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American School for the Deaf
This was the first school founded for disabled children at the time. -
Dorthea Dix
Dorothea Dix begins her work on behalf of people with disabilities incarcerated in jails and poorhouses. -
First wheel chair patent is registered with the US patent office
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Buck v. Bell
Prohibits disabled people from being sterilized without their consent -
Treaty of London
Standardized American and English Braille -
Election
Franklin D. Roosevelt was the first seriously disabled person to become the President -
Social Security Act
Congress and President Roosevelt pass and sign this to establish federal old-age benefitss and grants to the states for assitance to blind individuals and disabled children. -
Passage of the Fair Labor Standards Act
LEads to an enormous increase in the number of sheltered work shop programs fro blind workers. -
First Paralympic Games
The first Paralympic Games, under the auspices of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) are held in Rome, Italy -
Civil Rights Act
The Civil Rights Act is passed, outlawing discrimination on the basis of race in public accommodations and employment, as well as in federally assisted programs. It will become a model for subsequent disability rights legislation. -
Education of All Handicapped Children Act
Required states to mandate education for all students regardless of mental and/or physical disability -
Handicap parking stickers
The first handicap parking stickers are introduced in Washington, D.C -
Higher Education Act amendment
Passage of an amendment to Higher Education Act of 1972 provides services to physically disabled students entering college. -
US Veterans Administration head
1977- President Jimmy Carter appoints Max Cleland to head the U.S. Veterans Administration, making Cleland the first severely disabled person to fill that position -
White House Conference on Handicapped Individuals
The White House Conference on Handicapped Individuals brings together 3,000 disabled people to discuss federal policy toward people with disabilities. This first ever gathering of its kind results in numerous recommendations and acts as a catalyst for grassroots disability rights organizing. -
Baby Jane Doe Case
The Baby Jane Doe case involves an infant being denied needed medical care because of her disability. The case results in litigation argued before the U.S. Supreme Court in Bowen v. American Hospital Association, and in passage of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act Amendments of 1984. -
Air Carrier Access Act
The Air Carrier Access Act is passed, prohibiting airlines from refusing to serve people simply because they are disabled, and from charging them more for airfare than non-disabled travelers. -
Americans With Disabilities Act
Mandated construction codes, public access, and employment opportunities for the disabled -
Justice for All
Justice for All is founded in Washington, D.C.