Law
The Evolution of Anti-Discrimination Law in Disability Accommodations
Quick fact
In 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law after activists with disabilities—some crawling up the U.S. Capitol steps—drew national attention. The ADA was the world's first comprehensive civil rights law for people with disabilities, mandating reasonable accommodations in employment, public services, and spaces.
Why this is interesting
Before the 1990s, a person in a wheelchair could legally be denied a job simply because the building had stairs. How did the law change to stop that, and why wasn't it always that way?