In celebration of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Great Plains ADA Center shared a month-long social media campaign highlighting key milestones in disability rights. These milestones—now collected here—offer brief snapshots of significant events since the ADA’s passage in 1990.
The compilation includes landmark court decisions, important laws, and other moments that shaped disability rights in the United States. While not all-inclusive, this collection provides an engaging overview of the progress, challenges, and impact of the ADA over the past three decades.
1990 – Passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law on July 26, 1990 by George H. Bush. This landmark civil rights lawprotects the rights of people with disabilities by prohibiting discrimination and ensuring equal access in everyday life. The ADA is comprehensive, covering areas such as employment, state and local government services, transportation, access to business goods and services, and telecommunications. At its core, the ADA is about fairness and opportunity—making sure people with disabilities can participate fully in their communities, live independently, and have the same rights and choices as everyone else.
You can learn more about the ADA and its regulations and guidelines on this website, or visit www.adata.org.
1990 – The Slogan “Nothing About Us Without Us” is Introduced to Disability Rights
This featured milestone focuses on a major tenant of the Disability Rights Movement – “Nothing About Us Without Us.” The phrase has been used for centuries by advocates across the world to emphasize that policies and programs about certain people and groups should include them fully in the decision-making process. Michael Masutha and William Rowland, South African Disability activists, first started using the slogan during disability rights protests and related activities in 1990. They borrowed the phrase after hearing its use at an earlier disability rights conference. James Charlton is often credited for introducing the term to the U.S. Disability Rights Movement during the ’90s, even using the term as the title of his book in 1998.
The important takeaway? The core principle of the slogan, of course! The phrase essentially means that no policy, program, or decision should be created for or about the disability community without their full and meaningful participation. It emphasizes the need for representation and empowerment of those most affected by any given issue.
1991 -Publication of ADA Regulations
The ADA regulations published in 1991 continue to impact the lives of Americans with disabilities! Given the significant delays in publishing for Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, it was a major improvement to have regulations for the ADA issued by the appropriate federal agencies within a year-18 months of ADA’s passage. In 1991, regulations for Titles I-IV were published by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, The United States Department of Justice, U.S. Department of Transportation, and Federal Communications Commission. These ADA regulations explain the rights of people with disabilities and the obligations of those covered by the laws and continue to guide ADA enforcement and implementation.
1991 – Assistive Technology Act Becomes Law
Let’s talk about assistive technology! Technically, the first version of the Assistive Technology Act became law in 1988 and was called the Technology-Related Assistance Act. The Act authorized the U.S. Department of Education to award grants to states to develop and implement programs of technology-related assistance for individuals with disabilities. The Tech Act covered people with disabilities of all ages, all disabilities, in all environments so they could more fully participate in education, employment, and daily activities. While early work under the Tech Act was important, things got really good with the law’s reauthorization in 1998.
The AT Act of 1998 did a few key things:
1. It expanded access to a broader range of assistive technologies.
2. It authorized Alternative Financing Programs to help individuals with disabilities and their families acquire needed AT by offering options like low-interest loans, interest buy-down programs, and revolving loan funds.
3. It emphasized the continued need for federal support for state AT programs because of the important role of technology in the lives of people with disabilities.
4. It provided funding for research and development projects related to AT and universal design, encouraging innovation and the creation of more accessible technologies.
Congress periodically reauthorizes the AT Act as new technologies develop. This reauthorization is crucial because it allows Congress to assess the effectiveness of the programs, address any emerging tech issues, and ensure the AT Act continues to meet the evolving needs of individuals with disabilities.
1991 – Creation of the ADA National Network
In 1991, a national network of ADA Centers were created to help the public understand and apply the law and its regulations in daily life. Funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR), the network consists of 10 regional ADA Centers located throughout the United States. These Centers provide:
- Answers to ADA questions – practical guidance on rights and responsibilities under the law.
- Training and education – from community workshops to national conferences.
