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Americans with Disabilities Act
This act ensured the equal treatment and equal access of people with disabilities to employment opportunities and to public accommodations. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4rYDdW33P4 -
Jerry's Orphans stage first protest
Jerry's orphans stages its first annual protest of the Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Association Telethon. The protest was held because many people felt the event fosters an outdated image of disabled people as pitiful and childlike. -
The Glen Ridge Case
The Glen Ridge case came to trial in New Jersey, and three men were convicted of sexual assault and conspiracy, and a fourth of conspiracy, for raping a 17 year-old mentally disabled woman. The case highlighted the widespread sexual abuse of people with developmental disabilities. -
Holland v. Sacramento City Unified School District
Holland v. Sacramento City Unified School District affirmed the right of children with disabilities to attend public school classes with non-disabled children. The ruling was a major victory in the ongoing effort to ensure enforcement of IDEA -
Sandra Jensen denied heart-lung transplant
Sandra Jensen, a member of People First, was denied a heart-lung transplant by the Stanford University School of Medicine because she had Down Syndrome -
Sandra Jensen received heart-lung transplant
After pressure from disability rights activists, administrators there reversed their decisions, and in January 1996, Jensen became the first person with Down Syndrome to receive a heart-lung transplant. -
Supreme Court ruled individuals not disabled if not limited in life activities
The Supreme Court ruled in 3 employment cases that individuals whose conditions do not fully limit any life activity and are easily correctable are not disabled under the Americans with Disabilities Act. As a result, individuals with epilepsy, diabetes, and other types of disabilities may not be protected from employment discrimination by the ADA. These court decisions prompted disability rights advocates to begin working towards legislation that will clarify the original intent of the ADA.
