Other meanings of Disability rights
Civil Rights
The disability rights movement is a global social movement that advocates for equal rights, accessibility, and inclusion for people with disabilities. It emerged from the broader civil rights struggles of the 20th century and has achieved landmark legal victories, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). The movement challenges medical and charity models of disability, promoting instead the social model, which locates the problem in societal barriers rather than individual impairments.
The disability rights movement has roots in the post-World War II era, when disabled veterans and polio survivors began organizing for better rehabilitation and access. In the 1960s and 1970s, activists drew on the tactics of the civil rights and independent living movements. Key early actions included the 504 sit-ins of 1977, when disabled people occupied federal buildings in the U.S. to demand enforcement of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.1 The movement also grew in the UK, where the Union of the Physically Impaired Against Segregation (UPIAS) articulated the social model of disability in 1976.2
Legislation has been a central tool for the movement. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 prohibited discrimination in employment, public accommodations, and transportation, and mandated reasonable accommodations.3 The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), adopted in 2006, is the first binding international treaty to protect the rights of persons with disabilities, emphasizing accessibility, autonomy, and inclusion.4 Other national laws, such as the UK's Equality Act 2010, have consolidated earlier protections.
The movement is underpinned by the social model of disability, which distinguishes impairment from disability, arguing that disability results from societal barriers—physical, attitudinal, and systemic—rather than individual deficits.2 The independent living movement, originating in Berkeley, California, in the 1970s, promoted self-determination and peer support, leading to the establishment of centers for independent living worldwide. The slogan "Nothing about us without us" encapsulates the demand for full participation in decisions affecting disabled people's lives.
Beyond the headline victories, the movement has a rich history of lesser-known contributions. The 1977 504 sit-ins were led by disabled people of color, such as Judith Heumann and Brad Lomax, who also connected with the Black Panther Party for support.1 In the 1980s, the movement in the U.S. fought for the rights of people with psychiatric disabilities, leading to the Americans with Disabilities Act's inclusion of mental health conditions. The global movement has also addressed issues like the deinstitutionalization of people with intellectual disabilities, and the fight for accessible information technology, culminating in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).5 The movement has also intersected with other rights movements, such as LGBTQ+ rights, recognizing the multiple marginalization of disabled people.
This article focuses on the disability rights movement, distinct from the broader field of disability rights law.
Help improve the encyclopedia. Reports go straight to the site manager.