Esther was an extraordinary human being. The first thing you would notice about Esther was her beaming smile followed by her very significant physical disability and speech impediment. Esther had cerebral palsy. She would say that it affected her body and speech but not her spirit.
Esther was probably one of the first kids to have their own computer. Because of her significant speech impediment, people could not understand her. She joked that people could understand her after a few drinks. Her first basic computer in the ‘90s said simple words like bathroom, mom, dad, Hannah, food, and water. As she grew, so did technology. She always had a computer or laptop to communicate at school.
Esther faced a lot of discrimination. As someone with a very visible physical disability and speech impediment, people automatically assumed she had an intellectual disability and talked down to her. To the contrary, she was sharp, intelligent, and clever. She had a quick wit and a great sense of humor.
She graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign with a major in English and minor in rhetoric. Her senior thesis was on the Rodney King Riots. When she learned about the Lindbergh baby trial in junior high school, she decided she would be a lawyer and that she did. She attended the University of California, Davis, School of Law, which she chose because of their emphasis on public interest law. She participated in their civil rights clinic and represented a client who was incarcerated. She interned at the White House during President Obama’s Administration. She passed both the California and Illinois Bar exams.
Esther wanted to be a civil rights lawyer but life was not so kind to her. No one would hire her because of her significant disability and speech impediment. Even well known disability rights organizations discriminated against her! Esther had to pave her own path. She joined the second class of the Justice Entrepreneurs Project in Chicago and started her own disability law practice called the Disability Rights Collective. She represented people with disabilities.
Esther dreamt of a world that was more just, fair, accessible, and kind to people with disabilities. It was her life mission to create a housing cooperative for people with and without disabilities that was affordable and accessible. She wanted to promote independence for people with disabilities so they would not have to rely on their families so she started Able Community. Through Able Community, she provided accessible housing for people with disabilities. Able Community also provided grants for people with disabilities.
Esther passed away very suddenly and unexpectedly on December 23, 2023 after testing positive for covid. Able Community transformed into the Esther Lee Foundation. Our hope is that we will honor her legacy and memory by providing grants for people with disabilities to promote their independence, quality of life, and overall well being.
Esther Lee Foundation 