And finally, the first version of the Americans with Disabilities Act went before Congress, crafted not by radicals in the disability movement, but by Reagan appointees to the National Council on Disability. At this time the disability movement, from the conservative to the radical wing of the movement, was unified in the view that what was needed was not a new and better brand of social welfare system, but a fundamental examination and redefinition of the democratic tradition of equal opportunity and equal rights.
In just two years, Congress passed this ambitious legislation and in 1990, President George Bush held the largest signing ceremony in history on the south lawn of the White House, an historic moment for all people with disabilities. The passage of the ADA was to some degree effected by members of Congress realizing their obligation to ensure civil rights to all Americans.