- Resources and materials – fact sheets, guides, and tools to support accessibility.
- Customized assistance – support tailored to individuals, businesses, and public agencies.
To connect with your regional ADA Center, call 800-949-4232 or visit adata.org/national-network.
1995 – Microsoft Releases Window 95
This milestone isn’t an ad for Microsoft! Instead, this important event from 1995 highlights the first time Microsoft issued an operating system (OS) that included built-in accessibility features. After facing pressure from blindness organizations, state agencies serving people who are blind or low vision, and the National Council on Disability, Microsoft made a public commitment to improve accessibility for their OS. In July ’95, just before the OS release, the company hosted a summit for disability advocates and developers of assistive technologies (AT). Microsoft unveiled their new corporate policy on accessibility and discussed planned accessibility enhancements. Specifically, company representatives openly discussed its plans to produce software that would allow AT to better interface with the OS and related applications. The program, now known as Microsoft Active Accessibility (MSAA), was released in the spring of 1997. While Windows 95 didn’t have a screen reader like later versions, it introduced features like StickyKeys, FilterKeys, and ToggleKeys, which helped users with motor impairments.
This event highlights a couple important things:
1. The inclusion of built-in accessibility features in the largest OS on the market in the mid-1990s, resulting in greater digital access for computer users with a variety of disabilities
2. The power of disability advocacy to impact real and meaningful change in IT product development
1996 – Sandra Jensen Receives a Heart-Lung Transplant
On January 23, 1996, disability self-advocate, Sandra Jensen, became the first person with Down Syndrome to receive a major transplant. With the help of Disability Rights California, Jensen took on hospital practices that discriminated against patients with disabilities needing organ transplants. Despite living independently and successfully creating two disability advocacy organizations, doctors would not allow her on the transplant list because they believed she couldn’t follow strict post-surgery routines because of her intellectual disability. Sandra rallied the disability advocacy community and fought back – accusing the hospitals of violating her civil rights by denying her this life-saving procedure. Stanford University Medical Center eventually accepted Jensen as a patient and she finally received her transplant.
Unfortunately, people with intellectual disabilities continue to face disability discrimination when applying for organ transplant. The Charlotte Woodward Organ Transplant Discrimination Prevention Act passed the U.S. House in June 2025. This bipartisan bill recognizes the importance of auxiliary aids and services, the ability of an individual’s support network to assist with post-operative care, and the need for reasonable modifications to policies and procedures to make organ transplant systems and facilities more accessible to those with disabilities. We await word from the Senate whether this bill will become federal law.
1996 – Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Act Signed into Law
The Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Act was first signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1996. It was the first federal law focused on TBI prevention, research, and service delivery through grants to states. The major provisions of the Act included research funding, prevention campaigns, state grants for rehabilitation and counseling services, protection & advocacy services for TBI survivors, and coordination of services between federal agencies.
The TBI Act has been reauthorized and amended several times since 1996, most recently with the Dennis John Benigno Traumatic Brain Injury Program Reauthorization Act of 2024. These reauthorizations have expanded the scope of activities and services supported by the Act. Funding is currently authorized through FY2029. To learn more about the TBI Act, visit the Brain Injury Association of America – https://biausa.org/…/public…/traumatic-brain-injury-act
1998 – Supreme Court Decision in Brandon v. Abbot
A lesser-known, but important, ADA-related Supreme Court decision. Argued on March 30, 1998, the case involved a dental patient, Sidney Abbott and dentist, Randon Bragdon. Abbott, after disclosing on a form that she was ‘asymptomatic’ HIV positive, was refused service from her dentist, Bragdon, to fill a cavity. Bragdon submitted that he would agree to fill the cavity if he could perform the work in a hospital setting, but that Abbott would have to pay for the expense of being admitted and using the facility. She refused that option and sued for disability discrimination under the ADA. In their decision published on June 25, 1998, the Court ruled that reproduction was a major life activity and people with HIV/AIDS, whether exhibiting symptoms or not, were covered under the ADA. Therefore, a physician or dentist could not refuse service to someone who is HIV/AIDS positive without violating the law, except in situations involving direct threat.
