Abstract
In recent decades, disabled persons living in Western nations have joined forces to fashion a powerful, organized, political force, pressing the case for their right to equality of opportunity in society. As Shapiro (1994, p. 11) puts it, “…alongside the civil rights struggles of African-Americans, women, gays and lesbians, and other minorities, another movement has slowly taken shape to demand for disabled people the same fundamental rights that have already been granted to other Americans.” Although challenges remain, this movement has been highly successful. Concrete achievements in the U.S. have included the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, cuts in curbs at intersections, kneeling buses, and wheelchair accessible toilets. The political and legal methods employed by the disability rights movement have emulated those of earlier civil rights movements.
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Sulmasy, D.P. (2009). Dignity, Disability, Difference, and Rights. In: Ralston, D., Ho, J. (eds) Philosophical Reflections on Disability. Philosophy and Medicine, vol 104. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-2477-0_11
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-2477-0_11
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