John D. Kemp, who was born without arms or legs, will never forget the day Senator Bob Dole ushered him into a room full of small-business owners who were alarmed about the potential costs of the Americans With Disabilities Act.
Up until that day in early 1990, Mr. Kemp had been lobbying Mr. Dole, the Kansas Republican who lived with a disability himself, about what advocates wanted to see in the final draft of the legislation, which aimed to create civil rights protections and access to employment, transportation and public spaces for those with disabilities.
On the other side of the issue were businesses, many of which were concerned about the costs of providing accommodations for disabled people and the possibilities of lawsuits if they did not comply.
“He was saying, ‘I want you to hear what I hear, and afterward, I want you to tell me what you think and tell me if there’s room for negotiation,’” recalled Mr. Kemp, co-founder of the American Association of People With Disabilities.
This type of personal legislative give-and-take was a hallmark of the senator’s career and allowed Mr. Dole, who died on Sunday at the age of 98, to play a crucial role in convincing lawmakers to pass the landmark disabilities law, a moment he considered one of his greatest legislative achievements.
His role in its passage deeply reflected his own personal experience with disabilities, his gift for getting people to come to a consensus from opposing sides and a different moment in American...
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