The Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities
mn.gov/disability-mn
Providing information, education, and training to build knowledge, develop skills, and change attitudes that will lead to increased independence, productivity, self determination, integration and inclusion (IPSII) for people with developmental disabilities and their families.
ADA Legacy Project

The ADA Legacy Project

The ADA Legacy Project celebrates the impact of the Americans with Disabilities Act on disability rights, and honors the contributions of individuals with disabilities and their allies who persevered in securing the passage of this landmark civil rights legislation. In order to fully realize a world where all people are accepted and valued, it is crucial to preserve and promote the history of the ADA and the disability rights movement.

VISION

We envision a world in which all people are accepted and valued for who and how they are; where all are welcomed with respect and given equal opportunities to contribute to the human experience.

MISSION

The mission of The ADA Legacy Project is to honor the contributions of people with disabilities and their allies by:

  • preserving and promoting the history of the disability rights movement;
  • celebrating the impact of the Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as other related disability rights legislation and accomplishments;
  • and creating opportunities for inclusion, access, and equal rights for the future.

Georgetown University has compiled a collection of historical documents related to the ADA that date back to the 1980s, the decade preceding the milestone signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act by President George H. W. Bush on July 26, 1990.

President Obama spoke at a reception to mark the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Moment in Disability History 1: "The Birth of the Parent Movement"

Moment in Disability History 2: January 23, 2013 – Ed Roberts Day: "Built Upon Alliances"

Moment in Disability History 3: "The Right To Be Abroad in the Land"

Moment in Disability History 4: "ADA: Back To The Future with U.S. District Court Judge Donovan W. Frank"

Moment in Disability History 5: "ADA and Baby Doe"

Moment in Disability History 6: "The Right to Education Based on Brown v. Board of Education"

Moment in Disability History 7: "Solidarity Forever"

Moment in Disability History 8: "Alabama Federal District Court Judge Frank M. Johnson, Jr."

Moment in Disability History 9: "Willowbrook Leads to New Protections of Rights"

Moment in Disability History 10: "DD Act - Protection and Advocacy"

Moment in Disability History 11: "Civil Rights: We're Going To Win This One"

Moments in Disability History 12: "The Dignity of Risk"

Moment in Disability History 13: "Lowell P. Weicker, Jr., Original 'Father' of the Americans with Disabilities Act"

Moment in Disability History 14: "The Fight for 504 Regulations: 'We Won't Go Away'"

Moment in Disability History 15: "Toward independence: Powerful Words"

Moment in Disability History 16: "Wolfensberger's Influence"

Moment in Disability History 17: "The Self Advocacy Movement"

Moment in Disability History 18: "The Olmstead Decision"

Moment in Disability History 19: "From the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) Through the ADA Title II to the Most Integrated Setting"

Moment in Disability History 20: "Stories of Discrimination"

Moment in Disability History 21: "S.933 – Americans with Disabilities Act – 101st Congress"

Moments in Disability History 22: "Task Force on the Rights and Empowerment of Americans with Disabilities"

Moments in Disability History 23: "H.R. 2273 – The ADA in the House of Representatives"

Moments in Disability History 24: "ADA's International Impact"

Moments in Disability History 25: "Behind the Scenes in the Reagan and Bush Administrations – Stories from No Pity"

Moments in Disability History 26: "Women Leaders of the ADA"

Moments in Disability History 27: "A Magna Carta and the Ides of March to the ADA"

Moments in Disability History 28: "The Original: Americans with Disabilities Act of 1988"

Moments in Disability History 29: "ADA: The Final Push"

Moments in Disability History 30: "Reflections on ADA's 25th Anniversary"

Moments in Disability History 31: "July 26, 1990: The Americans with Disabilities Act is Signed Into Law"

Moments in Disability History

The selection of "moments in disability history" cover a wide range of audio and video clips, historical documents, images and slides from over a span of decades. These chosen "moments" draw upon seminal work from the past that laid the foundation for the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) and other disability policy. They are the "moments" every self-advocate, parent and professional advocate should know and be literate about in order to create future policy. For purposes of focus and specialization, the "moments" selected do not include activities, events, programs and projects that are about the delivery of programs and direct services.

The selection of "moments in disability history" provide a common ground and foundation for the study of disability history. They have left an indelible mark on public policy and reflect many defining moments of the last 50 years. These are events that have contributed to the forming of American society as we know it today. The events, or aftermath of the events, changed history and their impact still resonate with us today.

Ed Preneta

These Moments in Disability History have been taken from the Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities website and archives of historical documents. Selected items represent the viewpoints and perspectives of Ed Preneta.

The Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities is a member of the ADA Legacy Project Network.

We extend our deepest appreciation to Mark Johnson, Shepherd Center in Atlanta, and Kristen Vincent, who were instrumental in creating the ADA Legacy Project to ensure that the history of the disability rights movement is collected, remembered, and recognized on a par with other social justice movements.

©2025 The Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities
Administration Building   50 Sherburne Avenue   Room G10
St. Paul, Minnesota 55155
Phone: 651-296-4018   Toll-free number: 877-348-0505   MN Relay Service: 800-627-3529 OR 711
Email: admin.dd.info@state.mn.us    View Privacy Policy    An Equal Opportunity Employer 

The GCDD is funded under the provisions of P.L. 106-402. The federal law also provides funding to the Minnesota Disability Law Center, the state Protection and Advocacy System, and to the Institute on Community Integration, the state University Center for Excellence. The Minnesota network of programs works to increase the IPSII of people with developmental disabilities and families into community life.

This project was supported, in part by grant number 2401MNSCDD, from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects with government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official ACL policy.

This website is supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $1,152,808.00 funded by ACL/HHS and $222,000.00 funded by non-federal-government source(s). The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ACL/HHS, or the U.S. Government.