1998- Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act as Amended
Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act is a federal law that requires federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology (EIT) accessible to people with disabilities. This includes websites, software, hardware, and other technologies used by federal agencies. The law ensures that individuals with disabilities have access to information and data comparable to those without disabilities, unless an undue burden would be imposed on the agency. Section 508 is aligned with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) which were first published in 1999, providing specific technical standards and guidelines for EIT accessibility.
Some Section 508 compliance requirements include:
- Providing alternative text for images
- Adding captions to videos
- Ensuring websites are navigable with assistive technologies
- Making documents like PDFs and PowerPoint presentations accessible
- Testing hardware for accessibility and evaluating its usability for individuals with different disabilities, including testing screen readers, voice recognition software, and input devices.
For more information about the 508 Standards, visit the United States Access Board – https://www.access-board.gov/ict/
1999 – Supreme Court Decision: Olmstead v L.C.
The term “Olmsted Act” is often used to refer to the Olmstead v. L.C. Supreme Court decision, which is a landmark case about the rights of people with disabilities. While there isn’t a specific “Olmsted Act,” the 1999 decision, based on the Americans with Disabilities Act, established that unjustified segregation of people with disabilities is a form of unlawful discrimination. The ruling required states to provide community-based services for people with disabilities when community placement is appropriate.
The legal principles established by the Olmstead v. L.C. case, promotes community integration and ensures that people with disabilities have the right to receive services in the most integrated setting possible.
2001 – Supreme Court Decision in PGA Tour, Inc. v. Martin
Another important Supreme Court decision related to the ADA! A little background on the case – Professional golfer, Casey Martin had a degenerative circulatory disorder that made walking difficult and dangerous. He requested to use a golf cart during PGA tour events. The PGA denied his request because they held that walking was a fundamental part of the game and that allowing a cart would fundamentally alter the competition. Martin sued under Title III of the ADA, citing failure to provide reasonable modification.
The Court determined that PGA Tour tournaments are places of public accommodation under Title III and that allowing Martin to use a golf cart did not fundamentally alter the competition. They reasoned that the fundamental focus of golf is shot-making, not walking, and that the walking rule was not essential to the sport. The decision significantly impacted how the ADA is applied to professional sports and public accommodations, broadening the law’s reach and establishing a precedent for assessing the necessity of rules to accommodate individuals with disabilities.
2001- Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) Created
The Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) housed in the U.S. Department of Labor is the only non-regulatory federal agency that promotes policies and coordinates with employers and all levels of government to increase workplace success for people with disabilities? Based on recommendations from the Presidential Task Force on Employment of Adults with Disabilities, ODEP was created in 2001 to develop and influence policies and practices that increase the number and quality of employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
The agency is responsible for several important disability programs including the EARN – Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability, Job Accommodation Network, Partnership on Employment & Accessible Technology, National Center on Leadership for the Employment and Economic Advancement of People with Disabilities (LEAD Center), and Center for Advancing Policy on Employment for Youth (CAPE-Youth). To learn more about ODEP and to access their awesome resources, visit dol.gov/agencies/odep
2002 – Help America Vote Act (HAVA) Becomes Law
The Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002. HAVA was passed by the U.S. Congress in 2002 to make sweeping reforms to the nation’s voting process. HAVA addresses improvements to voting systems, voter registration, and accessible voting for people with disabilities. The law created the Election Assistance Commission (EAC). The EAC was mandated to test and certify voting equipment, maintain the National Voter Registration form and administer a national clearinghouse on elections that includes shared practices, information for voters and other resources to improve elections. To learn more about HAVA, visit the EAC’s HAVA informational page – https://www.eac.gov/about/help_america_vote_act.aspx
2005 – Supreme Court Decision: Spector v. Norwegian Cruise Lines, Ltd.
