35 Years of the ADA: Time for Europe to Lead on Disability Rights
Thirty-five years ago, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law, marking a turning point in the fight for equality, dignity, and freedom for disabled people. The ADA was not only transformative for the United States; it reshaped global thinking about disability and influenced the drafting of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
Today, while the ADA remains a symbol of rights-based change, many of its protections are under attack in the US. Europe now has the opportunity and the responsibility to carry the civil rights legacy forward.
From America to Europe, the dawn of a civil rights revolution
The ADA grew out of the same political tradition that drove the US civil rights movement. From the 504 Sit-in in 1977 to the Capitol Crawl in 1990, activists used the tools of civil rights protest to demand systemic change. Their victories reframed disabled people as rights-holders, not passive recipients of care. This principle became the foundation of the CRPD, the first human rights convention of the 21st century.
A warning from across the Atlantic
Yet, the very rights for which so many fought are today under attack in the USA. After a first attempt of 17 Republican-controlled states to undermine Section 504 in February 2025, the Trump Administration withdrew in March 2025 11 pieces of ADA guidances “to reduce regulatory burdens on businesses”. Broader attacks on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs threaten to reverse decades of progress. Alarmingly, certain public figures in the orbit of President Trump have espoused ableist and even explicitly eugenic rhetoric, reminding us how fragile progress can be.
Europe’s challenge
In Europe, progress has been made. Initiatives such as the European Disability Card and the EU Strategy on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities signal a recognition of the issue. But they often lack binding legal force, consistent implementation, or the full participation of disabled people’s organisations in policymaking.
Volt sees these gaps as opportunities for decisive action. Europe can lead the next chapter in disability rights if it chooses to act.
Volt’s plan to make disability rights a reality in Europe
Disability rights are civil rights. Volt is pushing to make them enforceable and lived realities across the EU by:
Making disability rights binding: making the UN CRPD enforceable in every country, ensuring all Member States ratify its Optional Protocol, and creating a European Disability Agency to guarantee implementation.
Making independent living a reality: with personal assistance and supported decision-making so everyone can choose where and how they live.
Breaking down barriers to full participation: from education and jobs to transport and politics, with disabled people at the table for every decision.
To find out more:
______________
You and us share the same dream of a united, thriving Europe. It really means a lot to us when you make adonation, and if you would like to help us plan ahead with confidence, we thank you for yourmonthly contribution 💜