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People speaking up together

Our disability history

For a long time, many people with disabilities were kept apart, denied choices, or placed in institutions. Disabled people and their allies organized to change this.

A painted scene of disabled advocates and allies moving together from a sepia-toned past into the colorful present
A path toward inclusion

Disability rights through time

Change happened because disabled people spoke up, organized, protested, and worked together with their communities.

  1. Before the 1970s

    People were often kept apart

    Many disabled people were sent away to institutions or excluded from schools, jobs, and community life. Disabled people, families, and allies began organizing for dignity and change.

  2. 1972

    Willowbrook was exposed

    News reports revealed the neglect and harmful conditions inside Willowbrook, a large institution in New York. The public outcry pushed the country toward reform and community living instead of institutions.

  3. 1973

    Section 504 became law

    Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act made disability discrimination illegal in programs that receive federal funding. It became a foundation for later civil rights protections.

  4. 1975

    A right to public education

    A new federal education law said children with disabilities have a right to a free, appropriate public education. That law is now called IDEA.

  5. 1977

    The 504 Sit-in

    Disabled activists led protests across the country to demand that Section 504 be enforced. The San Francisco sit-in lasted 25 days and helped win strong regulations.

  6. 1990

    The ADA became law

    The Americans with Disabilities Act expanded protection from disability discrimination in work, public places, transportation, communication, and government services.

  7. 1999

    Community living is a civil right

    In Olmstead v. L.C., the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that unjustified segregation of disabled people is discrimination. The decision supported the right to receive services in the community when appropriate.

  8. 2006

    A global disability rights treaty

    The United Nations adopted the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Countries around the world agreed that disabled people share the same human rights as everyone else.

  9. 2008

    The ADA was strengthened

    The ADA Amendments Act made clear that the law should protect a wide range of disabilities. It restored rights after court decisions had narrowed who was covered.

  10. Today

    The work continues

    Disabled people continue to lead work for access, fair pay, community living, supported decision-making, healthcare, education, and full inclusion.

Learn more from an official source: ADA.gov: The Americans with Disabilities Act ↗