| dc.description.abstract | People with disabilities have often been ignored or forgotten throughout history. This thesis is about the changes in the visibility of individuals with disabilities in the United States and how this affected their civil rights from the post-Civil War era to the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990. Other scholars who have written about the passage of the ADA have focused solely on the legislative efforts of lobbying Congress, rather than a longer and broader movement for disability rights. However, this thesis shows that the ADA would not have been possible without the efforts of the disabled community to demand their public visibility and their refusal to be hidden, cast aside, or given fewer rights than other Americans. In the late 19th and early 20th century, the disabled community did not have equal rights. Instead, they were purposefully excluded through legislation and social segregation. From the 1930s through the 1960s, the disabled community became more visible in society due to the polio epidemics and the return of veterans from World War II. These changes brought about an increased visibility in media and society and an increased sense of community among individuals with disabilities not seen in previous years. Around this time, there was an increase in early activism through organizations, some of which were created for individuals with disabilities, while individuals with disabilities created others. The former did not always consider the opinions of individuals with disabilities, while the latter helped the disabled fight for legal equality and equality of opportunity for themselves. The mid-20th century laid the groundwork for future disability rights activists. When the Civil Rights Act of 1964 did not include individuals with disabilities in its protection from discrimination, the disabled community protested and created the Disability Rights Movement. Throughout the 1970s and 1990s, there was an increase in organizations created by and for individuals with disabilities and activism through public protests and demonstrations to fight for civil and legal rights in society and the courts. This increase in activism allowed for protective legislation to be passed, most of which was written by individuals with disabilities, which considered disabilities in terms of civil rights. This legislation led to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, which filled in the gaps in the Civil Rights Act, and prohibited discrimination based on disability in all areas of public life. | |
