Disability rights activists did not want to wait any longer to be able to live like other Americans.On Monday, March 12, 1990, they descended on the US capitol and demanded the bill to be passed.
But that wasn't all. They got even more attention from the lawmakers by doing something unexpected and extraordinary—they abandoned their wheelchairs and mobility devices and began crawling up the 83 stone steps up to the US Capitol Building.
The entire way, the activists chanted, "What do we want? ADA! When do we want it? Now!"
Jennifer Keelan, a second grader from Denver who suffered from cerebral palsy, was recorded as firmly saying, "I'll take all night if I have to."
Several Senators said they felt "inconvenienced by the stunt" and that is this "inconvenience" is what pushed them to approve the act four months after the "Capitol Crawl" event.
This historic moment of determination and bravery is not widely known to the American public, as it did not get the media coverage it deserved, but for disabled people in America, it is the single greatest event that finally brought the ADA into law.
