"The 1973 Rehabilitation Act: Section 504 and the Birth of Disability Civil Rights"
Update: 2025-10-06
Description
In September, 1973, President Richard Nixon signed the Rehabilitation Act into law. While much of the Act focused on vocational training and services, one section—Section 504—quietly broke new ground. It became the first U.S. civil rights law to prohibit discrimination against people with disabilities in federally funded programs.
In this week’s episode of Walk and Roll Live – This Week in Disability History, we explore the origins of the Rehabilitation Act, the hard-fought battle to implement its protections, and how Section 504 laid the foundation for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Subscribe now to follow the series and learn more about the pivotal moments that shaped disability rights.
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