A longtime fighter for rights of disabled people

Lisa Capece-Little, a Brooklyn native, enjoyed a long career in human resources.

“I started one of the first temp services in Texas for people with disabilities, called Peak Performers. It was a natural area for me because I had worked in rehab most of my career and I grew up with a brother who had a disability.

“It was also probably because of my mom’s advocacy work. I watched her use her little typewriter to write a letter to (New York City) Mayor (John) Lindsay and demand meetings with him because she wanted my brother to be integrated into the education system. Fortunately, special ed came into existence around 1968. My brother was born in 1959, so he ended up doing very well.

“Interestingly, my brother didn’t think he had a disability. I remember working on my master’s degree and doing a course in worker’s comp. We were asked to interview three people who had a disability so I interviewed my brother, who was largely mildly retarded. What really surprised me was that he didn’t think of himself as being disabled. He thought somebody with a disability was someone in a wheelchair or who couldn’t use his arms or legs.

“Anyway, when the concept of temp services for people with disabilities originated, it was a great way to open doors for people who might otherwise get excluded from the job market. When used correctly, it really helped to change people’s paradigms.”

— Lisa Capece-Little