The Disability Rights Movement is a global movement for equal opportunities and rights for people across the disability spectrum. It includes access and safety in physical environments, buildings and transportation; “equal opportunities in independent living, employment equity, education, and housing; and freedom from discrimination, abuse, neglect, and other violations.” (wikipedia)
The Disability Rights Movement started in the 1960’s in the United States; encouraged by the civil rights movement. Through nonviolent protests, sit-in’s and “silent armies” that worked behind the scenes, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act were created, then Section 504 of the ADA was enacted
Section 504:
“Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act was the first disability civil rights law to be enacted in the United States. It prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in programs that receive federal financial assistance, and set the stage for enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Section 504 works together with the ADA and IDEA to protect children and adults with disabilities from exclusion, and unequal treatment in schools, jobs and the community.” – DREDF
Section 504 essentially gives teeth the ADA. It was won through protest, and these videos below are wonderful tools in understanding both how important Section 504 is for people with disabilities, and how hard-won it was.
The videos speak to the power and resourcefulness of the disability community:
The Power of 504, Part 1: