Disability History

ADA Video Gallery

Series of videos about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) including profiles of people with disabilities whose lives have been shaped by the struggle for equal rights and the speech given by President George H. W. Bush when he signed the ADA into law on July 26, 1990.
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Disability History Museum

Virtual museum that promotes understanding about the historical experience of people with disabilities by recovering, chronicling and interpreting their stories.
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Disability History: An Important Part of America's Heritage

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed by President George H. W. Bush on July 26, 1990. As a result of this landmark legislation, communities and workplaces across the nation have become more inclusive and welcoming for people with disabilities. Learn more about the disability rights movement by reading this fact sheet that can be downloaded in PDF or Word.

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Disability Studies for Teachers

Lesson plans are organized according to topics and themes in the history of disability in America, and can be used either individually or as a unit.
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FDR Memorial: FDR's Struggle with Disability

Information from the National Park Service on the FDR memorial.
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Historical Context of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

Information on the roots of the ADA from the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to the origins of disability rights laws in the 1960s and 1970s. On the morning of July 26, 1990, on the south lawn of the White House, with 3000 disability rights advocates, members of Congress and the Administration looking on, President George H. W. Bush signed the ADA into law.
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Museum of disABILITY History

Contains virtual exhibits documenting various aspects of the history of individuals with disabilities, as well as an extensive bibliography.

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The Disability Rights Movement

The ongoing struggle by people with disabilities to gain full access to American society is an important part of our heritage. This online exhibit from the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History looks at the efforts of people with disabilities to secure the civil rights guaranteed to all Americans.
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Timeline of Disability History

A historical timeline from the Museum of disABILITY History showing important social and legislative events and how individuals with disabilities were once viewed and treated.

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Victims of the Nazi Era

Brochure published by the Holocaust Memorial Museum describing the Nazi treatment of people with disabilities from 1933-1945. Between 200,000 and 250,000 people with mental and physical disabilities were murdered under the code name Operation T4.

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