It’s with a heavy heart that we must tell you ADAPT of Texas has lost another longtime activist, Danny Saenz. Danny has been with us since the bus blocking days, in fact he was the first person to block a bus in Austin. Danny believed in disability rights and justice and was not afraid to fight for what was right. He spent some of his early years at the Ada Wilson school, a segregated facility from which he was sent for several surgeries and other painful experiences. From those days Danny learned what he wanted to eradicate from his fellow disabled people’s lives, separation from his family and community, lower standards for disabled people, and segregated living in places where others had control of his life. Although he was quiet and unassuming in daily encounters, he was not one to be silent when it counted. He would share his views through demonstrations, including multiple arrests for civil disobedience, through testimony at the Texas legislature to Austin city government and other venues.

Despite his strong beliefs, Danny was a gentle soul and one to reach out to others. Among other things, he worked as an attendant for folks with cognitive and intellectual disabilities. He was an artist and expressed himself through his creations as well.

Danny’s protests caught the eye of many a reporter/photographer and those photos made their way to many places, including back to his mother. He liked to tell the story that she saw one of him being carried by his arms and legs by some policemen and called him up to ask what he was doing wearing the knit cap he happened to have on at the time. She thought something dressier would have been more appropriate, which made him smile.

Danny took a big interest in access to Greyhound as that was the way he would get back to see his family in Corpus Christi. He endured many, many dangerous loadings and long waits for accessible buses that he had done his best to reserve in advance, only to have his requests ignored. Yet he would not stop pushing to get the dirty dog (as we called Greyhound) to live up to their legal obligations, and his pushes slowly moved the giant company in the right direction.

Shortly before Danny died he was asked if he had a message for his fellow ADAPTers. “Keeping on fighting for access, keep on fighting for attendants” he said softly but fiercely. “The fight must go on.”

We will miss terribly one of our own who seemed to always have been there. But hopefully his wishes will ring in our ears even at these sad times, just as we carry him on in our hearts.

A Celebration of his Life will be held at the ADAPT office on Saturday November 7, at high noon. 1100 South Service Road IH 35, Austin TX 78704