We Won't Go Back

Written for United African Asian Abilities Club

globaluaaac.com

By: Sharon Valeriano and Dr. Theodore Arthur Pinnock

June 17, 2026

One day, a mother gave birth to a child with a disability. Overwhelmed and unsupported, she made the heartbreaking decision to abandon her baby, casting the child into a lake in desperation. Years later, tragedy struck another family when a wife became disabled in a car accident. Instead of supporting her through her new challenges, her husband divorced her within a year, leaving her to face her disability alone. In yet another case, a family, feeling unable or unwilling to care for their disabled child, drove the child to a government-run institution. They left the child there, never coming back, believing that institutionalization was the only option for a person with a disability. These stories reflect a time in American history when society provided few supports for people with disabilities and families were often left isolated and desperate.

Today, disability leaders in the United States warn that some politicians are pushing to roll back the protections and progress that have made these tragic stories a thing of the past. For more than thirty years, key court decisions and federal laws have changed the landscape for people with disabilities. The United States Supreme Court ruled that people with disabilities have the right to live in the community rather than be isolated in institutions. In 1972, activists with disabilities organized and fought for the inclusion of Section 504 in the Rehabilitation Act, which was the first federal civil rights protection for people with disabilities. In 1975, the passage of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (now known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA) guaranteed that children with disabilities had the right to attend public school alongside their nondisabled peers. Activists continued to fight for enforcement, leading to the landmark Section 504 regulations in 1977. In 1986, a pivotal report to Congress called "Towards Independence" highlighted the need for greater community integration and independent living. In response, Congress passed major legislation like the Air Carrier Access Act, the Fair Housing Amendments Act, and, in 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). These laws did not just change America—they inspired the United Nations and many other countries around the world to pass their own disability rights laws.

On July 21, there will be a disability rally in Washington, D.C.

The theme this year is simple:

We Won't Go Back.

Those four words carry the history of our movement.

People with disabilities fought for decades to leave institutions, gain civil rights, access education, secure transportation, find employment, and live independently in our own communities. None of those victories were handed to us. They were earned through organizing, advocacy, and refusing to accept second-class citizenship.

Today, many of those gains are being challenged.

When we say "We Won't Go Back," we are saying we will not return to a time when people with disabilities were hidden away, denied opportunities, excluded from society, or forced to live lives controlled by others.

We are protecting more than programs.

We are protecting freedom.

Our message to Congress and the Administration is clear.

Don't take America backwards.

We are demanding protection of the civil rights laws that have allowed millions of people with disabilities to live independently and participate fully in society.

That includes protecting Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Olmstead integration mandate that affirms our right to live in the community rather than institutions.

We are also calling for continued investment in the Independent Living Program, Medicaid, Home and Community-Based Services, accessible housing, transportation, and the community supports that make independent living possible.

These aren't special programs.

They are the foundation that allows people with disabilities to live with dignity and freedom.

History has shown us that disability rights move forward when people show up.

The 504 Sit-ins.

The Capitol Crawl.

The passage of the ADA.

None of those moments happened because people stayed home.

They happened because people with disabilities came together and demanded change.

Today is another one of those moments.

People need to see that our community is united and paying attention. Decision makers need to understand that people with disabilities are organized, engaged, and prepared to defend the progress we've made.

Because once rights begin to erode, history tells us they rarely disappear all at once.

They disappear little by little.

That is why we're saying we won't go back.

You don't have to be in Washington to be part of this movement.

Call your members of Congress.

Share our message on social media.

Write letters to your local newspaper.

Support your local Center for Independent Living.

Talk to your friends, neighbors, coworkers, and elected officials about why disability rights matter.

Visit ncil.org and follow our Action Center and Announcements.

Most importantly, help spread one simple message:

We won't go back.

Because protecting disability rights isn't just the responsibility of people with disabilities.

It's the responsibility of everyone who believes that every person deserves the opportunity to live, work, and participate fully in their community.