In 1977, Richard “Rich” Walsh suffered a serious automobile accident that left him paralyzed from the neck down. He moved to the University of Washington Medical Center for major rehabilitation and found his life’s calling. Seeing other young, paralyzed people sent to nursing homes for the rest of their lives, Walsh decided there had to be a better way. He founded the Resource Center for the Handicapped in Bothell. The program started in his home and then moved to a converted school. It provided peer counseling, independent living programs and vocational training. During its 15-year lifetime, it trained around 1,500 people with disabilities for technological jobs, many with major corporations.

Walsh’s ongoing advocacy for people with disabilities received national recognition and helped pave the way for workplace accessibility. In 1992, he spoke at the Republican National Convention and also received a Points of Light Award from former president George H.W. Bush.

Here, Rich Walsh sits in his electric wheelchair, which he operates by facial movements and a sip-and-puff mechanism.

Caption information source: “Richard Walsh: Quadriplegic helps disabled find jobs and self-confidence”, by Pete McConnell, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, March 13, 1985, page A9.
Caption information source: “Rich Walsh, 66, devoted energy to aid disabled”, by Jessica Delos Reyes, The Seattle Times, August 18, 2004, https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/20040818/walshobit18e/rich-walsh-66-devoted-energy-to-aid-disabled. Retrieved April 24, 2026.