Carrie Ann Lucas

For the American R&B singer, see Carrie Lucas.

Carrie Ann Lucas
Carrie Ann Lucas
Born(1971-11-18)November 18, 1971
Twentynine Palms, California
DiedFebruary 24, 2019(2019-02-24) (aged 47)
Medical Center of the Rockies, Loveland, Colorado
Occupation(s)Lawyer, Teacher, Minister, Activist

Carrie Ann Lucas (November 18, 1971 – February 24, 2019) was a lawyer, disability rights advocate, and activist in the United States.[1] She founded Disabled Parents Rights, an organization to fight discrimination against parents with disabilities. In addition to fighting for parents' rights in Colorado and nationally, she also worked to combat "right to die" legislation.[2] With others from ADAPT, she was arrested after a 58-hour sit-in in the office of Colorado Senator Cory Gardner in 2017.[3]

Biography

Carrie Ann Lucas was an athlete studying sports medicine when after graduating from Whitworth College, she was diagnosed with a neuromuscular disease. She was an ordained minister, graduating from the Iliff School of Theology, and also worked as a teacher while living in Saipan. As her symptoms progressed, she took a semester off from law school to study Braille and sign language, eventually graduating 15th in her class at the University of Denver Law School.

While working for the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition, she was lead plaintiff for a class action suit against Kmart, one of the largest accessibility class action settlements to date.[4] In 2004, Lucas founded the Center for the Rights of Parents with Disabilities. She was an advocate in the Disability Rights Movement with organizations such as ADAPT, Not Dead Yet, and the National Council on Disability for many years.[5] She ran for public office in Windsor, Colorado in 2017.[6]

Hard of hearing and legally blind, breathing through a ventilator and using a power wheelchair, she raised four adopted children with developmental and physical disabilities.

In February 2019, at the age of 47, Lucas suffered cardiac arrest and died from complications from an ensuing infection.[7][8] Her friends and family claimed Lucas' death was hastened by her insurance company's denial of necessary medication.[9][10]

Lucas was openly lesbian.[11]

References/Notes and references
  1. Kim, Sarah. "Carrie Ann Lucas Dies At Age 47, You Probably Haven't Heard Of Her And That's A Problem". Forbes. Retrieved 2019-02-25.
  2. Griego, Tina (2019-02-24). "Pioneering disability rights attorney Carrie Ann Lucas has died". The Colorado Independent. Retrieved 2019-02-25.
  3. "Activist Carrie Ann Lucas told Denver police to Google how to use her wheelchair; now she's charged with interference". Denverite. 30 June 2017. Retrieved 2019-02-25.
  4. "The Petra Foundation | Carrie Ann Lucas". petrafoundation.org. Retrieved 2019-02-25.
  5. "NCD Celebrates the Life and Legacy of Carrie Ann Lucas". National Council on Disability. February 25, 2019.
  6. "Carrie Ann Lucas, Disability Rights Activist and Attorney, Dies Following Denial From Insurance Company, United Healthcare". Rewire.News. 25 February 2019. Retrieved 2019-02-25.
  7. Seelye, Katharine Q. (2019-02-27). "Carrie Ann Lucas, Champion for Disabled Parents, Dies at 47". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-03-01.
  8. Blumhardt, Miles (February 26, 2019). "Carrie Ann Lucas, well-known disability rights advocate from Windsor, dies". Coloradoan. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
  9. Wang, Esther (February 27, 2019). "Disability Rights Advocate Carrie Ann Lucas Dies After Insurance Company Denied Her Necessary Medication". Jezebel. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
  10. Kim, Sarah. "Carrie Ann Lucas Dies At Age 47. You Probably Haven't Heard Of Her And That's A Problem". Forbes. Retrieved 2019-03-01.
  11. "Engaging in Politics as a Disabled Person: an Interview with Carrie Ann Lucas". Rooted in Rights. 2017-09-13. Retrieved 2020-05-08.
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