Robert "Bob" Stanley Ardinger

Robert “Bob” Ardinger passed away on April 10, 2023 due to complications of pneumonia. He was a lifelong resident of Maryland and lived in Columbia for over 30 years. Bob’s life was determined by one event in early childhood which changed everything. Bob contracted polio at age two during the 1950 polio outbreak in Baltimore. He spent the next 18 months at City Hospitals and Children’s Hospital in Baltimore. Over the next several years, with the help of the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis and March of Dimes, “Bobby” had to learn how to walk, and fall, without getting hurt. As a result of contracting polio, he dealt with obstacles and isolation, the impact of which most of us could never imagine. However, Bob never allowed this to define or limit him. He used this life-changing experience to advocate for those who were unable to advocate for themselves. Bob strongly disliked being identified as a person with a disability; however, his disability defined his life’s mission and drove him to excel in every challenge he chose to pursue. Bob spent much of his childhood at his beloved Camp Greentop for children with disabilities. He often stated that he learned to “develop confidence and view his physical body as normal, and learn about people of different religions, races and national origins at Camp Greentop.” The camp was located in the Catoctin Mountains of Maryland, near Camp David. It was built in 1937 as part of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Work Project Administration. https://www.nps.gov/cato/learn/historyculture/historic-camp-greentop.htm It was somewhat a dichotomy as Camp Greentop was a great place to learn and grow; however, it also separated able-body children from those who had disabilities, resulting in a reality of isolationism for those children with disabilities. The vast majority of ‘campers’ had polio or cerebral palsy. The activities in which he participated at Camp Greentop and at home with his father and brothers, led Bob to develop the required physical skills to become a world-class athlete. Bob always loved sports and proved it through his participation in swimming and various wheelchair sports. He won several gold medals in swimming, as well as in wheelchair basketball as a member of the U.S. Wheelchair Olympic Team. He was a two-time member of the U.S. Para-Olympic Team and represented the United States in numerous international wheelchair competitions in Europe. As a member of the Pan-American team, he competed in Mexico and Brazil. Bob LOVED Brazil, never missing an opportunity to share his experiences in the country he enjoyed most as an athlete! Bob was also an All-Star member of the original Baltimore Ravens Wheelchair Basketball Team. He was arguably the original “Baltimore Raven” for Baltimore sports. As a huge fan of Edgar Allen Poe, he presented the name Ravens for their team. The Baltimore Sun (September 1, 1996) “The Other Ravens” (Lisa Pollak) https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1996-09-01-1996245078-story.html Sports were not Bob’s only passion. Academics, specifically History and Political Science, were his favorites. While many children with disabilities were ‘forced’ into special schools for the “crippled,” Bob’s mother fought endlessly to have him attend public schools with his peers. He graduated from Woodlawn High School and went on to earn the following degrees: • B.S. in History - University of Maryland • M.A. in Political Science - Antioch University • M.A. Equivalence in Education and Special Education - Morgan State University • PhD ABD in Special Education Administration - Johns Hopkins University. Bob also attended the William S. Baer School in Baltimore as a child, and then returned to teach Special Education. Bob had many achievements is his professional career: • President of a successful civil-rights firm (Ardinger Consultants & Associates) offering consulting services including expert witness services, training, technical assistance, curriculum development, program and policy review, building-plan review for accessibility compliance. • Nationally recognized expert on civil rights for persons with disabilities and civil rights-legislation including the Architectural Barriers Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Fair Housing Amendments Act, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, with over 30 years of experience in policy development, and program planning and management at both federal and state levels. • Author of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Section 504 Regulations. Mr. Ardinger also played a key role in the development of the 1988 Fair Housing Amendments Act Regulation. • Former Section 504 Program Manager for the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development where he oversaw a nationwide program to implement the requirements of Section 504 in all assisted housing programs. • Member of President Barack Obama’s Transition Team • Certified Trainer, United States Federal Government • Member – International Codes Council (ICC) • Former adjunct faculty member and curriculum contributor, National Fair Housing Training Academy, United State Department of Housing and Urban Development. • Former adjunct professor of Political Science teaching courses in government, political science, and history. • Former Radio Talk Host; WCBM, Baltimore, Maryland. • Candidate for the Maryland House of Delegates in 1994 • Founding member of “Disabled In Action” • Instrumental in the development of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) • Wrote and presented The Americans With Disabilities Act Training Guide Bob was a dedicated activist for people with disabilities. A notable example is while attending Woodlawn High School in the mid 1960’s; he and some friends chained themselves to the front-entrance doors to draw attention to the lack of accessibility for students with disabilities. Woodlawn had two floors with stairs as the only means of access between them. Bob’s brother, Doug, remembers being in the car with their dad when Bob was picked up after the “event.” The police and fire department were there to cut Bob loose. “Our dad was not real happy that day and had a few choice words for Bob.” Bob repeated this act of peaceful disobedience as a founding member of Disabled in Action. This time, it was at an entrance gate at Memorial Stadium before a Colts game. Bob’s favorite part of the story was recounting the frustration of the police because they were unable to transport the protesters to jail for booking due to their wheelchairs! He was a tireless advocate for equal access for all people with disabilities. At public-speaking engagements across the country, Bob would reiterate the question he was most asked: "people ask me what they should call me. Should they call me "handicapped" or "disabled" or "person with a disability"? He would always smile and say, "just call me Bob." He worked tirelessly to eliminate the use of the word handicapped because of its root meaning, "cap in hand" which he found offensive due to its historical reference to begging. Bob deeply loved his dogs, Kali and Holmes. The photo here shows Bob with Kali, a.k.a., his nurse! Bob is survived by his wife and best friend Cheryl Kent; brother, Douglas, sister-in-law Cynthia; and three nieces, Alexandra, Samantha and Erica. He is predeceased by his late brother, Ronald G. Ardinger. Services will be private. Donations can be made in Bob’s name to the wheelchair basketball team, Maryland Ravens, 1413 Glendale Road, Baltimore, MD 21239 www.marylandravens.org.

Robert "Bob" Stanley Ardinger

September 10, 1948 - April 10, 2023