Langevin will preside over House to mark anniversary of Americans with Disabilities Act

By Mark Arsenault, Globe Staff

WASHINGTON -- Rhode Island Congressman Jim Langevin, who is quadriplegic and uses a motorized wheelchair, will preside over the U.S. House of Representatives for the first time on Monday, in an event timed to coincide with the 20th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The Speaker’s rostrum on the House floor has recently been made wheelchair-accessible through a series of lifts.

“I have long said that I may be the first quadriplegic to serve in Congress, but I won’t be the last,” said Langevin, a five-term Democrat and co-chair of the Bipartisan Disabilities Caucus, in a statement. “On Monday, we will celebrate another major step in continuing efforts to make the Capitol complex accessible. This is an extremely proud moment for me and helps renew my spirit as we continue to remove barriers and strengthen the ADA for millions of Americans with disabilities in the decades to come.”

Langevin was paralyzed in a shooting accident when he was 16 years old.