Disability Rights Protests at the Capitol

Item

Title

Disability Rights Protests at the Capitol

Description

In March 1990, disability rights activists gathered at the west front of the Capitol to pressure the House of Representatives to pass a disability rights bill. The bill passed in the Senate the year before, but it stalled in the House. Nearly 1,000 people attended the rally. To protest the lack of accessibility inside the building, 60 people discarded their mobility devices and crawled up the 83 stone steps to the Capitol. Some Congressmen responded negatively to the protest, but it was successful: President George H. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act into law on July 26, 1990.

Date

3/12/1990
19900312

Coverage

1980-1999

Type

Marches and Rallies

Creator

William Eaton

Source

"Disabled Persons Rally, Crawl Up Capitol Steps," Los Angeles Times, March 13, 1990.

topic

civil rights
politics & protest

Item sets