James Brady passed away earlier this week.
The former White House Press Secretary was also Vice Chair of the National Brain Injury Association. He came to NH for a technology expo focusing on new technology for people living with disabilities in 1995, not long after that he spoke with NHPR’s Laura Kiernan on our Perspectives program.
Brady was involved in two landmark pieces of legislation: the Americans with Disabilities Act (1990) and the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act (1993), just a few years before this interview.
I tracked down Kiernan this week to ask her what she remembered about Brady and her interview with him. While she maintained her journalistic objectivity, she couldn't help but admire him and his courage.
Prior to her tenure at NHPR, Kiernan was a correspondent for the Washington Post. She covered the federal court, which in 1981-82 meant covering the trial of John Hinkley. She spoke with Hinkley a few times after the trial and asked him about Brady.