Enabling acts
Subtitle: the hidden story of how the Americans with Disabilities Act gave the largest us minority its rights
By: Lennard J. Davis
Publisher: Beacon Press
Published: 2015
Language: eng
Number of pages: 289
ISBN-13: 9780807071564
Subjects: United States; People with disabilities; Legal status, laws; Social conditions; Services for; Law and legislation; Discrimination against people with disabilities
Description: "The first significant book on the history and impact of the ADA--the "eyes on the prize" moment for disability rights The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is the widest-ranging piece of civil rights legislation ever passed in the history of the United States, and it has become the model for most civil rights laws around the world. The untold story behind the act is anything but a dry account of bills and speeches, however. Rather, it's a fascinating story of how a group of leftist Berkeley hippies managed to make an alliance with upper-crust, conservative Republicans to bring about a truly bipartisan bill. In this riveting account, acclaimed disability scholar Lennard J. Davis tells the behind-the-scenes and on-the-ground story of a too-often ignored or forgotten civil rights fight, while illustrating the successes and shortcomings of the ADA in areas ranging from employment, education, and transportation to shifting social attitudes. Published for the twenty-fifth anniversary of the ADA, this book promises to powerfully ignite readers in a discussion of disability rights in America"--

"This book is the first major book to focus exclusively on the history and impact of the ADA which was the widest ranging piece of civil rights legislation in the history of the United States and has become the model for most civil rights laws around the world. Yet the history isn't a dry account of bills and speeches. Rather it tells the fascinating story of how a group of leftist Berkeley hippies managed to make an alliance with upper-crust, conservative Republicans to bring about a truly bi-partisan bill. It covers how major politicians fought in public while staffers hammered out the details amidst public demonstrations by disability activists providing momentum for all. The book provides behind the scenes accounts and never-before published intrigues that led to a successful outcome. In addition, the book will assess the impact and legacy of the ADA through the stories of individuals who have been affected by the legislation"--
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: July 28, 1989; title: Forty-six words that changed history; title: DC outsiders turn Washington insiders; title: The Texas connection; title: Let right be done; title: Banging the drum loudly; title: Flat Earth, deaf world; title: A new band of reformers; title: A new day, a new ADA; title: White House battles Senate; title: Secret meetings and bagel breakfasts; title: "This means war!"; title: Building the accessible ramp to the House of Representatives; title: The Capitol crawl; title: On the White House lawn; title: Enabling the ADA.