A Brief History of Disability Rights Movement

A Brief History of the Disability Rights Movement 

Source: ADL or Anti-Defamation League


URL: http://archive.adl.org/education/curriculum_connections/fall_2005/fall_2005_lesson5_history.html


Key Points: This article is a brief outline of all the historical movements towards civil rights for people with disabilities within our country. It discusses how before the push for rights in the mid 1900s, people with disabilities were seen as weak, feeble-minded individuals that were forced into asylums and made to feel as though they would never be independent or a contributing member of society. It was the technology movement in the 1930s that brought about the shift in abilities for this population and since then they have been fighting for their rights to be seen as equal members of society who do not want their disability to define them. The article goes through history on the impactful changes that have been made legally to help these civil right for people with disabilities to be attained.


Intended Audience: People with disabilities, families, parents of people with disabilities, and anyone who is working with or for people with disabilities.


Relevance: We as future special educators need to be aware of the history of the population we serve. It is important for us to understand the long journey people with disabilities have gone through to get where they are today in society, and perhaps how far we still need to go. This understanding will aid in our ability to create not only a successful learning environment for them, but also a better community for them to live in.