With great sadness and immense gratitude, we announce the passing of our dear friend and NAADAC’s founder, Paul Hagle. Paul quietly and peacefully passed away in Redlands, California, on Sunday, September 13, 2026, at 8:45 a.m., in the presence of loved ones, including Phong Nguyen, M.D., who served for many years as NAADAC’s Associate Director.
As many of you know, Paul was an untiring advocate for individuals with disabilities, which inspired him to form the National Association of ADA Coordinators in 1993—within one year following the effective date of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). NAADAC’s early and ongoing success was and is possible principally because Paul was able to build close, lasting relationships with the United States Department of Justice Disability Rights Section and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), who willingly sent their attorneys and other disability rights specialists to NAADAC’s conference and who have provided unparalleled training and guidance to ADA coordinators and specialists from the United States and from other countries.
Thanks to Paul’s vision, NAADAC conferences quickly became a trusted, interactive source of comradery and applied learning among ADA professionals and enforcement agencies—a model that has endured and that remains today. Thanks to Paul’s commitment to elevate all who serve individuals with disabilities, we who have associated with him and with NAADAC will ever be grateful for the shoulders he has enabled us to stand upon.
Rest in peace, dear friend and colleague.