Disability Rights Movement Analysis

Most assume that the origins of the disability rights movement began with the enactment of the ADA in 1990, but in reality the struggle for these rights began much earlier. Many of the strategies implemented by the early activists reflected those utilized by the civil rights movement, specifically using public protest in combination with legislative and legal challenges to bring the evident injustices to the public forum. Legally, the first fundamental result of these efforts came with the passage of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. This section paralleled previously enacted laws banning discrimination based on race or gender, but instead focused upon disability. Prior to this enactment, the societal shortfalls evidenced by those