In honor of the twentieth anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act today, Rhode Island congressman Jim Langevin, who is paralyzed from the chest down, became the first person in a wheelchair to preside over a session of the House of Representatives. Langevin, who has been serving in the House since 2001, was able to reach the speaker’s podium with the help of a recently installed mechanical lift that made it wheelchair-accessible for the first time. “What a powerful symbol of inclusion and opportunity for anyone who wants to serve in the United States Congress,” Langevin said. Starting now. [AP via Yahoo]
