Richard H. Bernstein
Encyclopedia
Richard H. Bernstein is an American lawyer, practicing at The Law Offices of Sam Bernstein
. He also is an adjunct professor at the University of Michigan
and served on the Wayne State University
Board of Governors for one eight-year term, including two years as vice chair and two more as chair, until deciding not to seek re-election in 2010 for a second term beginning in 2011. Bernstein has been classified as legally blind since birth, as a result of retinitis pigmentosa
.
in the Bloomfield Hills School District
of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
. In 1996, he received his Bachelor of Arts
summa cum laude from the University of Michigan
, where he was Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi
and student body president of the College of Literature, Science and Arts.
For the ability to enter Northwestern University School of Law
, Bernstein fought the Law School Admissions Council against the "visual bias" of the Law School Admission Test
(LSAT), claiming the test discriminates against the blind because of its requirements for interpreting visual material. He argued the test was no barometer of success in law school. Four universities agreed: Northwestern University
, the University of Virginia
, the University of Wisconsin and Vanderbilt University
. At the time he was admitted, he was the only blind person in the law school.
To complete his studies, Bernstein would memorize lectures and have notes read to him to memorize. For tests, he memorized test questions and entire fact patterns (the basis for the questions), some of which would be as long as 5 pages. The fact patterns would be repeatedly read to him until he committed the entire question to memory and could then provide an answer. He reportedly worked seven days a week for 13 hours each day.
He received his juris doctorate degree from Northwestern University School of Law in 1999.
and New York
.
Much of Bernstein's legal work has focused on protecting the rights of people with disabilities, which is done pro bono. He successfully represented disabled Detroit residents in 2004 in an action against the City of Detroit to fix wheelchair lifts on buses as required by federal legislation. He also represented the Paralyzed Veterans of America
in 2007 in an action against the University of Michigan for failing to include adequate accommodations for spectators with disabilities when planning renovations for the stadium. The suit resulted in increased seating for people with disabilities and their companions and enhanced accessible parking, restrooms and concessions. Also in 2007, Bernstein filed a lawsuit on behalf of people with disabilities, asserting that Oakland County, Michigan
violated the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
because its road construction plans did not include mechanisms for people with visual impairments, people in wheelchairs and others with disabilities to safely cross the street at roundabout
s. The County eventually agreed to install special safety equipment so that pedestrians, with or without disabilities, can activate traffic signals to stop traffic and get visual and audio confirmation that vehicles actually stopped, before crossing roundabout intersections.
. The plaintiffs stated that they were forced to wait in inclement weather for long periods as a result of this violation. Amidst a very public battle in the local media where then-Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick
"publicly disparaged Bernstein on radio," the U.S. Department of Justice later intervened in the case, forcing the city and Kilpatrick to settle the Federal lawsuit. The agreement, ordered by the US Department of Justice on November 4, 2005, required the city to test the wheelchair lifts of its buses daily, improve the training of its drivers and mechanics and subject its buses to surprise evaluations regularly to ensure disabled patrons have access to public transportation. The City of Detroit Department of Transportation is under the supervision of the United States Department of Justice
.
against University of Michigan
– Michigan Stadium claiming that Michigan Stadium
violated the Americans with Disabilities Act in its $226-million renovation by failing to add enough seats for disabled fans or accommodate the needs for disabled restrooms, concessions and parking. The U.S. Department of Justice assisted in the suit, which was settled in March 2008. The consent decree, signed by U.S. District Court Judge Sean Cox
required the stadium to add 329 wheelchair seats throughout the stadium by 2010, and an additional 135 accessible seats in clubhouses to go along with the existing 88 wheelchair seats. The school also enhanced the wheelchair
accessibility of parking, access routes, restrooms, concessions and other amenities, and for disabled journalists, even the player locker rooms and coaches' offices. After the expansion was completed, the stadium accommodates 109,901, allowing the stadium to retain its designation as the largest in the USA.,
residents in federal court. The suit claimed that the plan by the Road Commission for Oakland County (RCOC) to install roundabout
s at three different West Bloomfield, Michigan
intersections did not comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
and prevented disabled pedestrians from being able to move freely throughout the area. The suit claimed that roundabouts are unsafe for blind and disabled pedestrians. The case came to a national precedent-setting agreement between the RCOC and Bernstein in March 2008 for the installation of roundabout safety equipment at each location at each entry point of the roundabout. If the safety equipment fails, the community may face a federal mandate to tear out the roundabout. A 43-page outline, issued by U.S. District Judge Victoria A. Roberts
on March 27, 2009, detailed the timeline for research and installation of automated pedestrian safety equipment. The RCOC finished installing a High Intensity Activated Crosswalk (HAWK) system August 19, 2009, which cost $600,000. At a second roundabout in the suit, a Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon (RRFB) was installed October 8, 2010. The cost to set up the system was $70,000. The RCOC said the flashing beacons will stay up for at least one year, while studies are conducted by Western Michigan University
and North Carolina State University
to determine whether the two systems impact pedestrian safety, particularly for disabled people. If the results are successful, the systems could be installed at other roundabouts.
In February 2009, in Green Bay, Wisconsin
, the Green Bay City Council decided, against public opposition, to install six roundabouts on Military Avenue. Attorney Richard Bernstein spoke at the Council's February 16, 2009 meeting in opposition of the roundabout installations. In an interview with Green Bay television station WBAY-TV
, Richard Bernstein stated that if the roundabouts are approved as-is on Military Avenue, he is prepared to explore taking the issue to federal court. In March 2009, due to public outcry and the proposed law suit, the Council cancelled installation of the six proposed roundabouts, instead opting for installation of traffic signals.
