In the 1980 the DSP published two poems by Mark O’Brien in its newsletter, DSP Verbatim. Mark O’Brien was an advocate for disabled people. Mr. O’Brien was stricken with Polio when he was young, and he had to use iron lungs for the rest of his life. He himself attended the University of California in 1978, and he received his bachelor’s degree in English Literature in 1982. He also attended the UC Berkeley Graduate school of journalism. His acceptance lead to the attendance of other severely disabled people to state schools.