At a time when most doctors told parents that institutionalization was the only option, a small group of parents banded together to form the Association for Retarded Citizens. They worked to educate the community about children with intellectual disabilities. They still exist today. With over 700 local chapters, they are the "largest community-based organization advocating for and serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families".
In 1961, the American Standards Association published the first accessibility standards which outlined how to make buildings accessible to and usable by the physically handicapped.
Edward Verne Roberts was born in January 23, 1939 in San Mateo, CA. When he was 14, he contracted Polio and became paralyzed from the neck down except for a few fingers and toes. In 1962 he applied to UC Berkeley. His application was rejected and he took it to court. He won his case. Roberts earned his B.A. in 1964 and his M.A. in 1966, both in political science. He went on to teach in Berkeley’s political science department for six years and form the Physically Disabled Students Program.
In 1963, President Kennedy signed the Mental Retardation Facilities and Community Mental Health Centers Construction Act. This act authorized grants to build mental health centers around the country. It also helped people with mental illnesses move back into their communities.
President Lyndon B Johnson signed the Social Security Amendments on July 30, 1965. This established Medicare and Medicaid. Medicare still helps disabled people pay for their health care today.
In 1968, congress passed the Architectural Barriers Act which requires buildings related to the federal government to be up to date with the guidelines for accessibility. It was one of the first efforts to make sure buildings were accessible.
Educator and Disability Activist Judy Heumann sues the New York City Board of Education when her application for a teaching license is denied.
The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 banned discrimination in federal programs. This included financial aid, and employment. It also required affirmative action when hiring federal employees in sections 501 and 503. In section 504, it states that no one with disabilities should be discriminated against in any Federal program that receives federal assistance. Section 508 required all electronic documents published by the federal government to be accessible.
The first "ugly laws" were passed in San Francisco with Order No. 783 in 1867. Portland, Denver and New Orleans soon had similar laws. These laws made it possible to be fined if you had an apparent disability and you were in a public place. The most famous example of this was the "Ugly Laws" in Chicago. "No person who is diseased, maimed, mutilated or in any way deformed so as to be an unsightly, disgusting or improper is to be allowed in or on the public ways or other public places in this city, or shall therein or thereon expose himself to public view, under penalty of not less than one dollar nor more than fifty dollars for each offense." The "Ugly Laws" were one of the first things to be targeted by disability activists. Chicago was the last place to repeal them in 1974.
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1975 originally called the Education for all Handicapped Children Act of 1975 requires public schools to create Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for students with disabilities.
In 1977, Judy Heumann and other protesters took over the Health Education and Welfare (HEW) office in the UN Plaza in San Francisco. They were protesting Secretary Califano's refusal to sign section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. The secretary gave in and signed the act after 25 days. This was the longest occupation of a federal building in U.S. history.
In 1977, 19 people blocked buses in Denver, Colorado shouting "We will Ride!". They were part of the Atlantis Community which was started in 1974.
The National Council on Disability was first formed in 1978 as a part of the Department of Education. In 1984, it became an independent agency.
In 1909, CA became the 3rd state to pass a forced sterilization law. In 1913, the law changed to include people with mental disabilities. By 1924, 15 states had similar laws. CA would go on to sterilize about 20,000 people. This was about a 3rd of all the cases in the US. In 1979 it was finally outlawed but it wasn't till 2003 that CA officially apologized to victims of sterilization.
The ADA prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in employment.
George Lane and Beverly Jones and several others sued Tennessee courts for their inaccessibility. They argued that it was a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. On May 7, 2004, the Supreme Court ruled that it was a violation of the due process clause of the 14th Amendment.
The first disability pride parade was held in Chicago, IL in 2004. About 2,000 people participated. Since then, they have had 12 more. Other cities such as New York and Philadelphia have also had parades.
When Governor Bredesen of Tennessee TennCare, the state's medicare system, people responded with a 75 day sit-in in front of the governor's office. This broke the record set by the HEW office take over.
People were outraged after presidential candidate Donald Trump mocked a disabled reporter at a rally. A Bloomberg poll found that this action by the candidate bothered them more than any of his other offensive actions. This issue brought to light the stigmas that still exist in society today despite all the progress that has been made.
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