(NWA) and Wayne County Airport Authority
on behalf of five disabled passengers, claiming that NWA and the Airport Authority violated the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Carrier Act and the Rehabilitation Act. The suit alleged that Detroit Metro Airport and NWA have dropped passengers to the floor, denied them accessible parking, damaged wheelchairs and failed to provide an area for guide dogs to relieve themselves. Further, the suit alleged that Detroit Metro Airport could be in violation of federal laws developed to improve access for the physically disabled.
On September 3, 2008, U.S. District Court Judge George Caram Steeh III
ruled that the ADA applies to air carriers. According to expert Gary Talbot of Boston, formerly of the U.S. Access Board, the ruling means floor slopes, boarding platforms, counter heights, bathrooms, how wheelchairs are handled and anything pertaining to Metro Airport must comply with ADA architectural guidelines. Talbot submitted a 100-page audit to the U.S. District Court in December 2008. According to an interview of Talbot in The Detroit News, the decisions of the judge in this case could drive change across the country with regard to ADA compliance and structural changes required to achieve compliance.
Announced on September 27, 2011, an order in U.S. District Court in Detroit resolved approximately 60 disputed items within the lawsuit had reached settlement. The order was signed by Judge Steeh, Atlanta-based Delta Airlines (which became part of the suit when it purchased Northwest Airlines during the time of the lawsuit) and the Airport Authority to make significant modifications to bring them into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act laws, and in some cases, the airline and airport authority already have (as of September 30, 2011). The order covers changes to Detroit Metro Airport's McNamara Terminal, North Terminal, parking garages, the Westin Hotel and airport shuttle buses to better accommodate disabled passengers. The court also ruled that the airlines and airport authority violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by not providing an accessible path from an elevator discharge area to a pedestrian bridge at the airport in Romulus, southwest of Detroit.
Major upgrades include installing new curb ramps, accessible restroom stalls and cane detectors throughout the airport, as well as altering the slope of some ramps. Minor modifications include: signage changes, removal of confusing elevator switch plates and the provision of staffers to help disabled flyers at airline kiosks or crossing jet bridges.
The lawsuit was dismissed as part of the agreement for upgrades, and the airport and airline did not admit to wrongdoing or liability, as part of the agreement. The airline and airport authority have three years to comply with the modifications. Under the agreement, significant changes can be completed after the three years has elapsed and the timeline is open to negotiation.
(ABA) on behalf of legally blind school applicant Angelo Binno, a resident of West Bloomfield, Michigan in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
Southern Division. The complaint alleges that by pushing law schools to use the Law School Admission Test
(LSAT) in its accreditation rules, the ABA imposes an inequitable test requiring "spatial reasoning and the ability to diagram” that discriminates against blind and visually impaired students. The suit alleges that the ABA is thereby failing to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
The suit seeks injunctive and declaratory relief as well as a waiver from the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) for Binno due to his visual impairment caused by retinitis pigmentosa. According to news reports, Binno is not seeking financial damages.
Binno claims he has been denied entry to law school five times because of low LSAT scores, due to his inability to diagram for the logic game section and to be granted a waiver from taking the LSAT, administered by the Law School Admission Council
(LSAC). The LSAC administers more than 100,000 LSATs annually.
Questions that require diagramming to answer successfully make up one-fourth of the exam, consisting of 23 “logic game” questions in the three-part test. High LSAT scores improve an applicant’s chances of getting into a prestigious law school.
Binno graduated West Bloomfield High School
in three years instead of the traditional four, earned a bachelor’s degree in political science
from Wayne State University and was awarded high-level security clearance to access the National Crime Information Center
database with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, where Binno worked for two years. Binno also speaks three languages.
The suit also alleges that law schools are pressured by the ABA to administer the LSAT because if they waive the exam for visually impaired applicants they risk losing their status as an ABA-approved school. According to the suit, schools could face sanctions, be put on probation or lose accreditation completely if they fail to comply by providing the LSAT.
According to the ABA, law schools must require applicants to take a “valid and reliable admissions test” but it has never required use of the LSAT. It claims that schools can use a test other than the LSAT if the school can establish that it is a “valid and reliable” test of an applicant’s “ability to satisfactorily complete the school’s education program.” Statistical studies have shown little, if any, correlation between high LSAT scores and academic success in law school.
The ABA also says it does not establish the weight a law school must give to LSAT test scores in its admissions requirements. However, Wayne State University Professor David Moss on June 15, 2011 on National Public Radio (NPR) said that some schools do accept students with low LSAT scores, but the LSAC directs schools not to give tests taken with special accommodations the same weight as regular LSAT test scores. Schools that accept low LSAT scores may damage their rankings in the annual U.S. News and World Report.
In a statement, the ABA said it “believes the LSAT does not unlawfully discriminate against persons with disabilities.” The ABA told NPR it requires universities it accredits to conform to federal law and that accommodations be made for people with disabilities.
The LSAC has been sued twice by the Department of Justice, once in 2002 and once in 2011, for failing to provide “reasonable accommodations” for disabled students and for having an “inaccessible website,” respectively. In the 2002 case, the LSAC did not grant extra time to four students with cerebral palsy
, which is required by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
On August 15, 2011, the ABA filed a motion to dismiss because the organization says it is not responsible for the administration of the LSAT. As of September 2011, the case is still pending.
through OneFamily Fund in Jerusalem to meet with survivors of terrorist attacks in Sderot
. OneFamily Fund is an organization working to raise awareness for the effects of terrorism on the people of Israel and provides direct financial, legal and emotional assistance to terror victims. Bernstein was invited to discuss his advocacy work, fighting for the rights of people with disabilities, and how victims of terror can cope with disabilities caused by the attacks they have experienced.
