Blog | Tag: Disability History

In 1977, a group of disability rights activists staged a historic sit-in to demand the enforcement of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Their efforts helped lay the foundation for future disability protections, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

March 12, 2024, marks the 34th anniversary of the Wheel of Justice Campaign and Capitol Crawl. These powerful demonstrations forced non-disabled people and the United States government to bear witness to the barriers that the disability community faced and pass the ADA.

The Protection & Advocacy (P&A) network plays a crucial role in advocating for the rights and well-being of individuals with disabilities across the United States. There are 57 P&A agencies – one in each USA state and territory, including one that serves Native Americans with disabilities. The National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) is our membership organization located in Washington, DC that helps give us a voice nationally. NDRN promotes, advocates and supports the work of all 57 P&A agencies.

In honor of the anniversary of the 1977 504 Sit-In, we’d like to recount this significant moment in disability history.

Self-advocacy is a cornerstone in disability history, rights, and a more accessible future. We have these leaders to thank for where we are today.

Each day this February, we will be celebrating Black History Month by highlighting impactful Black disability activists and advocates. Stay up to date all month by following our blog or social media!

Lois and the Olmstead Decision made the realities of community care and living possible. Take Lois’s words and legacy with you today. Remember her, honor her, and say her name: Lois Curtis. Speak power to her name and keep her story, talents, and legacy alive. Thank you, Lois. We are forever indebted to your advocacy. Rest in Power.

Disability Pride Month is an important time to shed light on stories often untold. We hope by sharing this information, Frida Kahlo’s full story and identity as a disabled, bisexual, Mexican, woman of color, and talented artist will be told. Her identities and experiences shaped the way she painted, how she painted, why she painted, and what she painted. To continue to view Kahlo in a vacuum, without honoring her marginalized identities, limits our understanding and appreciation for her work.

We are highlighting Black Floridians with disabilities during Black History Month. Our first two are Robert E. Streater III and Malcolm Harris-Gowdie.