Stuff You Missed in History Class — Two 504 Figures: Kitty Cone and Brad Lomax

Hosts: Holly Frey, Tracy V. Wilson
Date: January 5, 2026
Podcast: iHeartPodcasts

Episode Overview

This episode explores the Section 504 sit-ins of 1977—watershed protests in disability rights history—and focuses on two lesser-known but pivotal figures: Kitty Cone and Brad Lomax. Holly and Tracy provide historical context for Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, review its role and the challenges surrounding disability rights, and highlight how Cone and Lomax’s activism was essential to the prolonged San Francisco sit-in, coalition-building, and lasting change.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Section 504 & Disability Rights: Historical Foundations

• Recent Legal Context:
  • September 2024: 17 states sued the Dept. of Health and Human Services over new rules considering gender dysphoria a disability under Section 504; lawsuit dismissed in October 2025, but Section 504 and its implementation remain central in current accessibility and civil rights debates.
    (Tracy, 00:52)
• Rehabilitation Act of 1973:
  • Primarily aimed at helping disabled people with employment.
  • Included accessibility measures: interpreters for deaf people, reader services for blind people, telecommunications, mobility services, and a requirement for federal agencies to address transportation and workplace barriers.
  • Affirmative action measures were also required.
    (Tracy, 04:10)
• Section 504 Language:
  • "No otherwise qualified handicapped individual in the United States...shall solely by reason of his handicap, be excluded..."
    (Holly, 05:28)

2. The 504 Sit-Ins: Why and How They Happened

• Delay in Implementation:
  • Nixon and Ford administrations failed to enact Section 504 regulations.
  • After Carter’s election, activists occupied Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW) offices nationwide to demand action.
    (Holly, 07:27; Tracy, 08:14)
• San Francisco’s 26-Day Sit-In:
  • The longest and most impactful occupation, thanks largely to coalition-building among various groups, making it possible for demonstrators to stay for nearly a month.
    (Holly, 08:48)
• Outcome:
  • Secretary Joseph Califano signed the implementing regulations on April 28, 1977—almost four years after passage.
    (Tracy, 09:24)

Section Profiles: Activists at the Center

Kitty Cone

Early Life & Disability Journey

• Born 1944, frequently relocated due to her father's military service.
• Diagnosed with muscular dystrophy at age 15 after misdiagnoses and mistreatment.
  (Holly, 14:44; Tracy, 15:03)

Activism Roots

• Faced exclusion and discrimination throughout her education.
• Became involved in civil rights activism in college, ultimately leaving school in 1967 without graduating to pursue activism full-time.
• Made a personal decision to be sterilized based on her medical situation.
  (Tracy, 16:24; Holly, 16:50; Tracy, 18:00)

Move to California & Coalition Building

• Became a socialist and came out as a lesbian in the 1970s.
• Joined the Center for Independent Living in Berkeley and the American Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities.
• Advocated broad coalitions: “She thought disability rights organizations should...connect with abortion rights groups, anti war groups, women’s rights groups, labor unions...anywhere they could find some common ground.” (Tracy, 19:08)
• Instrumental in uniting diverse organizations—churches, unions, LGBTQ+ groups, labor, the Black Panthers, and more—for the sit-in’s survival and effectiveness.
  (Holly, 19:46; Tracy, 21:26)

The Sit-In Experience & Legacy

• Managed her own significant health needs during the sit-in, relying on teamwork.
• Part of the Washington, D.C., delegation that pushed the regulations forward.
• Memorable Quote:
  “We showed strength and courage and power and commitment, that we the shut ins or the shutouts, we the hidden, supposedly the frail and the weak, that we can wage a struggle at the highest level of government and win.” —Kitty Cone (Holly, 24:22)
• Viewed the sit-in as “the public birth of the disability rights movement.” (Tracy, 24:51)
• Continued activism focused on paid work (to support herself and adopted son Jorge), coalition-building, and organizational leadership.
• Died of pancreatic cancer in 2015 at age 70.
  (Tracy, 27:32; Holly, 27:45)

Brad Lomax

Early Life & Intersectional Challenges

• Born 1950 in Philadelphia; became disabled in late teens with multiple sclerosis.
• Encountered compounded discrimination as a Black man with disabilities—racial housing discrimination atop physical inaccessibility.
  (Holly, 28:30; Tracy, 29:40)