In the fall of 2010, Bernstein was asked by the government of Ecuador
in South America
to participate in a speaking tour demonstrating the abilities and possible achievements of the disabled to rally support for disabled rights. While in the country, he spoke to mainstream media and Ecuadorian universities, including Colegio Americano de Quito
.
Board of Governors in November 2002 at the age of 28. In February 2009, the Board unanimously voted Bernstein as its Chair; he previously served two years as Vice Chair. His term on the Board concluded at the end of 2010. He is reported as the first blind person to run for statewide office in Michigan.
Among Bernstein's initiatives as Chair of the Board of Governors, he led the Board in unanimously passing a resolution in September 2009 regarding the Amazon Kindle
reader. The action was prompted by a federal lawsuit filed by the National Federation of the Blind
, based in Baltimore, in partnership with the American Council of the Blind
against Arizona State University
, to block the university from using the Kindle as a way to distribute electronic textbooks, stating the devices are not accessible by blind students. The Board passed a resolution asking Amazon to make the Kindle user-friendly for blind students and forbid the use of Kindle e-books at Wayne State University until they were made accessible to visually impaired students. After WSU's resolution, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Syracuse University
stopped the use of Kindles on campus. On December 7, 2009, Amazon announced it would add audible menus and extra large fonts to make its e-book more accessible to blind and vision impaired students.
Bernstein was the creator and host of the segment, "Making a Difference," which aired on CBS
in Detroit. The show featured community volunteers in the Detroit metropolitan area. He also has contributed to The Detroit News
and the Detroit Free Press
. Announced on September 13, 2011, Bernstein and Pulitzer Prize winner Angelo Henderson co-host together a one-hour legal radio show called "Fighting for Justice" on WCHB
-AM (1200) in Metro Detroit.
Bernstein teaches a political science course on law and social change in the political science department at the University of Michigan
.
He appeared on television show City Limits and was interviewed by Karen Kahen at the Beverly Hills High School Media Station.
In his spare time, Bernstein is a runner, completing 14 marathons, including marathons in New York, Detroit, Jerusalem, Miami and Los Angeles. At the age of 34, he completed the Ironman Triathlon
in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho on June 22, 2008. The Ironman includes a 112 miles (180.2 km) bike ride, 42.195 kilometres (26.2 mi) marathon and 2.4 miles (3.9 km) swim, without a break. Bernstein finished the marathon in 14 hours and 36 minutes. In October 2009, Bernstein ran the Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Bank marathon with athletes from Wayne State University serving as his guides. At the age of 37, Bernstein completed the Half Israman triathlon, a competition like the Ironman, taking place in Eilat, Israel
in January 2011. The Half Israman consists of a 1.9 km swim in the Red Sea
, a 90 km cycle and a 21.1 km run. Bernstein completed the triathlon, as the competition's first blind competitor, with the assistance of a pilot of the Israeli Air Force
, part of the Israel Defense Forces
.
in the State of Michigan. He ran on a platform of public advocacy and active litigation, facing primary opponent, David Leyton. The two faced off at the endorsing convention on April 17, 2010. Bernstein lost the Michigan Democratic Party
endorsement to Leyton in one of the closest races for the democratic nomination in the state, with a slim margin of just 153.6 proportional votes.
, received the "Michiganian of the Year" award from The Detroit News, identified as one of Crain's Detroit Business' "40 Under 40" and selected by The Young Lawyers Section of the State Bar of Michigan as the 2003–2004 Regeana Myrick Outstanding Young Lawyer Award recipient. In 2006, he won CNN
's "Keeping Them Honest" award for his legal work on behalf of wheelchair
users in Detroit. He also was awarded the John W. Cummiskey Pro Bono Award from the State Bar of Michigan
in 2008.
He has earned various awards for his community involvement, including the Spirit of Detroit Award from the Detroit City Council
for his work establishing the Sarcoidosis Center of Excellence, a Special Recognition Award from the Macomb Intermediate School District for advocacy on behalf students with disabilities and their parents, the Children’s Advocate Award from the National Council of Jewish Women
for his advocacy work that benefited disadvantaged children, and a Volunteer of the Year from the Jewish Home and Aging Services. On October 28, 2011, Bernstein received the University of Michigan 2011 James T. Neubacher Award, presented by U-M Regent Julia Donovan Darlow
, for demonstrating exceptional leadership and advocacy in generating awareness and acceptance for disabled rights.
For his athletic efforts, Bernstein was honored by the Michigan Governor's Council on Physical Fitness for overcoming great challenges and continuing to pursue physical activity as a daily routine. In 2010, he was honored by the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame with the Tony Filippis Courage Award for his athleticism despite his disability.
The Law Offices of Sam Bernstein
The Law Offices of Sam Bernstein, officially The Law Offices of Samuel I. Bernstein, is an American law firm, located in Farmington Hills, Michigan. The firm specializes in personal injury law. As of 2008, its main office employed approximately 50 employees....
. He also is an adjunct professor at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
and served on the Wayne State University
Wayne State University
Wayne State University is a public research university located in Detroit, Michigan, United States, in the city's Midtown Cultural Center Historic District. Founded in 1868, WSU consists of 13 schools and colleges offering more than 400 major subject areas to over 32,000 graduate and...
