Disability Rights Movement
History of the Independent Living Movement
Historical Roots of Discrimination
Many cultures of the world have treated persons with disabilities as less worthy. The United States has a long history of discrimination against persons with disabilities. In colonial days, when the focus was on survival and building new communities in the wilderness, physical stamina was considered essential. Dependency of any kind was considered a financial burden. As early as 1751, states began opening almshouses, workhouses, insane asylums, and other institutions for “the support and maintenance of idiots, lunatics, and other persons of unsound minds.” In Illinois, institutional care still takes the majority of state funding for services to persons with developmental disabilities.
One in Four
Did you know that one in four Americans today has a disability? There are over 54 million Americans with disabilities. We are the nation’s largest minority group!
We are a diverse group. There are hundreds of different disabilities. Some are present at birth, some are acquired later in life. Disability can be progressive, episodic, visible or hidden. Each disability can come differing degrees of severity.
Disability is the one minority that anyone can join at any time, as a result of an automobile accident, aging, or disease. There are no socioeconomic boundaries.
Disability Rights Leaders
A few key people in the Disability Rights Movement, who contributed to the rights of persons with disabilities and civil rights in general:
