"It has been an extraordinary privilege and joy to work, as a volunteer, with and on behalf of persons with special needs, over the last several decades. They and their families have taught me so much, and the bonds of friendship and mutual respect formed are enduring. The world would be so much better off if it appreciated their contributions – and so we must keep working toward that end."

~ – Bill Alford, EP 2021 Advocate Hero

CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU, EP MAGAZINE ADVOCATE HEROES! 50 FOR 50

50 YEARS OF EP • 50 ADVOCATE HEROES • PART IV OF A SERIES

EP Magazine, formerly called Exceptional Parent, is celebrating its 50th anniversary of providing an award-winning forum for the disability community. With the recognition that it’s the advocates who have provided the landmark events in the disability rights movement, EP is proud to honor 50 Advocate Heroes and showcase their extraordinary work and achievements in the following pages. While we have all had the opportunity to learn from those giants and pioneers that came before us, we are honoring living advocates.

Although it's safe to say that every parent of a child with complex disabilities is indeed an advocate, many of them have also distinguished

themselves in advocating in a larger arena. Many of our showcased advocate heroes started out as parents, exceptional parents for sure. They combined their efforts in becoming teachers, therapists, counselors, lawyers, healthcare providers, researchers and activists. This special brand of advocates – along with all the others we honor – will always have a unique place in the disability movement, not only for what they have done, but also for those they have inspired.

On behalf of EP Magazine, its Editors, the EP Editorial Advisory Board, and a group of our peers in the disability field, we congratulate and thank our 50 Advocate Heroes for their tireless work in support of the special needs community.

WILLIAM P. (BILL) ALFORD, MA, JD

"It has been an extraordinary privilege and joy to work, as a volunteer, with and on behalf of persons with special needs, over the last several decades. They and their families have taught me so much and the bonds of friendship and mutual respect formed are enduring. The world would be so much better off if it appreciated their contributions — and so we must keep working toward that end."

William P. (Bill) Alford, MA, JD, is the founding Chair of the Harvard Law School Project on Disability, which since 2004, has worked, on a pro bono basis, on disability law and policy in China, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Vietnam, the United States and several other nations. He has also long been involved with Special Olympics International (which serves individuals with intellectual disabilities in more than 180 nations), having

first been elected to its board in 2005, and now serves as Lead Director and Chair of the Executive Committee of the board. In 2008, Special Olympics honored him for his work for persons with intellectual disabilities in China.

Mr. Alford is a graduate of Amherst College (B.A. magna cum laude), the University of Cambridge (LL.B.), Yale University (M.A. in History and M.A. in Chinese Studies) and Harvard Law School (J.D.). He was awarded an honorary doctorate in law by the University of Geneva in 2010, has been an honorary professor at Renmin University of China and Zhejiang University — and was a recipient of the Li Buyun Prize of the Shanghai Institute of Finance and Law in 2018; the American Society of International Law Certificate of Merit for the Best Specialized Work in International Law in 2020; and a National Order of Merit from the President of Ecuador in 2021 for his work on disability.

INTERNATIONAL REACH: "People with special needs and their families have taught me so much over the last several decades."