This Archive captures the progression of how the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) and ADA Amendments Act (“ADAAA”) became law. It also contains documents from the personal archive of Chai R. Feldblum, a leader in the movement to pass the ADA and ADAAA, as examples of the dedication and quantity of manpower necessary to enact such landmark legislation.
The ADA was landmark legislation in part because there was very little legal protections for members of the disability community at the time. The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 had made some headway when it prohibited discrimination on the basis of disability in federal employment, in the employment practices of federal contractors, and in programs run by federal agencies or that receive federal financial assistance. But additional protections were needed to build off this law and apply protections to additional situations that people with disability faced everyday.
Image of President George Bush sitting at a desk signing the ADA into law.
Materials about the ADA’s Legislative and Regulatory Journey
Materials from before the ADA legislation
Materials from the ADA’s history (1988)
Materials from the ADA’s history (1989)
Image of President George H.W. Bush sitting at a desk while signing the ADAAA into law. He is surrounded by his father and a bipartisan group of legislators watching.
Materials about the ADAAA’s Legislative and Regulatory Journey
Materials from after the ADA and before the ADAAA (1990-2006)
~~ Additional materials will be posted in 2021. ~~