In 2004, a group of travelers with disabilities sued Norwegian Cruise Lines, alleging that several of its ships were not accessible to cruisers with mobility disabilities. The company argued that Title III of the ADA did not apply to the ships because, though the ships sailed out of Texas, they sailed under foreign flags.
The Supreme Court chimed in in 2005 and ruled that, in fact, Title III does apply to foreign-flagged cruise ships within U.S. jurisdiction. SCOTUS did clarify that cruise lines are not required to make modifications to policies or remove barriers that would violate their international obligations and maritime laws like the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS.
This decision continues to impact the multi-billion dollar cruise industry as cruise lines are required to design and modify ships to meet ADA accessibility standards. Given the fact that travelers with disabilities represent a significant and growing spending power, estimated to be in the trillions globally and billions in the US alone, this attention to access and inclusion makes good business sense!
2006 – The Road of Freedom of Tour Kicked Off
On November 15, 2006, a coalition of disability organizations launched a yearlong, cross-country bus tour, the Road to Freedom. The tour launched from Washington, D.C. and visited all 50 states. It featured personal testimonials about living with a disability in America, an exhibit about the Disability Rights Movement, and a team of disability community leaders. The tour’s mission – bring mainstream attention to what it meant to live with a disability in America, the ongoing barriers to accessibility and inclusion, and how to fulfill the promise of the ADA.
To learn more about the tour, you can visit Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF) at https://dredf.org/road-to-freedom/ or ADA Watch at https://adawatch.org/road-to-freedom/
2006 – United Nations Publishes the Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) is an international human rights treaty that aims to protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by persons with disabilities. It was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2006 and entered into force in 2008. The CRPD applies across all areas of life, including health, education, employment, and access to justice.
Parties to the convention are required to promote, protect, and ensure the full enjoyment of human rights by persons with disabilities and ensure that persons with disabilities enjoy full equality under the law. The Convention serves as a major catalyst in the global disability rights movement enabling a shift from viewing persons with disabilities as objects of charity, medical treatment and social protection towards viewing them as full and equal members of society, with human rights.
At this time, there are 192 individual countries and the European Union that have ratified the treaty. Unfortunately, the United States has not. To learn more about the CRPD, visit https://social.desa.un.org/…/convention-on-the-rights…
2006 – Post-Katrina Emergency Management Act Signed into Law
Signed into law as a direct response to the deficiencies discovered during Hurricane Katrina, the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Act (PKEMA) significantly reorganized the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and strengthened its authority to respond to disasters. Importantly, the law contains provisions for disability including the appointment of a Disability Coordinator to serve as a point person for disabilities within FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security. This led to the creation of Disability Coordinator positions for all ten FEMA regional offices as well. PKEMA also requires the inclusion of people with disabilities in all aspects of emergency management at all levels of government. To learn more about civil rights protections under FEMA, visit https://www.fema.gov/about/civil-rights
2008 – ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA) is Passed
The Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA) of 2008 was passed to broaden the definition of “disability” under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), overturning previous court decisions that had narrowly interpreted the term. The ADAAA aimed to restore the original intent of the ADA, ensuring broader protection for individuals with disabilities. It was signed into law by President George W. Bush on September 25, 2008, and went into effect on January 1, 2009.
This amendment to the ADA significantly affected disability rights, ensuring more individuals were protected from discrimination under the ADA. It opened the door for a many more people to receive reasonable accommodations related to their disabilities.
