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The iconic protests preceding the passage of the ADA.

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Congressional Building in broad daylight
Summary
While the ADA was stalled in Congress, disability rights organizations took to the Capitol to demand its passage.

As we celebrate Disability Pride Month and the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act this July, it is important to look at the Disability Rights movement.  

The ADA was signed into law by George H.W. Bush on July 26th, 1990. This law was a transformative piece of legislation, providing civil rights protections to people with disabilities. This was a turning point for the rights of individuals with disabilities. But it took courage and the demand for justice to accomplish. The disabilities rights movement has a long history of fighting back against people in power and bigotry. From the forced sterilization of people with disabilities, to the “ugly laws” that allowed police to arrest people with disabilities, there is a dark history to this demand for justice.  

The disability rights movement has taken many forms over the course of history, with one of the most monumental protests being the Capitol Crawl. The first version of the ADA was drafted by the National Council on Disability in 1986 and was first introduced to Congress in 1988. A revised version of the bill was introduced in 1989, and it stalled in subcommittee hearings in Congress. With the bill slowly moving through the legislative branch, the American Disabled for Accessible Public Transit (ADAPT), took their protest to the U.S. Capitol, urging lawmakers to finalize the ADA.  

On March 12th, 1990, protestors with ADAPT gathered at the White House to begin their “Wheels for Justice March” and made their way to the U.S. Capitol. Once at the steps of the Capitol some protestors left behind their mobility aids and began crawling up the steps. People of all ages and abilities made their way up the steps, with Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins, an eight-year-old with cerebral palsy saying, “I’ll take all night if I have to.” Protestors climbing the steps took with them copies of the Declaration of Independence, which were delivered to members of Congress after everyone reached the top.  

The Capitol Crawl was only one protest that occurred to demand the passing of the ADA. The following day another group of 150 protesters entered the Capitol Building, this time for a sit-in. After entering the Capitol Building, the group stationed themselves in the Capitol Rotunda. The protesters briefly met with the Speaker of The House, Thomas S. Foley. Once he and other Congressional leaders left the group, they began their protest. They linked their wheelchairs together with chains, and chanted, “Access is a civil right” and “The people united will never be defeated.” 

More than 100 of the protesters were arrested, since demonstrations in the Capitol are against Federal law. In the years and months prior to these protests, ADAPT had organized over 20 group demonstrations in major cities across the country.  

Following the protests at the Capitol, the ADA moved quickly through Congress and was signed into law by George H.W. Bush on July 26th. As he signed the ADA he said, “I now lift my pen to sign this Americans with Disabilities Act and say, let the shameful wall of exclusion finally come tumbling down.” While the ADA is a monumental law that has ensured access for millions of Americans, the disability rights movement continues. The movement, also known as the disability justice movement, prioritizes creating equal access and opportunities for all individuals. Even now, a new generation continues the demand for an accessible and livable world on social media, through education, and through protests of their own.

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