New York (CNN) -- When asked what the Americans with Disabilities Act means to him on its 20th anniversary, Gary Talbot pauses and says it's tough to put in words. Instead of directly answering the question, he begins to describe in vivid detail his journey from able-bodied man to able-bodied wheelchair user. A gifted auto mechanic, Talbot was driving home in his yellow '76 Honda CVCC Civic around 11 p.m. on Interstate 25 just north of Denver, Colorado, after a 14-hour shift. The lanky, freewheeling 24-year-old had just completed an overhaul of his Honda that night -- October 4, 1980 -- when, as Talbot put it, he ''literally took a nap behind the wheel.''
@highlight
Paralyzed auto mechanic's life transformed by Americans with Disabilities Act
@highlight
Gary Talbot describes rise from a horrific car wreck to transit executive
@highlight
On first day in town as transit exec, bus driver won't pick him up because of his wheelchair
@highlight
Talbot will celebrate ADA's 20th anniversary at the White House on Monday
The next morning, the driver who'd left @placeholder on the street found himself in Talbot's new office along with union representatives.