Disability History: A New York Times article from 26 years ago today:

[capri0mni]

http://www.nytimes.com/1990/03/14/us/disabled-protest-and-are-arrested.html

(Quote)
WASHINGTON, March 13— More than 100 protesters in wheelchairs were arrested today in the Capitol Rotunda after they boisterously demonstrated for swift passage of a civil rights bill for the millions of Americans with physical and mental disabilities.
(Unquote)

"Boisterous!" -- It's one of my favorite words, but... in this context? Seems a little disablist to me. What about you?

Comments

[davidgillon]

If they were popping wheelies up and down the rotunda, then maybe, otherwise not the word I would have chosen.

There were a few other places the report seemed to be struggling for appropriate language, notably "the plight of the disabled", which is probably a sign of how far we've had to come.

[capri0mni]

*Nod*

Also: A little over five years ago, my local C.I.L.* held a "celebration" (ironic quote marks are ironic) for the ADA's 20th anniversary, with an Internet feed of the "celebration" from the White House on a big screen. During said event, George Bush Senior was lauded (and given credit -- *spits*) for signing the bill into law.

... But that article reminds me that, at the time, he really wanted nothing to do with it.

*Center for Independent Living

[davidgillon]

I don't know about the background to ADA, but DDA over here was very much the work of a single deaf MP. The parties may try to claim some of the credit, but everyone knows it was really Jack Ashley.

[capri0mni]

Thank you, Jack Ashley!

[spiralsheep]

I like the word "boisterous" so much that I'd probably forgive any minor problems. I haven't used it for ages. ::makes note::

[capri0mni]

Glad I could remind you!

[capri0mni]

Okay, I was curious, myself, and went looking for eyewitness accounts of what actually did happen on that day. I found this:

http://www.adapt.org/freeourpeople/adapt25/narratives/15adapt.htm

[davidgillon]

Oh, I like that.

[capri0mni]

Yeah, me too.

There's also this story, of the where-is-she-now? variety, about that "little girl" he mentions crawling up the steps with him.

It's inspiring in the true sense, not the porn sense. But it's also god-damned infuriating:

http://cpdailyliving.com/the-little-girl-who-crawled-up-the-capitol-steps-25-years-later-jennifer-keelan-and-the-ada/