“He wanted people to take risks”: An underdog movement’s astonishing rise
About this episode
The episode discusses the rise of a disability rights movement led by activists in Berkeley during the 1960s.
If you were born after 1990, it might be easy to think that the world has always had wheelchair ramps, closed captions, and bathroom stalls for people with disabilities. But none of those things existed until a few decades ago - and they all had to be demanded. Until a group of confrontational activists emerged out of Berkeley in the 1960s, it was legal to discriminate against people with disabilities. All that changed thanks to the radical students who built one of the most successful movements of the 20th century. Today’s episode features my interview with Scot Danforth, the author of “An Independent Man: Ed Roberts and the Fight for Disability Rights” (UC Press). Listen now to hear about how a man who couldn’t move his arms or legs changed laws, architecture, and society’s view on people with disabilities. To see photos and links related to this episode, visit: https://eastbayyesterday.com/episodes/he-wanted-people-to-take-risks/ Don’t forget to follow the East Bay Yesterday Substack for updates on events, boat tours, exhibits, and other local history news: https://substack.com/@eastbayyesterday Donate to keep this show alive: www.patreon.com/c/eastbayyesterday
People in this episode
Host: East Bay Yesterday
Guest: Scot Danforth
Topics covered
- disability rights
- activism
- history
- social change
- architecture
- law
Keywords
- disability rights
- activism
- Ed Roberts
- Berkeley
- social change
- history
- wheelchair ramps
- closed captions
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: UC Press
Books & works: An Independent Man: Ed Roberts and the Fight for Disability Rights
Places: Berkeley
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