Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI): July - Disability Pride Month

This article is part of the Telling All Americans’ Stories Disability History Series. The series focuses on telling selected stories through historic places. It offers a glimpse into the rich and varied history of Americans with disabilities.

The disability civil rights movement has many distinct narratives, but the prevailing themes are of community, justice and equity.

Many of these organizations work to address the unique needs associated with different disabilities, including but not limited to physical, intellectual, and developmental disabilities, and mental illness. Others focus on issues such as access to housing and legal assistance based on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

This guide provides an overview of ten federal civil rights laws that ensure equal opportunity for people with disabilities. To find out more about how these laws may apply to you, contact the agencies and organizations listed.

National and State Resources

This is a listing of local and national organizations that aim to empower individuals and influence political, economic, and social institutions with the goal of independent living for people with disabilities.

A look back at the fight for disability rights comes with the reckoning of the challenges left unsolved

Judy Heumann was known as the “Mother of the Disability Rights Movement.” Over the course of decades, she worked to have the government recognize the rights of disabled people— first as a protestor, and later as part of the Clinton and Obama administrations.

This guide provides an overview of Federal civil rights laws that ensure equal opportunity for people with disabilities.

DRM creates an integrated and just society by advancing the legal rights of people with disabilities. Their scope of work reflects the disability community’s advocacy priorities, funding restrictions, and strategic efforts to maximize their impact within resource limits.

The National Disability Rights Network works in Washington, DC on behalf of the Protection and Advocacy Systems (P&As) and Client Assistance Programs (CAPs), the nation’s largest providers of legal advocacy services for people with disabilities.