Lex Frieden is Professor of Health Informatics and Rehabilitation at The University of Texas at Houston. He also directs the TIRR Independent Living Research Utilization Program (ILRU) which he founded in 1977.
ILRU is a research, training and technical assistance program on independent living for people with disabilities and seniors.
Frieden has served as chairperson of the National Council on Disability, president of Rehabilitation International, and chairperson of the American Association of People with Disabilities.
He is recognized as one of the founders of the independent living movement by people with disabilities. He was instrumental in conceiving and drafting the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990.