November 6, 2017
Congratulations to Lex Frieden, MA, LLD, the recipient of the 2017 Fries Prize for Improving Health. The CDC Foundation and the James F. and Sarah T. Fries Foundation honored Dr. Frieden for being an architect of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and a catalyst in the worldwide disability rights and independent living movements.
A professor of biomedical informatics at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Frieden has dedicated his career to improving the health and safety of Americans with disabilities. He is regarded for his pioneering work in independent living by people with disabilities and for his policy research and advocacy in the area of community-based, long-term services and supports.
“Lex Frieden is one of 53 million people (in the United States) living with disabilities. (There are an estimated) 76 million baby boomers, and countless other people in the United States and around the world, whose health status and well-being, quality of life and opportunities for full participation in society are better because of the ADA.”