A Long Road to Equality: The Evolution of Disability Services in America and the Threats They Face Today

Introduction

For millions of Americans with disabilities, the journey to access basic services — education, employment, housing, transportation, and healthcare — has been long and riddled with systemic barriers. Before the passage of landmark legislation like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990, people with disabilities often lived on the margins of society, facing discrimination, exclusion, and institutionalization. Over the past few decades, advocacy efforts have transformed this reality, gradually improving rights and services. However, recent political shifts, particularly under Republican administrations and policies promoted by Donald Trump, have threatened to dismantle critical protections and defund vital programs.

This article explores what life was like for people with disabilities before federal disability rights laws, how those laws revolutionized access to services, and the ongoing political attempts to weaken or eliminate those gains.

Life Before Disability Rights Laws

Prior to the 1970s, people with disabilities were largely invisible in American society. They were often:

• Institutionalized or isolated from their communities.

• Excluded from public schools due to inaccessible buildings or a lack of special education.

• Barred from employment, as employers could legally discriminate against them.

• Denied public services and transportation, making independence almost impossible.

There were few, if any, federal protections. Public spaces were rarely wheelchair-accessible, communication support like sign language interpreters was nonexistent, and few accommodations were made in workplaces or educational settings. The prevailing attitude was one of charity and pity rather than equity and inclusion. Disability was seen as a private tragedy, not a social issue requiring legal remedies.

The Rise of the Disability Rights Movement

The 1960s and 70s brought waves of civil rights activism — and the disability rights movement emerged in parallel. Inspired by African American civil rights efforts, disability advocates began to demand:

• Equal access to education and jobs

• The right to live independently in communities, not institutions

• Public infrastructure that accommodated mobility and sensory impairments

• An end to discrimination in all forms

Milestones leading up to the ADA included:

• The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, particularly Section 504, which prohibited discrimination against individuals with disabilities in programs receiving federal funding.

• The Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (now the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA), which guaranteed public education and services to children with disabilities.

These laws laid the groundwork for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), signed into law in 1990, which marked a transformative moment in American civil rights history.

The Americans with Disabilities Act: A Turning Point

The ADA of 1990 was a sweeping civil rights law that prohibited discrimination based on disability in:

• Employment (Title I)

• State and local government services (Title II)

• Public accommodations and commercial facilities (Title III)

• Transportation (Title IV)

• Telecommunications (Title V)

For the first time, the ADA established that accessibility was not optional — it was a legal right. Businesses had to make "reasonable accommodations." Cities had to ensure accessible public transport. Employers had to consider qualified applicants with disabilities.

Impact of the ADA:

• Sidewalks gained curb cuts.

• Workplaces began offering assistive technologies.

• Closed captioning became standard on TV and in public spaces.

• Lawsuits could be filed when public or private entities failed to comply.

The ADA helped shift the narrative from viewing disabled individuals as burdens to recognizing them as citizens with equal rights.

Additional Advances in Disability Services

Since the ADA, further legislation and policy developments improved services for people with disabilities:

• The Affordable Care Act (ACA) included protections for people with pre-existing conditions and expanded Medicaid — both of which disproportionately benefit people with disabilities.

• Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waivers allowed people to receive care in their own homes rather than institutions.

• The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) promoted competitive integrated employment.

• Technology advancements, including screen readers, voice recognition, and mobility aids, enhanced independence.

These efforts enabled more people with disabilities to live independently, find meaningful employment, and participate fully in society.

Backsliding: The Impact of Republican Policies and Trump-Era Decisions

While many of these programs have widespread bipartisan support, Republican-led efforts — particularly under the Trump administration — have frequently targeted or undermined them.

1. Attempts to Repeal or Gut the ACA

The Trump administration and Congressional Republicans repeatedly tried to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which would have:

• Ended protections for people with pre-existing conditions (including many disabilities).

• Rolled back Medicaid expansion, which supports millions of disabled Americans.

• Cut funding for long-term care services critical for independent living.

2. Medicaid Block Grants and Budget Cuts

Trump-era proposals pushed for converting Medicaid to block grants — giving states a fixed amount of funding instead of need-based reimbursements. This approach:

• Incentivizes states to cut services to save money.

• Puts HCBS and personal care services at risk.

• Would leave many without essential supports like in-home aides, therapies, or medical equipment.

3. Rolling Back Education Protections

The Department of Education under Betsy DeVos rescinded several key guidelines related to:

• Inclusive education practices.

• Disciplinary protections for students with disabilities.

• Enforcement of special education rights under IDEA.

Many parents and advocates feared a return to pre-IDEA conditions, where students with disabilities were segregated or underserved.

4. Weakened ADA Enforcement

In 2018, the House of Representatives passed HR 620: the ADA Education and Reform Act, which would have made it harder to file ADA lawsuits. Although it failed in the Senate, the bill was widely criticized by disability advocates as undermining the core enforcement mechanism of the ADA.

5. Cuts to Social Services and Accessibility Programs

Under the guise of "budget tightening" or "deregulation," many social service programs were defunded or weakened:

• Reductions in HUD funding meant fewer accessible housing programs.

• Proposed cuts to Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI).

• Rollbacks in protections under the Fair Housing Act.

• Neglect of transportation accessibility improvements.

The Current Landscape: Progress at Risk

As of 2025, the struggle continues. While the Biden administration reversed some of the Trump-era rollbacks and increased funding for HCBS under COVID-19 relief packages, the future remains uncertain.

Republican-led state governments and legislators continue to:

• Push for Medicaid restrictions and work requirements.

• Deny funding for accessibility retrofits in public infrastructure.

• Prioritize tax cuts over investment in disability services.

Meanwhile, advocacy groups like the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL), Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF), and ADAPT are working tirelessly to hold lawmakers accountable and ensure that disability rights are not further eroded.

Why These Services Matter

People with disabilities rely on government services not as a luxury, but as a lifeline. These include:

• Accessible and affordable housing

• Transportation assistance

• Employment supports

• Personal care attendants

• Medical equipment and therapy

• Inclusive education

• Communication access (like interpreters and assistive technology)

Without these services, people face re-institutionalization, poverty, or worse. The fight for disability rights is not just about legal protections — it's about dignity, autonomy, and survival.

Conclusion: The Work Isn’t Over

Disability rights laws like the ADA, IDEA, and the ACA transformed American society for the better. They made visible what was previously invisible. They turned access from a privilege into a right.

But those rights are fragile. Under administrations like Trump’s, political ideologies that prioritize deregulation and budget cuts often come at the expense of the most vulnerable. People with disabilities — especially those who are poor, elderly, or multiply marginalized — stand to lose the most when these services are cut.

Now more than ever, we must remain vigilant. The future of disability rights hinges not only on legislation but on continued advocacy, public awareness, and inclusive policy-making. As we look ahead, we must remember: equality is not a one-time achievement. It is an ongoing fight.

Call to Action:

• Support disability-led organizations.

• Vote for candidates who prioritize accessibility and inclusion.

• Oppose policies that gut Medicaid and social protections.

• Listen to disabled voices in policy, education, and media.

Disability rights are human rights. And that fight — for visibility, equity, and justice — continues.