Paul G. Hearne was a pioneering disability rights advocate whose life and work helped transform the landscape for people with disabilities in the United States. Known for his leadership across the nonprofit, philanthropic, and federal sectors, Hearne used his lived experience to build a powerful platform to champion equality, accessibility, and inclusion.
Hearne attended school at the Human Resources School, which is now known as the Henry Viscardi School at The Viscardi Center. He later went to Hofstra University, earning a law degree. While he was in college, he advocated strongly for disability rights and access, particularly regarding the restrictions placed upon disabled people to have to live only on the first floor of the dormitories in case of emergency. Hearne led a protest that successfully led to policy change on campus.
Following graduation, he held leadership roles in several major organizations, including a private job placement agency for the disabled, the National Council on Disability, and the Dole Foundation for Employment of People with Disabilities. He was also one of the founders of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD).
Hearne was instrumental in shaping policy and public awareness during a time when the Disability Rights Movement was gaining national momentum. His efforts contributed to the passage and implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Though Hearne passed away in 1998, his legacy continues to thrive through initiatives that bear his name. The Paul G. Hearne Leadership Awards, established by the AAPD in 1999, support emerging leaders in the disability community. These awards not only honor Hearne’s vision but also nurture the next generation of advocates who carry forward the ideals of the ADA—equal opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency for people with disabilities.
Also in 1999, the American Bar Association Commission on Disability Rights launched the Paul G. Hearne Award for Disability Rights, presented each year to an individual or an organization/group for performing exemplary service in furthering the rights, dignity, and access to justice for people with disabilities.
Hearne truly embodied the values enshrined in the ADA: equal access for all. His legacy reminds us that while progress has been made, the pursuit of true inclusion is ongoing—and that every voice matters in the fight for disability rights.
Read all 35 stories of the New York-based leaders profiled in our ADA 35 edition.