Thomas Deniston was an activist for the disabled, always on the go. But to accomplish his mission in life, this special man needed a special vehicle.

Deniston, paralyzed from his armpits down after an accident while serving during the Vietnam War, commissioned a motorcycle that he operated from a sidecar - a setup that drew astonished looks from other motorists.

On the last day of his life, he was doing two of his favorite things - riding his Honda Valkyrie and promoting the cause of people with disabilities. He had testified before the U.S. Access Board, a federal agency that was reviewing handicapped-accessible trails and open spaces. At the end of the July 24 meeting, he was honored for all his work on behalf of the disabled. He served as the board's acting executive director in 1988.

While on his way home to Colorado Springs from the hearing in Westminster, Deniston, 69, accidentally clipped a car in front of him on Interstate 25 near West Colfax Avenue. Passers-by couldn't resuscitate him after the crash.

"If anything, he passed away doing what he loved to do," said his wife, Barb. "He called me to say that they had a great meeting, got a lot accomplished, and he was going to get on his bike, which he dearly loved, and he was on his way home."

Barb Deniston said her husband once had a van, but it proved too cumbersome with his wheelchair.

So he contacted Rick Oliver, who specialized in handicapped-accessible bikes. Oliver customized Deniston's motorcycle by switching the controls and handlebars into the attached sidecar.

To enter the sidecar, Deniston simply pressed a button on the back of the shell, which would unfold into a ramp. Brackets inside the sidecar held his wheelchair in place.

"Somebody would be coming toward him and they would see that nobody would be steering that motorcycle, and they would steer off the road," Barb Deniston said with a laugh. "And then they would see him in the sidecar."

'Tireless advocate'

Deniston's death was a shock to those he worked with and the many he worked for.

"He was just a very tireless advocate for people with disabilities, but he was more than an advocate because he had the technical expertise to solve accessibility problems," said Nancy Snow, housing-compliance specialist for the Colorado Civil Rights Division.

Deniston's activism began after his tour in Vietnam. As an Air Force pilot, he flew B-52s and F-110 scout planes to support ground troops. He was shot down twice. He earned the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Palm and 12 other air medals.

But his life-changing injury didn't result from combat, his wife said. He broke his neck when a balcony collapsed on his Air Force barracks. Since 1969, Deniston had been in a wheelchair.

When he returned home, Deniston went back to school to study architecture because he was troubled that many buildings did not have accommodations for the handicapped, his wife said.

In 1982, Deniston relocated to Washington, D.C., where he worked for the Veterans Administration, monitoring whether hospitals were making their facilities accessible to disabled veterans. He became an active member of the Paralyzed Veterans of America and the Disabled American Veterans.

In 1992, he moved to Colorado Springs, where he started his consulting business, Accessible Design Associates. Since Deniston helped shape the Americans With Disabilities Act, builders and contractors would hire him to ensure their designs met regulations.

"He would say,'ADA means you use common sense. You do things in a way that's going to work for people. That's all,' " said Nancy Hunt, program coordinator for the Colorado Springs Independence Center, a nonprofit agency that works with the disabled. Deniston was a member of the center's board for several years.

Deniston also helped remodel homes for residents who became disabled.

"He didn't like people to think that they had to spend thousands and thousands of dollars," his wife said. "He was always pointing out to people ways to do things economically and some things you couldn't do economically. He knew what was necessary and what wasn't."

Deniston, a father of five, was buried late last month with military honors at the Santa Fe National Cemetery in New Mexico.

Members of the Patriot Guard, a group made up of military veterans, escorted his hearse on motorcycles and then stood at attention while the color guard unleashed a 21-gun salute.