celebrating 30 years of the ADA
AP PHOTO/BARRY THUMMA
Honoring the history that led to the passing of
A BRIEF HISTORY OF DISABILITY POLICY IN THE U.S.
THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT By Dina Klimkina
ISSUE 2 2020 | CAPITOL IDEAS
1920
10
The Smith-Fess Act, also known as the Civilian Vocational Rehabilitation Act, established the Vocational Rehabilitation program for Americans with disabilities.
Throughout history, many practitioners and policymakers treated individuals with disabilities as “defective” or in need of “fixing.” Individuals were excluded from public education, isolated from their neighbors and forced into institutions against their will. Some cities even enacted “ugly laws,” which barred persons with impairments from being seen in public. Justice Thurgood Marshall in Cleburne v. Cleburne Living Center, Inc. characterized the "lengthy and tragic history” of treatment of individuals with developmental disabilities as “grotesque.” In the 1970s and 80s, state and federal policymakers began to change their views of individuals with disabilities, recognizing the precept that a disability is a natural and normal part of life. This paradigm shift followed the model of the civil rights movement and led to the recognition that many barriers for individuals with disabilities were, in fact, rooted in our society. These barriers included cultural stigma, public policies that made it challenging for individuals to live independently and self-advocate, physical structures,
1935
1968
1973
1975
The Social Security Act established an income maintenance system for those unable to work by providing benefits to unemployed individuals and retirees. The act outlined assistance to aged individuals, blind individuals and dependent and “crippled” children.
The Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 was the first federal law focused on the accessibility of federal buildings and addressing barriers faced by individuals with disabilities.
The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 included civil rights protections for individuals with disabilities in programs and activities receiving federal assistance. The act also prohibited employment discrimination by federal agencies and federal contractors.
The 1975 Education for All Handicapped Children Act, later known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), guaranteed a free, appropriate public education, in the least restrictive environment, to every child with a disability.
