On this day, July 26, 1990: A Brief History of the ADA
July 2021
On this day, July 26, 1990, The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) became law in the USA. The ADA is an American civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life and ensures that PLWD has the same rights and opportunities as everyone else.
However, the history of the ADA did not begin on July 26, 1990; In 1973, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act passed. 504 banned discrimination against PLWD by recipients of federal funds and was modelled after earlier laws that banned race, ethnic origin and sex-based discrimination.
[Image description: Several protesters, including one in a wheelchair holding a sign reading “Sign 504 Now.”] Judy Heumann, holding the sign, and Kitty Cone, right, protested in front of the White House on April 26, 1977.Credit…HolLynn D’Lil] Photo Credit: The New York Times
Jump forward to 1977, Canada passed The Canadian Human Rights Act, prohibiting discrimination based on a person’s race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, family status, or disability. Only two years ago, in 2019, Canada passed the Accessible Canada Act Bill C-81, which aims to create a barrier-free Canada by eliminating barriers to accessibility in both physical and virtual spaces.
Today marks 31 years of legislative disability rights history in North America, thanks to civil rights movements like Disability in Action (DIA), famously led by Judy Huemann and thousands of other disability advocates.
[Image description: Demonstrators with a sign reading “Sign 504 now.”] Protesters at United Nations Plaza in San Francisco on April 5, 1977.Credit…Anthony Tusler] Photo Credit: The New York Times
Legislation such as the ADA, and the HRA positively impact the everyday lives of PLWD, and informs the vital work that we have the opportunity to do every day.
What do disability rights mean to you?
For a deeper history of the Disability Rights Movement in the USA visit The New York Times.
