Disability Rights Protests at the Capitol

Title: Disability Rights Protests at the Capitol
Creator: William Eaton
Date: 3/12/1990
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.
Coverage: 1980-1999
Event Type: Marches and Rallies
Source: "Disabled Persons Rally, Crawl Up Capitol Steps," Los Angeles Times, March 13, 1990.