From
The Washington Post. Hudson used this image of himself in the picture to scold journalists who used the phrase "wheelchair-bound," suggesting "wheelchair users."
John R. Hudson (pictured), 62, a social worker who devoted his career to support and rehabilitation for the disabled after a diving accident left him a quadriplegic as a young adult, died of respiratory arrest Dec. 9 at Inova Fair Oaks Hospital in Fairfax County.
Mr. Hudson had worked for Fairfax County government since 1995, most recently helping to develop a medical and social needs registry to assist those with disabilities in emergency preparedness efforts.
Previously, he was director of social work at the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Washington and program director for the Cerebral Palsy Center in Knoxville, Tenn.
He was an advocate for making public services and facilities -- including bus stops, sidewalks, shopping centers, Metro stations, sports facilities and auditoriums -- accessible to people with disabilities.
He testified in support of the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990, which broadened civil rights protected in previous legislation.
John Robert Hudson was born in Silver Spring and graduated in 1965 from Montgomery Blair High School.
He graduated from Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C., in 1969 and in 1971 received a master's degree in social work from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.
He was a social worker in Knoxville until he broke his neck while diving into a pond in 1973. Described as fiercely independent, he hated seeing the phrase "wheelchair-bound" in print.
Mr. Hudson devised postcards showing him roped to a wheelchair and wearing a skull-and-crossbones cap and sent them to offending journalists. It was a not-so-subtle reminder that he preferred the expression "wheelchair users."
He was a past chairman of an Arlington County disability advisory commission.
His marriage to Donna Hollis ended in divorce.
Survivors include his wife of 26 years, Elaine Sloan of Fairfax, and a brother.
From The Washington Post. Hudson used this image of himself in the picture to scold journalists who used the phrase "wheelchair-bound," suggesting "wheelchair users."
