History Note
Each month of 2007,
Access Press will feature an important person or persons in disability
history: local, regional or national
Sit-in Sparks Government Action
Section 504 of the
Rehab Act emerged from
the 1970s struggle
Advances in civil rights rarely
if ever happen without public pressure. Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation
Act stipulates that any federally funded program must provide equal
access to persons with disabilities. The law itself came up against
a veto by Nixon that was ultimately overruled by Congress. In 1977,
United States Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare Joseph Califano
refused to issue regulations implementing and enforcing the act.
A coalition of disability activist groups issued an ultimatum for
action with a deadline of April 4, 1977, but the date passed without
movement by the government.
On April 5, demonstrations
by people with disabilities took place in ten cities across the
country. By the end of the day, demonstrations in nine cities were
over. However, in one city — San Francisco — protesters
refused to disband. There, more than 150 people with disabilities
took over the federal office building and refused to leave. They
stay almost a month, until May 1, not leaving until they had reviewed
and approved of the regulations finally issued by Califano on April
28. ![]()
Source: www.rcil.com/