Board of Governors for one eight-year term, including two years as vice chair and two more as chair, until deciding not to seek re-election in 2010 for a second term beginning in 2011. Bernstein has been classified as legally blind since birth, as a result of retinitis pigmentosa
Retinitis pigmentosa
Retinitis pigmentosa is a group of genetic eye conditions that leads to incurable blindness. In the progression of symptoms for RP, night blindness generally precedes tunnel vision by years or even decades. Many people with RP do not become legally blind until their 40s or 50s and retain some...
.
Educational Background
Bernstein attended Andover High SchoolAndover High School (Bloomfield Hills, Michigan)
Andover High School is a public high school in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, USA and is part of the Bloomfield Hills School District. The school's current principal is Rob Durecka. The school was founded in 1955. The school boasts well-rounded programs in academics, the arts and sports...
in the Bloomfield Hills School District
Bloomfield Hills School District
Bloomfield Hills School District is a school district in the U.S. state of Michigan. It was founded in the 1950s. BHSD has ranked among the best school systems in Michigan multiple times.-Schools:*Wing Lake Developmental Center...
of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
Bloomfield Hills is a city in Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan, northwest of downtown Detroit. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 3,869...
. In 1996, he received his Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
summa cum laude from the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
, where he was Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi
Phi Kappa Phi
The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi is an honor society established 1897 to recognize and encourage superior scholarship without restriction as to area of study and to promote the "unity and democracy of education"...
and student body president of the College of Literature, Science and Arts.
For the ability to enter Northwestern University School of Law
Northwestern University School of Law
The Northwestern University School of Law is a private American law school in Chicago, Illinois. The law school was founded in 1859 as the Union College of Law of the Old University of Chicago. The first law school established in Chicago, it became jointly controlled by Northwestern University in...
, Bernstein fought the Law School Admissions Council against the "visual bias" of the Law School Admission Test
Law School Admission Test
The Law School Admission Test is a half-day standardized test administered four times each year at designated testing centers throughout the world. Administered by the Law School Admission Council for prospective law school candidates, the LSAT is designed to assess Reading Comprehension,...
(LSAT), claiming the test discriminates against the blind because of its requirements for interpreting visual material. He argued the test was no barometer of success in law school. Four universities agreed: Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
, the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
, the University of Wisconsin and Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
. At the time he was admitted, he was the only blind person in the law school.
To complete his studies, Bernstein would memorize lectures and have notes read to him to memorize. For tests, he memorized test questions and entire fact patterns (the basis for the questions), some of which would be as long as 5 pages. The fact patterns would be repeatedly read to him until he committed the entire question to memory and could then provide an answer. He reportedly worked seven days a week for 13 hours each day.
He received his juris doctorate degree from Northwestern University School of Law in 1999.
Legal career overview
Bernstein joined the Law Offices of Sam Bernstein after graduating from Northwestern University School of Law. He is licensed to practice law in the states of MichiganMichigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Much of Bernstein's legal work has focused on protecting the rights of people with disabilities, which is done pro bono. He successfully represented disabled Detroit residents in 2004 in an action against the City of Detroit to fix wheelchair lifts on buses as required by federal legislation. He also represented the Paralyzed Veterans of America
Paralyzed Veterans of America
The Paralyzed Veterans of America is a veterans' service organization in the United States of America, founded in 1946. The organization holds 34 chapters and 61 National Service Offices in the United States...
in 2007 in an action against the University of Michigan for failing to include adequate accommodations for spectators with disabilities when planning renovations for the stadium. The suit resulted in increased seating for people with disabilities and their companions and enhanced accessible parking, restrooms and concessions. Also in 2007, Bernstein filed a lawsuit on behalf of people with disabilities, asserting that Oakland County, Michigan
Oakland County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the 2010 Census, there were 1,202,362 people, 471,115 households, and 315,175 families residing in the county. The population density as of the 2000 census was 1,369 people per square mile . There were 492,006 housing units at an average density of 564 per square mile...
violated the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 is a law that was enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1990. It was signed into law on July 26, 1990, by President George H. W. Bush, and later amended with changes effective January 1, 2009....
because its road construction plans did not include mechanisms for people with visual impairments, people in wheelchairs and others with disabilities to safely cross the street at roundabout
Roundabout
A roundabout is the name for a road junction in which traffic moves in one direction around a central island. The word dates from the early 20th century. Roundabouts are common in many countries around the world...
s. The County eventually agreed to install special safety equipment so that pedestrians, with or without disabilities, can activate traffic signals to stop traffic and get visual and audio confirmation that vehicles actually stopped, before crossing roundabout intersections.
Detroit Department of Transportation (filed August 2004)
Suit filed against the City of Detroit on behalf of five disabled Detroit residents, claiming that half of the city’s buses lacked working wheelchair lifts as required by Federal LawFederal law
Federal law is the body of law created by the federal government of a country. A federal government is formed when a group of political units, such as states or provinces join together in a federation, surrendering their individual sovereignty and many powers to the central government while...
. The plaintiffs stated that they were forced to wait in inclement weather for long periods as a result of this violation. Amidst a very public battle in the local media where then-Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick
Kwame Kilpatrick
Kwame Malik Kilpatrick is a former mayor of Detroit, Michigan. Kilpatrick's mayorship was plagued by numerous scandals and rampant accusations of corruption, with the mayor eventually resigning after being charged with ten felony counts, including perjury and obstruction of justice...
