▁and ▁started ▁using ▁a ▁manual ▁wheel ch air ▁for ▁mob ility . ▁ ▁At ▁ 1 7 , ▁he ▁launched ▁his ▁dis ability ▁advoc acy ▁career ▁by ▁co - found ing ▁" Open ing ▁Do ors ," ▁a ▁coun sel ing ▁and ▁information ▁center . ▁ ▁F ay ▁attended ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Illinois , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁nation ' s ▁first ▁wheel ch air - access ible ▁univers ities . ▁ ▁A ▁few ▁years ▁later , ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁founder ▁of ▁the ▁Boston ▁Center ▁for ▁Independent ▁Living , ▁the ▁Massachusetts ▁Co al ition ▁of ▁Cit iz ens ▁with ▁Dis abilities , ▁and ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁Co al ition ▁of ▁Cit iz ens ▁with ▁Dis abilities . ▁He ▁was ▁also ▁the ▁leader ▁of ▁the ▁National ▁Par ap leg ia ▁Foundation , ▁now ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁United ▁Sp inal ▁Association , ▁and ▁established ▁and ▁pres ided ▁over ▁its ▁first ▁chapter ▁in ▁Washington ▁D . C .. ▁The ▁Association ▁still ▁follows ▁F ay ’ s ▁core ▁principles ▁of ▁self - su ffic iency ▁and ▁independent ▁living ▁to ▁this ▁day . ▁ ▁F ay ▁worked ▁for ▁many ▁years ▁at ▁the ▁Tu ft s ▁New ▁England ▁Medical ▁Center , ▁until ▁s yr ing omy elia ▁made ▁it ▁impossible ▁for ▁him ▁to ▁sit ▁u pr ight . ▁ ▁For ▁the ▁past ▁quarter ▁century , ▁F ay ▁has ▁worked ▁from ▁his ▁home ▁in ▁Con cord , ▁Massachusetts . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁years , ▁he ▁used ▁a ▁head set ▁to ▁speak ▁and ▁listen ▁on ▁the ▁phone , ▁plus ▁a ▁personal