Tony Coelho

Former California Congressman Tony Coelho was diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of 16. Though initially devastated, with time Coelho refused to let it inhibit his success. He successfully ran for congress in 1978, and eventually became the Majority Whip of the House of Representatives.

A major achievement was his primary authorship and sponsorship of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Coelho retired from politics in 1989, moving on to dedicate his life to helping people with disabilities. He was a founding partner of the Epilepsy Foundation, and received the Epilepsy Foundation’s 2015 Hero of Epilepsy Award.