"publicly disparaged Bernstein on radio," the U.S. Department of Justice later intervened in the case, forcing the city and Kilpatrick to settle the Federal lawsuit. The agreement, ordered by the US Department of Justice on November 4, 2005, required the city to test the wheelchair lifts of its buses daily, improve the training of its drivers and mechanics and subject its buses to surprise evaluations regularly to ensure disabled patrons have access to public transportation. The City of Detroit Department of Transportation is under the supervision of the United States Department of Justice
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
.
University of Michigan – Michigan Stadium (filed April 2007)
Suit filed on behalf of the Michigan Paralyzed Veterans of AmericaParalyzed Veterans of America
The Paralyzed Veterans of America is a veterans' service organization in the United States of America, founded in 1946. The organization holds 34 chapters and 61 National Service Offices in the United States...
against University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
– Michigan Stadium claiming that Michigan Stadium
Michigan Stadium
Michigan Stadium, nicknamed "The Big House," is the football stadium for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan Stadium was built in 1927 at a cost of $950,000 and had an original capacity of 72,000. Before playing football at the stadium, the Wolverines played on Ferry Field...
violated the Americans with Disabilities Act in its $226-million renovation by failing to add enough seats for disabled fans or accommodate the needs for disabled restrooms, concessions and parking. The U.S. Department of Justice assisted in the suit, which was settled in March 2008. The consent decree, signed by U.S. District Court Judge Sean Cox
Sean Cox
Sean Francis Cox is a United States District Judge for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. He is the older brother of Mike Cox, Michigan's Attorney General....
required the stadium to add 329 wheelchair seats throughout the stadium by 2010, and an additional 135 accessible seats in clubhouses to go along with the existing 88 wheelchair seats. The school also enhanced the wheelchair
Wheelchair
A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, designed to be a replacement for walking. The device comes in variations where it is propelled by motors or by the seated occupant turning the rear wheels by hand. Often there are handles behind the seat for someone else to do the pushing...
accessibility of parking, access routes, restrooms, concessions and other amenities, and for disabled journalists, even the player locker rooms and coaches' offices. After the expansion was completed, the stadium accommodates 109,901, allowing the stadium to retain its designation as the largest in the USA.,
Road Commission for Oakland County (filed August 2007)
Suit filed on behalf of three disabled Oakland County, MichiganOakland County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the 2010 Census, there were 1,202,362 people, 471,115 households, and 315,175 families residing in the county. The population density as of the 2000 census was 1,369 people per square mile . There were 492,006 housing units at an average density of 564 per square mile...
residents in federal court. The suit claimed that the plan by the Road Commission for Oakland County (RCOC) to install roundabout
Roundabout
A roundabout is the name for a road junction in which traffic moves in one direction around a central island. The word dates from the early 20th century. Roundabouts are common in many countries around the world...
s at three different West Bloomfield, Michigan
West Bloomfield Township, Michigan
West Bloomfield Charter Township is an affluent charter township in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan, within the Detroit metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the township had a population of 64,690. As of 2008, West Bloomfield Township was ranked the 8th highest income city in the...
intersections did not comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 is a law that was enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1990. It was signed into law on July 26, 1990, by President George H. W. Bush, and later amended with changes effective January 1, 2009....
and prevented disabled pedestrians from being able to move freely throughout the area. The suit claimed that roundabouts are unsafe for blind and disabled pedestrians. The case came to a national precedent-setting agreement between the RCOC and Bernstein in March 2008 for the installation of roundabout safety equipment at each location at each entry point of the roundabout. If the safety equipment fails, the community may face a federal mandate to tear out the roundabout. A 43-page outline, issued by U.S. District Judge Victoria A. Roberts
Victoria A. Roberts
Victoria A. Roberts is a United States federal judge.Born in Detroit, Michigan, Roberts received her B.A. from the University of Michigan in 1973, and her J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law in 1977...
on March 27, 2009, detailed the timeline for research and installation of automated pedestrian safety equipment. The RCOC finished installing a High Intensity Activated Crosswalk (HAWK) system August 19, 2009, which cost $600,000. At a second roundabout in the suit, a Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon (RRFB) was installed October 8, 2010. The cost to set up the system was $70,000. The RCOC said the flashing beacons will stay up for at least one year, while studies are conducted by Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University is a public university located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. The university was established in 1903 by Dwight B. Waldo, and as of the Fall 2010 semester, its enrollment is 25,045....
and North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University at Raleigh is a public, coeducational, extensive research university located in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Commonly known as NC State, the university is part of the University of North Carolina system and is a land, sea, and space grant institution...
to determine whether the two systems impact pedestrian safety, particularly for disabled people. If the results are successful, the systems could be installed at other roundabouts.
In February 2009, in Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay is a city in and the county seat of Brown County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, located at the head of Green Bay, a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It has an elevation of above sea level and is located north of Milwaukee. As of the 2010 United States Census,...
, the Green Bay City Council decided, against public opposition, to install six roundabouts on Military Avenue. Attorney Richard Bernstein spoke at the Council's February 16, 2009 meeting in opposition of the roundabout installations. In an interview with Green Bay television station WBAY-TV
WBAY-TV
WBAY-TV is the ABC television affiliate in Green Bay, Wisconsin, broadcasting on UHF digital channel 23 from a transmitter located in the town of Ledgeview, Wisconsin, and master control based in its building in downtown Green Bay...
, Richard Bernstein stated that if the roundabouts are approved as-is on Military Avenue, he is prepared to explore taking the issue to federal court. In March 2009, due to public outcry and the proposed law suit, the Council cancelled installation of the six proposed roundabouts, instead opting for installation of traffic signals.
