Module Two: Disability Rights Movement

Louis Braille develops the raised point alphabet.

Foundations of Deaf Education and Braille (1817-1829)

• In 1817, Thomas H. Gallaudet co-founded the American Asylum for the Education of the Deaf and Dumb in Hartford, Connecticut (now Gallaudet University). This was the first permanent school for the deaf in the U.S., giving students a space to develop language and education through sign communication. In 1829, Louis Braille introduced his raised-point alphabet, which provided literacy access for blind individuals. Both developments were critical milestones in disability history because they highlighted the transformative power of accessible communication and education.
• The Impact: These innovations laid the groundwork for self-advocacy, community building, and recognition of people with disabilities as individuals capable of leadership, learning, and independence.

Reflection Prompt for Learners:
How does access to communication (sign language, braille) change the ability of people with disabilities to participate in society? Can you think of modern parallels in healthcare where communication access is still a barrier?

FDR & Disability in Public Life (1932-1935)

• Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR), paralyzed from polio in 1921, became the 32nd U.S. president in 1932. His disability was often hidden from the public, reflecting stigma at the time. However, his presidency normalized leadership by a person with a visible disability. Roosevelt founded the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis (later the March of Dimes) and signed the Social Security Act in 1935, which provided permanent assistance programs for adults with disabilities.
• The Impact: FDR’s role showed that disability did not preclude leadership. His policies demonstrated early governmental responsibility for supporting citizens with disabilities, but his own concealment of disability also highlighted cultural stigma that activists would later fight against.

Reflection Prompt for Learners:
Why do you think FDR minimized public awareness of his disability? How might this have shaped public perceptions of disability?

Brown v. Board of Education sets precedent for later disability education lawsuits.

The Brown v. Board of Education was a landmark Supreme Court decision that ruled racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional, establishing that “separate is not equal.” Although focused on race, this case set a powerful legal precedent that was later used to challenge the exclusion and segregation of students with disabilities. It helped lay the foundation for future disability rights laws that promote equal access to education for all students.

Camp Jened fosters community that fuels the independent living movement.

Architectural Barriers Act mandates accessible federal buildings.

Legal Precedents and Early Advocacy (1954-1968)

• The Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954, which declared racial segregation in schools unconstitutional, became a precedent for disability education lawsuits. Parents of children with disabilities argued that exclusion from public schools was also discrimination. Around the same time, Camp Jened, a summer camp for disabled youth (1954–1977), created space for leadership and community that inspired many future activists (documented in Crip Camp). The Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 required federally funded buildings to be physically accessible.
• The Impact: This era planted the seeds of disability rights by showing the power of legal precedent, community organizing, and early policy to address accessibility barriers.

People First organization founded, centering self-advocacy.

Leaders & Grassroots Organizing (1962-1974)

• Ed Roberts, the “father of independent living,” became the first wheelchair-using student at UC Berkeley in 1962. He later co-founded the Center for Independent Living, which remains a model of disability empowerment.
• The Impact: This period showed that grassroots activism, combined with personal persistence, could drive institutional and cultural change. Leaders like Roberts shifted the focus from charity to rights, inspiring nationwide independent living and self-advocacy movements.

The Civil Rights Act passes but excludes disability.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibited discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin, marking a major step forward for civil rights protections in areas like employment, education, and public accommodations. However, disability was not included as a protected category, meaning individuals with disabilities were still legally subject to exclusion and discrimination in many aspects of daily life. This gap highlighted the need for future disability-specific legislation, which would not emerge until years later.

Judy Heumann sues NYC Board of Education, sparking her activism.

Judy Heumann was a pioneering disability rights advocate who became a central figure in the movement for accessibility and inclusion. In the early 1970s, she sued the New York City Board of Education after being denied a teaching license due to her use of a wheelchair, with officials claiming she could not safely perform the job. Her successful lawsuit not only allowed her to teach but also helped ignite her lifelong activism, challenging systemic discrimination against people with disabilities.

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act prohibits discrimination in federally funded programs.

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 was the first federal civil rights law to prohibit discrimination against individuals with disabilities. It requires that any program or institution receiving federal funding—such as public schools, hospitals, and universities—provide equal access and reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities. This marked a major shift toward recognizing disability as a civil rights issue and laid the groundwork for broader protections, including the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Education for All Handicapped Children Act (later IDEA) guarantees right to education.

The Education for All Handicapped Children Act (later renamed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) guaranteed children with disabilities the right to a free and appropriate public education. It required schools to provide individualized support through plans like IEPs and to educate students in the least restrictive environment alongside their peers whenever possible. This law transformed access to education by ensuring that children with disabilities could no longer be excluded from public schools.

504 Sit-ins in San Francisco lead to enforcement of Section 504 regulations.

Legislative Victories (1973-1977)

• The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, especially Section 504, prohibited discrimination in programs receiving federal funding — the first U.S. civil rights law for people with disabilities. However, the government stalled on implementing regulations. In 1977, more than 150 activists staged the 504 Sit-in at a federal building in San Francisco for 25 days, demanding enforcement. Their persistence forced the government to sign the regulations.
• The Impact: This era cemented disability rights as part of federal law, showing the effectiveness of grassroots protest in achieving systemic change.

Culmination in the ADA (1990)

• The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), signed in 1990, is the most comprehensive civil rights legislation for people with disabilities. It prohibits discrimination in employment, public services, public accommodations, transportation, and telecommunications. Its passage was fueled by dramatic protests such as the Capitol Crawl, when activists abandoned their mobility devices and crawled up the Capitol steps chanting “ADA now!”
• The Impact: The ADA transformed accessibility standards and cultural expectations, though gaps remain in enforcement and equity today.