Retired U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin praised her persistence.
“She had a great life and did a lot of important things,” he said in an interview. “She helped move the needle toward more independence for young people with disabilities.”
Harkin, an Iowa Democrat who led the 1990 passage of the Americans With Disabilities Act, said Peterson helped others understand that Down syndrome has a spectrum of effects. Some people experience profound disabilities from the genetic condition, but others do not.
“You can’t just say, ‘Well, this person has Down syndrome, so they have to sit in a pigeonhole. No,” Harkin said.