Northwest Airlines and Wayne County Airport Authority (filed April 2008)
Suit filed against Northwest AirlinesNorthwest Airlines
Northwest Airlines, Inc. was a major United States airline founded in 1926 and absorbed into Delta Air Lines by a merger approved on October 29, 2008, making Delta the largest airline in the world...
(NWA) and Wayne County Airport Authority
Wayne County Airport Authority
Wayne County Airport Authority is a governmental entity that operates airports in Metro Detroit in Michigan. The agency has its headquarters in the L.C. Smith Terminal at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport in Romulus...
on behalf of five disabled passengers, claiming that NWA and the Airport Authority violated the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Carrier Act and the Rehabilitation Act. The suit alleged that Detroit Metro Airport and NWA have dropped passengers to the floor, denied them accessible parking, damaged wheelchairs and failed to provide an area for guide dogs to relieve themselves. Further, the suit alleged that Detroit Metro Airport could be in violation of federal laws developed to improve access for the physically disabled.
On September 3, 2008, U.S. District Court Judge George Caram Steeh III
George Caram Steeh III
George Caram Steeh III is a United States federal judge.Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Steeh received a B.A. from the University of Michigan in 1969 and a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School in 1973. He was a Genesee County Prosecutor's Office from 1973 to 1980. He was an Assistant...
ruled that the ADA applies to air carriers. According to expert Gary Talbot of Boston, formerly of the U.S. Access Board, the ruling means floor slopes, boarding platforms, counter heights, bathrooms, how wheelchairs are handled and anything pertaining to Metro Airport must comply with ADA architectural guidelines. Talbot submitted a 100-page audit to the U.S. District Court in December 2008. According to an interview of Talbot in The Detroit News, the decisions of the judge in this case could drive change across the country with regard to ADA compliance and structural changes required to achieve compliance.
Announced on September 27, 2011, an order in U.S. District Court in Detroit resolved approximately 60 disputed items within the lawsuit had reached settlement. The order was signed by Judge Steeh, Atlanta-based Delta Airlines (which became part of the suit when it purchased Northwest Airlines during the time of the lawsuit) and the Airport Authority to make significant modifications to bring them into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act laws, and in some cases, the airline and airport authority already have (as of September 30, 2011). The order covers changes to Detroit Metro Airport's McNamara Terminal, North Terminal, parking garages, the Westin Hotel and airport shuttle buses to better accommodate disabled passengers. The court also ruled that the airlines and airport authority violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by not providing an accessible path from an elevator discharge area to a pedestrian bridge at the airport in Romulus, southwest of Detroit.
Major upgrades include installing new curb ramps, accessible restroom stalls and cane detectors throughout the airport, as well as altering the slope of some ramps. Minor modifications include: signage changes, removal of confusing elevator switch plates and the provision of staffers to help disabled flyers at airline kiosks or crossing jet bridges.
The lawsuit was dismissed as part of the agreement for upgrades, and the airport and airline did not admit to wrongdoing or liability, as part of the agreement. The airline and airport authority have three years to comply with the modifications. Under the agreement, significant changes can be completed after the three years has elapsed and the timeline is open to negotiation.
American Bar Association (filed May 2011)
Suit filed against the American Bar AssociationAmerican Bar Association
The American Bar Association , founded August 21, 1878, is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. The ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of academic standards for law schools, and the formulation...
(ABA) on behalf of legally blind school applicant Angelo Binno, a resident of West Bloomfield, Michigan in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan is the Federal district court with jurisdiction over of the eastern portion of the state of Michigan. The Court is based in Detroit, with courthouses also located in Ann Arbor, Bay City, Flint, and Port Huron...
Southern Division. The complaint alleges that by pushing law schools to use the Law School Admission Test
Law School Admission Test
The Law School Admission Test is a half-day standardized test administered four times each year at designated testing centers throughout the world. Administered by the Law School Admission Council for prospective law school candidates, the LSAT is designed to assess Reading Comprehension,...
(LSAT) in its accreditation rules, the ABA imposes an inequitable test requiring "spatial reasoning and the ability to diagram” that discriminates against blind and visually impaired students. The suit alleges that the ABA is thereby failing to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
The suit seeks injunctive and declaratory relief as well as a waiver from the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) for Binno due to his visual impairment caused by retinitis pigmentosa. According to news reports, Binno is not seeking financial damages.
Binno claims he has been denied entry to law school five times because of low LSAT scores, due to his inability to diagram for the logic game section and to be granted a waiver from taking the LSAT, administered by the Law School Admission Council
Law School Admission Council
The Law School Admission Council is a nonprofit organization whose members include more than 200 law schools throughout the United States and Canada...
(LSAC). The LSAC administers more than 100,000 LSATs annually.
Questions that require diagramming to answer successfully make up one-fourth of the exam, consisting of 23 “logic game” questions in the three-part test. High LSAT scores improve an applicant’s chances of getting into a prestigious law school.
Binno graduated West Bloomfield High School
West Bloomfield High School
West Bloomfield High School is a public secondary school in West Bloomfield, Michigan. The school is the only public high school in the West Bloomfield School District. The School Enrollment for the 2010-2011 school year is about 1900. West Bloomfield High School was previously located in the...
in three years instead of the traditional four, earned a bachelor’s degree in political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
from Wayne State University and was awarded high-level security clearance to access the National Crime Information Center
National Crime Information Center
The National Crime Information Center is the United States' central database for tracking crime-related information. Since 1967, the NCIC has been maintained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Criminal Justice Information Services Division, and is interlinked with similar systems that each...
database with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, where Binno worked for two years. Binno also speaks three languages.
