Introduction

In 1990, the United States passed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a historic law protecting the rights of people with disabilities. Three years later, more than 2,000 disabled New Yorkers marched in the streets to celebrate their new independence. Decades later, we look back to ask: What were the goals of these early organizers? What major victories have been won since then, and what still needs to change today? This exhibit was curated by Jessica Murray. The items come from the Disability Independence Day March Collection, part of the New York Disability Rights Archive at the College of Staten Island. They were donated by activists Nadina LaSpina and Carr Massi. Unless noted otherwise, photos were taken by Harriet Zucker or by unknown volunteers.

SPONSORS OF THE DIDM ‘93

504 Democratic Club
ACT UP/NY
Action Medical Supply
AIDS Center of Queens County
AIDS Resource Center
AIDS Service Center of Lower Manhattan
Al Pacino
Amalgamated Clothing & Textile
Workers Union
American Foundation for AIDS Research
Arthritis Foundation
Asian Deaf Advocates
Association of Legal Aid Attorneys
Barrier Free Living
Bellevue Hospital Community Board
Black Deaf Advocates
Black Leadership Commission on AIDS
Body Positive of New York
Borough President Ruth Messinger
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS
Bronx AIDS Service, Inc.
Bronx Independent Living Center
Brooklyn Center for the Independence of the Disabled
Brooklyn-wide Interagency Council for the Aging, Inc.
Cancer Care, Inc.
Catholic Charities Office for Disabled Persons of the Diocese of
Brooklyn/Queens
Center Bridge
Center for Constitutional Rights
Center for the Independence of the
Disabled of NY
Chelsea Reform Democratic Club
Chelsea Speak Out
Chris Burke
Citizen Action, NY
City Council President Andrew Stein
Community Advocacy Center, Inc.
Congressman Major Owens
Council of Motion Picture and Television Unions
Councilman Tom Duane
Deaf AIDS Project
Deaf Awareness Week/Empire State Association of the Deaf
D.C. 37, AFSCME
DC 1707, AFSCME
Democratic Socialists of America, NY
D.I.A.L. New Jersey
Disabled in Action of Metropolitan NY
Disability Law Center at NY Lawyers of the Public Interest
East Siders for Universal Health Care
Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Association
ELESAIR AIDS Project
El Puente de Williamsburg
Friends and Advocates of the Mentally III
Garfield Manor
Gay & Lesbian Independent Democrats
Gay Men’s Health Crisis
Greater Brownsville Youth Council, Inc.
Gray Panthers of New York City
Gray Panthers of Suffolk County
Guide Dog Users Association
Haitian Coalition on AIDS
Harlem Independent Living Center
Health Care Policy Network, NASW, NYC Chapter
Health Care We Gotta Have It!
Hemophilia Association of NY
Heritage of Pride
HIV Law Project
Hospital Audiences, Inc.
Housing Works, Inc.
Hunger Action Network, NYS
Intercouncil Community Fellowship
Interfaith Nutrition Network
International Care for the Disabled
Itzhak Perlman
Jews for Racial and Economic Justice
Jobs for Justice
Joint Public Affairs Committee for Older Adults
Lois Kaggen
Lambda Legal Defense Fund
Local 107 International Paper Workers Union
Local 1199 Health & Hospital Workers Union
Local 802 American Federation of Musicians
Local 840 International Brotherhood of Teamsters
District 1 Locals 1103, 1105 & 1180
Communication Workers of America
Long Island Progressive Coalition, Citizen Action NY
Long Island University, Brooklyn Campus, Special Service Program
Lower East Side Family Union
Manhattan Plaza Foundation AIDS Project
Mary Somoza
Matt Dillion
Minority Task Force on AIDS
NYS Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission
Mayor David Dinkins
Mt. Sinai Hospital Department of Physical Rehabilitation
Motion Picture Video Tape Editors Local 771/IATSE
Multiple Sclerosis Society NYC Chapter
Nassau Coalition for National Health Plan
National Abortion Rights League, NY Chapter
National Womens Political Caucus, NYS
National Transplant Support Network
National Council on Disability
National Foundation for the Blind
New Democratic Coalition
NYCOSH
New York AIDS Coalition
NY Society for the Deaf
NY Jobs with Justice Health Care Campaign
NY Metro Mobilization for National Health Care
National Organization of Women, New York Chapter
N.O.W. in Queens NY
Committees of Correspondence
NYC Commission on Human Rights
NYS Health Care Campaign
New York State Nurses Association
NYS Division of Human Rights
NY Statewide Senior Action Council
Older Parenthood of NYC, Inc.
People with AIDS Coalition
Physicians for a National Health Program, Inc.
Queens Borough President Claire Shulman
Queens Independent Living Center
Queens Coalition for Political Alternatives
Queens Gays & Lesbians United
Radical Women
Screen Actors Guild
Senator Tom Harkin
Sharon Mistler
Shelter Program Development Committee
Stamp Out AIDS
Staten Island AIDS Task Force
Staten Island Independent Living Center
Students Association of SUNY
Students with Disabilities Caucus of SASU
Suffolk Coalition for a National Health Plan
The Gay Games
The Freedom Socialist Party
The Governor’s Office of Advocate for the Disabled
The Hetrick-Martin Institute
The Momentum Project, Inc.
The Little Peoples Association of America
The Mayors Office for
People with Disabilities
U.C.P. Associations of New Jersey
U.C.P. of Staten Island
United Auto Workers Local 259
United Cerebral Palsy of New York
United Community Centers, Inc.
United Federation of Teachers
U.S. Students Association
Waterway Project of TPP
Women & AIDS Resources Network
Women in Crisis

Date: 1993