Black Panther Party Involvement

• Helped found the Washington, D.C., chapter, organizing first aid and health clinics (notably for sickle cell screening).
• Moved to Oakland for better accessibility, but discovered services didn’t reach Black neighborhoods.
• Worked with Ed Roberts to establish a Center for Independent Living branch in East Oakland, bridging the gap in access.
• Brought the Black Panther Party into Bay Area disability activism.
  (Tracy, 30:30; Holly, 31:36; Tracy, 32:44)

Critical Role in the 504 Sit-In

• Participated in the San Francisco occupation; the Black Panthers (and attendee Chuck Jackson) provided daily hot meals and support at his initiative.
• Their logistical support was described as indispensable—“Multiple demonstrators said they would not have survived without the Black Panthers.” (Tracy, 33:41)
• Notable Moment:
  When asked why the Panthers helped mostly white demonstrators, a member replied, “because the demonstrators were fighting for social justice and willing to put their lives on the line for it, and because Brad was there.” (Holly, 34:28)

Legacy and Untimely Death

• Continued activism in both disability and Black liberation movements as long as his health allowed.
• Died of complications from multiple sclerosis in 1984 at age 33.
  (Tracy, 34:47; Holly, 35:10)

The Lingering Challenge of Disability Rights Legislation

• Limits of Section 504 & Beyond:
  • Applied mainly to government programs and agencies receiving federal funds; did not cover private business broadly.
  • The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 expanded protections, drawing on Section 504 language.
  • Barriers to access—legal, physical, technological—persist due to loopholes, lack of enforcement, and evolving circumstances.
  • ADA is a floor, not a ceiling, for accommodations. (Tracy, 35:54)

Notable Quotes

• Judy Heumann (about the sit-in, earlier episode, 09:50):
  “Through the sit-in, we turned ourselves from being oppressed individuals into being empowered people...we demonstrated to the entire nation that disabled people could take control over our own lives and take leadership in the struggle for equality. We overcame years of parochialism.”

• Kitty Cone’s Victory Speech (24:22):
  “We showed strength and courage and power and commitment, that we the shut ins or the shutouts, we the hidden, supposedly the frail and the weak, that we can wage a struggle at the highest level of government and win.”

• On the Black Panthers’ Involvement (34:28):
  “Because the demonstrators were fighting for social justice and willing to put their lives on the line for it, and because Brad was there.” —Black Panther member via Corbett Joan O’Toole

Key Timestamps

• 00:52: Tracy introduces legal and political context for revisiting Section 504.
• 03:31: Holly outlines the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
• 05:28: Section 504, its language, and why it was groundbreaking.
• 08:14: Tracy explains the origins of the 504 sit-ins.
• 14:44: Holly introduces Kitty Cone’s biography.
• 19:08: Tracy discusses Cone’s approach to coalition-building.
• 24:22: Cone’s post-regulation victory speech.
• 27:50: Tracy introduces Brad Lomax.
• 32:44: Lomax’s role in expanding disability services in Black neighborhoods.
• 33:41: Impact of Black Panther Party support during the sit-in.
• 34:28: Notable exchange about solidarity and cross-movement support.
• 35:54: Tracy details Section 504’s limitations and the expansion via ADA.

Memorable Moments & Tone

• The episode’s tone balances admiration (for Cone, Lomax, Judy Heumann, and activists broadly), frustration (about governmental inertia and lingering barriers), and hope (via coalition-building and eventual legislative progress).
• The intricate coalition in San Francisco—where LGBTQ+, labor, civil rights, and religious groups worked alongside disabled activists—stands out as a historical testament to intersectionality in action.

Additional Notes

• Judy Heumann’s Influence: Acknowledged as the “mother of the disability rights movement”; the hosts explain why a full episode on her life isn’t covered here due to her recent passing and contemporary relevance.
• Coalition-Building as Strategy: Cone’s insistence on cross-movement alliances ensured the sit-in’s duration, impact, and legacy.
• Food as Sustenance and Solidarity: The Black Panthers’ daily support for demonstrators—a literal lifeline—was more than logistics; it symbolized cross-community trust and solidarity.

Conclusion

This episode powerfully revisits the spark and sustenance of the 1977 Section 504 sit-ins through the lives of Kitty Cone and Brad Lomax, emphasizing the essential role of intersectional coalition-building and highlighting how disability rights activism was—and remains—intertwined with other civil rights movements. The hosts’ deep research and rich storytelling make this an essential listen for anyone interested in the ongoing fight for accessibility, dignity, and equality.