The suit also alleges that law schools are pressured by the ABA to administer the LSAT because if they waive the exam for visually impaired applicants they risk losing their status as an ABA-approved school. According to the suit, schools could face sanctions, be put on probation or lose accreditation completely if they fail to comply by providing the LSAT.
According to the ABA, law schools must require applicants to take a “valid and reliable admissions test” but it has never required use of the LSAT. It claims that schools can use a test other than the LSAT if the school can establish that it is a “valid and reliable” test of an applicant’s “ability to satisfactorily complete the school’s education program.” Statistical studies have shown little, if any, correlation between high LSAT scores and academic success in law school.
The ABA also says it does not establish the weight a law school must give to LSAT test scores in its admissions requirements. However, Wayne State University Professor David Moss on June 15, 2011 on National Public Radio (NPR) said that some schools do accept students with low LSAT scores, but the LSAC directs schools not to give tests taken with special accommodations the same weight as regular LSAT test scores. Schools that accept low LSAT scores may damage their rankings in the annual U.S. News and World Report.
In a statement, the ABA said it “believes the LSAT does not unlawfully discriminate against persons with disabilities.” The ABA told NPR it requires universities it accredits to conform to federal law and that accommodations be made for people with disabilities.
The LSAC has been sued twice by the Department of Justice, once in 2002 and once in 2011, for failing to provide “reasonable accommodations” for disabled students and for having an “inaccessible website,” respectively. In the 2002 case, the LSAC did not grant extra time to four students with cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy is an umbrella term encompassing a group of non-progressive, non-contagious motor conditions that cause physical disability in human development, chiefly in the various areas of body movement....
, which is required by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
On August 15, 2011, the ABA filed a motion to dismiss because the organization says it is not responsible for the administration of the LSAT. As of September 2011, the case is still pending.
International Work
In June 2010, Bernstein visited IsraelIsrael
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
through OneFamily Fund in Jerusalem to meet with survivors of terrorist attacks in Sderot
Sderot
Sderot is a western Negev city in the Southern District of Israel. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics , at the end of 2009 the city had a total population of 20,700. The city has been an ongoing target of Qassam rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip...
. OneFamily Fund is an organization working to raise awareness for the effects of terrorism on the people of Israel and provides direct financial, legal and emotional assistance to terror victims. Bernstein was invited to discuss his advocacy work, fighting for the rights of people with disabilities, and how victims of terror can cope with disabilities caused by the attacks they have experienced.
In the fall of 2010, Bernstein was asked by the government of Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
to participate in a speaking tour demonstrating the abilities and possible achievements of the disabled to rally support for disabled rights. While in the country, he spoke to mainstream media and Ecuadorian universities, including Colegio Americano de Quito
Colegio Americano de Quito
The Colegio Americano de Quito is a secondary school in Quito, Ecuador. It was founded by former president of Ecuador Galo Plaza in 1940....
.
Public life
Bernstein was elected during a Michigan state-wide election to the Wayne State UniversityWayne State University
Wayne State University is a public research university located in Detroit, Michigan, United States, in the city's Midtown Cultural Center Historic District. Founded in 1868, WSU consists of 13 schools and colleges offering more than 400 major subject areas to over 32,000 graduate and...
Board of Governors in November 2002 at the age of 28. In February 2009, the Board unanimously voted Bernstein as its Chair; he previously served two years as Vice Chair. His term on the Board concluded at the end of 2010. He is reported as the first blind person to run for statewide office in Michigan.
Among Bernstein's initiatives as Chair of the Board of Governors, he led the Board in unanimously passing a resolution in September 2009 regarding the Amazon Kindle
Amazon Kindle
The Amazon Kindle is an e-book reader developed by Amazon.com subsidiary Lab126 which uses wireless connectivity to enable users to shop for, download, browse, and read e-books, newspapers, magazines, blogs, and other digital media...
reader. The action was prompted by a federal lawsuit filed by the National Federation of the Blind
National Federation of the Blind
The National Federation of the Blind is an organization of blind people in the United States. It is the oldest and largest organization led by blind people in the United States...
, based in Baltimore, in partnership with the American Council of the Blind
American Council of the Blind
The American Council of the Blind is a nationwide organization in the United States. It is an organization mainly made up of blind and visually impaired people who want to achieve independence and equality .-History:The American Council of the Blind was formed out of the dissolution of the...
against Arizona State University
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
, to block the university from using the Kindle as a way to distribute electronic textbooks, stating the devices are not accessible by blind students. The Board passed a resolution asking Amazon to make the Kindle user-friendly for blind students and forbid the use of Kindle e-books at Wayne State University until they were made accessible to visually impaired students. After WSU's resolution, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Syracuse University
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
stopped the use of Kindles on campus. On December 7, 2009, Amazon announced it would add audible menus and extra large fonts to make its e-book more accessible to blind and vision impaired students.
Bernstein was the creator and host of the segment, "Making a Difference," which aired on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
in Detroit. The show featured community volunteers in the Detroit metropolitan area. He also has contributed to The Detroit News
The Detroit News
The Detroit News is one of the two major newspapers in the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan. The paper began in 1873, when it rented space in the rival Free Press's building. The News absorbed the Detroit Tribune on February 1, 1919, the Detroit Journal on July 21, 1922, and on November 7, 1960,...
and the Detroit Free Press
Detroit Free Press
The Detroit Free Press is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, USA. The Sunday edition is entitled the Sunday Free Press. It is sometimes informally referred to as the "Freep"...
