Director of the Metrowest Council for Independent Living (WCWIL), and disability-rights advocate. For decades Paul championed the fight for “independent living” – a philosophy grounded in the rights of individuals with disabilities to be experts in their own care. He pushed back against the forces of paternalism and helped mold a person-focused mindset here in the Commonwealth.
Paul was a fierce advocate, a strategic thinker, and a power broker, holding close relationships with legislative leadership, powerful government officials, and advocates across the State. But it was not just people with power that gravitated towards Paul. According to the MWCIL, “Most people in the disability community have interacted with Paul, and even more have benefited from his advocacy for disability services and rights.”
Earlier this year, Paul, and his team of advocates with Accessibility Mass, signed on with 27South to try and finally update the Architectural Access Board statue after 20+ years of trying. The relevant bills would create more adaptable homes and accessible workplaces for people in Massachusetts. With an aging population, and too many inaccessible homes and businesses, change was necessary.
Paul and I instantly clicked. Most importantly, he was a known Deadhead, and my love of Phish and the Dead were no secret (as the wall behind my Zoom screen faithfully advertises). Even though we had only recently officially met, we bonded over our favorite songs, and quickly developed a tight relationship. Trust is everything in this business, and I was grateful to have earned that trust from the group. It nearly paid off as the AAB bill was adopted in the House Economic Development bill and seemed fast-tracked for success. While the bill was not completed before the end of formal session, we remain hopeful for its eventual passage by the end of the year.
While Paul will not be there in body when this law is ultimately changed, his presence will be filling the room. In our last conversation, Paul told me that “we will build a statue for you when this bill becomes law.” I laughed it off, but understood this as an articulation of the passion and struggle behind this bill.
The baton of leadership had been passed several times over this bill’s long history. Paul grabbed the wheel and set the course. We will miss Paul’s strategic mind and depth of connections. He is irreplaceable. However, I am pretty certain he would point to the Grateful Dead and tell us all to just Keep Truckin’. The work remains.
There are few people in this world who have changed the lives of so many. Paul Spooner was not a household name, but he would be in a just world. He a legend in the disability rights and public policy communities. Paul may never get a statue commissioned, but I am pretty sure he would be just fine with that. His legacy is a more just and more inclusive Commonwealth
(Image from MCWIL website)
