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The ADA Turns 20: A Look at its History and Legacy for Generation AT

I. Ain’t No Mountain High Enough

Twenty years ago this past spring, a group of ADAPT activists demonstrated the necessity for the ADA’s passage by abandoning their wheelchairs at the base of the U.S. Capitol and crawling up the steps, which at that time were the only means of accessing the legislative branch. This action, now iconic in U.S. civil rights history, was one of several protests organized that week in Washington, D.C. Like earlier civil rights movements, participants were arrested for civil disobedience, though authorities faced unusual difficulties as few courtrooms, jail cells, or even elevators were accessible to people with disabilities.

Inside the Capitol, a key lawmaker supporting the bill also creatively illustrated this point. Senator Harkin (D-Iowa) spoke eloquently for more than ten minutes on the Senate floor entirely in sign language (Sen. Harkin’s brother is deaf). MRC Commissioner Charles Carr, then vice president of the National Council for Independent Living (NCIL), recalled in a June interview with MassMATCH News, “When Tom Harkin testified, you could hear a pin drop. Then he stopped and said, ‘Now you know what it’s like to not understand anything being discussed, just like a deaf person without access to an interpreter.’ It was a stunning moment.”

II. Generation ADA

President George H.W. Bush signed the ADA into law on July 26th, 1990. This landmark legislation prohibits discrimination based on disability in employment, state and local government services, public accommodations, commercial facilities, transportation, and telecommunications. For some, the ADA is merely associated with curb cuts, parking spaces, and costly lawsuits. Yet for others, particularly individuals with disabilities whose lives span more than the last quarter-century, it symbolizes a profound shift in national consciousness. “Gone are the days of out of sight, out of mind,” as Carr and others have noted.

The ADA introduced the term “reasonable accommodation,” creating a standard of fairness and equal access in American society for people with disabilities. Although not the first disability rights law in the U.S., for many Americans with disabilities, the ADA represents comprehensive civil rights legislation comparable to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which dismantled Jim Crow laws.

Carr reflects, “When I was growing up, I never expected restaurants to be accessible—not at all. Going to a movie or anywhere, you never expected it. Even if you called ahead, they might assure you it was accessible when it wasn’t. There was a network sharing accessible locations, but expectations were low.”

Today, expectations have dramatically changed. People with disabilities now openly participate in everyday life, echoing earlier civil rights movements. Carr notes, “Twenty years later, we now have this ADA generation with expectations I never had, who will carry forward this cultural shift.”

III. Generation AT

Today’s generation benefits from the advocacy efforts for the ADA, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (later the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1990), and the Technology-Related Assistance Act of 1988 (the Tech Act, later the AT Act of 1998). They also benefit from today’s technology revolution that has transformed living with a disability.

“Expectations around access drove market demand and AT innovation,” Carr explains. “When I became disabled in the late 60s, there were no power wheelchairs or voice recognition software. Development was slow, expensive, and limited by low demand and lack of payment mechanisms. Post-ADA, market forces expanded rapidly, bringing tremendous advancements in assistive technology.”

Attorney Robert “Bobby” Silverstein, who worked closely with Sen. Harkin, significantly contributed to this momentum. Silverstein, known as the behind-the-scenes architect of the ADA and other disability laws, told MassMATCH News, “After passing the ADA, it became crucial to create infrastructure and financial systems ensuring Medicaid and insurance recognized and paid for assistive technology.”

Today, due partly to these laws and regulations, AT has significantly evolved, supporting community integration and employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Innovations include environmental control systems, power wheelchairs, screen readers, voice recognition and eye-tracking software, and virtual keyboards.

IV. Urgency of Now

The concern now, especially given economic challenges and shrinking public funding, is whether current and future generations will effectively access existing and emerging technologies.

Silverstein remains cautiously optimistic. He highlights the health reform bill signed in March, which includes essential benefits potentially encompassing AT. “We’ll see what happens, but advocacy is needed to ensure AT devices are recognized within these benefits,” he notes.

Silverstein also emphasizes optimism about web accessibility. He cites statements from Samuel R. Bagenstos of the Department of Justice, reinforcing the ADA’s mandate that websites must be accessible to ensure full civic and economic participation.

V. A Journey of a Thousand Miles (begins with a hot day in July)

Yet achieving equality involves more than technology. Carr acknowledges employment remains “the unfulfilled promise of the ADA,” though he sees positive shifts. Employers increasingly recognize accommodations as affordable and effective, and more young adults with disabilities expect and prepare for meaningful work.

Still, many feel the ADA has not entirely leveled the playing field. Carr notes, “You don’t undo a legacy of discrimination in 20 years.”

Carr vividly recalls realizing this reality on July 26th, 1990, on the White House east lawn witnessing the ADA signing. “It was incredibly hot, and White House staff passed out cold lemonade because people were fainting. After the ceremony, they quickly ushered us away, ‘Alright, show’s over!’ I thought, ‘Great, we just passed a historic civil rights law, and they’re rushing us out.’ At that moment, I understood—we had just begun. This was only the beginning.”

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The ADA Turns 20: A Look at its History and Legacy for Generation AT