. Announced on September 13, 2011, Bernstein and Pulitzer Prize winner Angelo Henderson co-host together a one-hour legal radio show called "Fighting for Justice" on WCHB
WCHB
WCHB is an American AM radio station licensed to Taylor, Michigan, at 1200 kHz, and serving the Detroit market. Owned by Radio One, WCHB identifies as NewsTalk 1200 WCHB and airs a News/Talk format.-AM 1440 WCHB:...
-AM (1200) in Metro Detroit.
Bernstein teaches a political science course on law and social change in the political science department at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
.
He appeared on television show City Limits and was interviewed by Karen Kahen at the Beverly Hills High School Media Station.
Personal life
Bernstein resides in the Detroit metropolitan area. He has two siblings, Mark Bernstein and Beth Bernstein Miller; each practices law in their family law firm.In his spare time, Bernstein is a runner, completing 14 marathons, including marathons in New York, Detroit, Jerusalem, Miami and Los Angeles. At the age of 34, he completed the Ironman Triathlon
Ironman Triathlon
An Ironman Triathlon is one of a series of long-distance triathlon races organized by the World Triathlon Corporation consisting of a swim, a bike and a marathon run, raced in that order and without a break...
in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho on June 22, 2008. The Ironman includes a 112 miles (180.2 km) bike ride, 42.195 kilometres (26.2 mi) marathon and 2.4 miles (3.9 km) swim, without a break. Bernstein finished the marathon in 14 hours and 36 minutes. In October 2009, Bernstein ran the Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Bank marathon with athletes from Wayne State University serving as his guides. At the age of 37, Bernstein completed the Half Israman triathlon, a competition like the Ironman, taking place in Eilat, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
in January 2011. The Half Israman consists of a 1.9 km swim in the Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
, a 90 km cycle and a 21.1 km run. Bernstein completed the triathlon, as the competition's first blind competitor, with the assistance of a pilot of the Israeli Air Force
Israeli Air Force
The Israeli Air Force is the air force of the State of Israel and the aerial arm of the Israel Defense Forces. It was founded on May 28, 1948, shortly after the Israeli Declaration of Independence...
, part of the Israel Defense Forces
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
.
Campaign for Michigan Attorney General
In 2010, Richard Bernstein ran for the Democratic Nomination for Attorney GeneralAttorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
in the State of Michigan. He ran on a platform of public advocacy and active litigation, facing primary opponent, David Leyton. The two faced off at the endorsing convention on April 17, 2010. Bernstein lost the Michigan Democratic Party
Michigan Democratic Party
The Michigan Democratic Party is the state-level party of the United States Democratic Party in Michigan. It is based in Lansing. Mark Brewer is the current Party Chair.-Current officeholders:...
endorsement to Leyton in one of the closest races for the democratic nomination in the state, with a slim margin of just 153.6 proportional votes.
Awards
Bernstein has received recognition from various organizations for his work as a lawyer. He was named a 2009 Leader in the Law by Michigan Lawyers WeeklyMichigan Lawyers Weekly
Michigan Lawyers Weekly, published in Farmington Hills, Michigan, is a state-wide newspaper for the legal profession.The paper publishes each Monday, 52 weeks a year.-History:...
, received the "Michiganian of the Year" award from The Detroit News, identified as one of Crain's Detroit Business' "40 Under 40" and selected by The Young Lawyers Section of the State Bar of Michigan as the 2003–2004 Regeana Myrick Outstanding Young Lawyer Award recipient. In 2006, he won CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
's "Keeping Them Honest" award for his legal work on behalf of wheelchair
Wheelchair
A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, designed to be a replacement for walking. The device comes in variations where it is propelled by motors or by the seated occupant turning the rear wheels by hand. Often there are handles behind the seat for someone else to do the pushing...
users in Detroit. He also was awarded the John W. Cummiskey Pro Bono Award from the State Bar of Michigan
State Bar of Michigan
The State Bar of Michigan is an organization of lawyers in the State of Michigan. Membership is mandatory for attorneys who practice law in the state of Michigan...
in 2008.
He has earned various awards for his community involvement, including the Spirit of Detroit Award from the Detroit City Council
Detroit City Council
The Detroit City Council is the legislative body of Detroit, Michigan, United States. The City Council consists of nine members elected for a four-year term in a single election conducted on an at-large and non-partisan basis...
for his work establishing the Sarcoidosis Center of Excellence, a Special Recognition Award from the Macomb Intermediate School District for advocacy on behalf students with disabilities and their parents, the Children’s Advocate Award from the National Council of Jewish Women
National Council of Jewish Women
The National Council of Jewish Women defines itself as a grassroots organization of volunteers and advocates who turn progressive ideals into action...
for his advocacy work that benefited disadvantaged children, and a Volunteer of the Year from the Jewish Home and Aging Services. On October 28, 2011, Bernstein received the University of Michigan 2011 James T. Neubacher Award, presented by U-M Regent Julia Donovan Darlow
Julia Donovan Darlow
Julia Donovan Darlow, J.D. is an American attorney and member of the University of Michigan Board of Regents.-Education and career:Darlow serves as an adjunct professor at the Wayne State University Law School, where she earned her J.D. in 1971. She had previously earned a B. A...
, for demonstrating exceptional leadership and advocacy in generating awareness and acceptance for disabled rights.
For his athletic efforts, Bernstein was honored by the Michigan Governor's Council on Physical Fitness for overcoming great challenges and continuing to pursue physical activity as a daily routine. In 2010, he was honored by the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame with the Tony Filippis Courage Award for his athleticism despite his disability.