The American Anthropological Association, in conjunction with the Crowley family, stated that Daniel was, "a pioneer and advocate for the disabled and role model for all who sought to overcome any kind of handicap."
As John Michael Vlach and Phillip M. Peek have said in the Journal of American Folklore (1999), "He cleverly and bravely negotiated innumerable physical barriers the likes of which would have caused the able bodied to turn back." .