2008 – Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) is Passed
Passed into law in 2008, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA) prohibits discrimination based on genetic information in health insurance and employment. The law defines “genetic information” broadly, including information about an individual’s genetic tests, the genetic tests of family members, and family medical history. GINA Title II applies to employment and prohibits employers from using genetic information to make employment decisions, including hiring, firing, promotion, and job assignments. Like Title I of the ADA, GINA Title II is enforced by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
To learn more about GINA, visit https://www.eeoc.gov/genetic-information-discrimination or https://www.dol.gov/…/genetic-information…/guidance
2009-Matthew Shepard & James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act
Signed into law by President Barack Obama on October 29, 2009, the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act is a landmark federal law that expands the definition of federal hate crime to include those violent crimes in which the victim is selected due to their actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability. This marked the first time that people with disabilities were protected by federal hate crime prevention laws based on their disability status. The legislation also provided federal authorities with more tools to investigate and prosecute hate crimes, offering great protection for the disabled and other marginalized communities.
2010 – DOJ Publishes the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design
On September 15, 2010, the The United States Department of Justice published revised regulations for ADA Titles II and III. A major component of those regulations were the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design – revised, enforceable accessibility standards. The 2010 Standards set minimum requirements – both scoping and technical – for newly designed and constructed or altered State and local government facilities, public accommodations, and commercial facilities to be readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities.
Why were these Standards important? These design standards were harmonized with the Federal standards implementing the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) and with the private sector model codes that are adopted by most States to help minimize compliance burdens on entities subject to more than one legal standard. They also offered guidance on recreation facilities, play areas, and State and local government facilities – detention facilities and courthouses specifically. For a helpful overview of the changes made in the 2010 Standards, check out this helpful document from the ADA National Network – https://adata.org/factsheet/standards. To check out the Standards, visit https://www.ada.gov/law-and-regs/design-standards/2010-stds/
2010 – DOJ Publishes Revised Regulations for ADA Titles II and III
The United States Department of Justice made major updates to the ADA on September 15, 2010 in the form of revised regulations for Titles II (state & local government entities) and III (places of public accommodation and commercial facilities). Part of those regulations included the adoption of the ADA Standards for Accessible Design (see our earlier post today), but the revised regulations addressed a lot of other issues as well! The primary purpose of these revisions? The new regulations clarified and refined issues that arose over the first 20 years of ADA implementation and made the rules consistent with DOJ policies and published guidance.
Here are major highlights of the revisions:
- Clarification of the definition of service animal
- Guidance on wheelchairs and other power-driven mobility devices
- Updates on effective communication to include video remote interpreting
- Ticketing requirements
- Lodging requirements for reservations and coverage of timeshares and condominium hotels
- Pool lifts for public swimming pools
- Coverage of detention and correctional facilities
- Safe harbor
2014 – Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act Becomes Law
The Stephen Beck, Jr., Achieving a Better Life Experience Act (ABLE) became law on December 19, 2014. The law aims to ease financial strains faced by individuals with disabilities by making tax-free saving accounts available to cover qualified disability expenses. These ABLE accounts, modeled after 529 college savings plans, allow individuals with disabilities to save money for qualified disability expenses without being taxed on the earnings or distributions used for those expenses. Funds can be used for a wide range of expenses, including education, housing, transportation, employment training, assistive technology, healthcare, and more. The ABLE Act is a significant step in promoting financial independence and improving the quality of life for individuals with disabilities. Be sure to follow the ABLE National Resource Center to get the latest information about #ABLE!
2020 – Crip Camp Debuts on Netflix
“Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution” is an American documentary directed, written, and co-produced by Nicole Newnham and James LeBrecht. It debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2020 and began streaming on Netflix in March. “Crip Camp” garnered critical acclaim and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.
The film tells the story of Camp Jened, a summer camp for teenagers with disabilities in upstate New York. In the early 1970s, several influential members of the Disabilities Rights Movement attended camp and were exposed to freedom, inclusion, and the opportunity to live like typical teenagers. A major theme of the film is the influence Camp Jened had on pioneers of the movement and their advocacy efforts in the 70s and beyond.
You can also watch our very own Anna, Espoir, and Matt as they discuss reactions to the film as members of the ADA Generation in this great video available on the Great Plains ADA Center YouTube Channel – https://youtu.be/zrupt3lvV5Q?si=Ly4HbHnM0AT9Y3bT