[narrator] You might take one every day,
but you probably haven't thought about the layout of an elevator,
unless you're a person with a disability.
Chances are that you don't really think about
any of the human-made physical structures you access each day.
Architects and engineers
refer to these things and spaces as the "Built World."
It's a world that determines how we live and where we work.
You might not have noticed,
but much of that physical environment
has quite literally been shaped by laws that protect the rights
of people with disabilities.
Before these laws were passed,
places like restaurants, doctors' offices, and schools
were not made with disabled people in mind.
Being met with barriers such as stairs, narrow doorways, no curb cuts,
made it difficult, if not impossible for many people with physical disabilities
to access these spaces.
Inaccessible buildings and transportation provided a routine reminder
that the built world was made strictly for the non-disabled.
[growling]
[narrator] But all that partially began to change
with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973,
specifically with the enforcement of Section 504
that prohibits federally funded programs, agencies, and buildings
from discriminating against disabled people.
Section 504, as it is commonly known,
also paved way for the historic signing of the ADA,
or Americans with Disabilities Act, in 1990.
As chronicled in Crip Camp,
it took years of relentless advocacy and protest
before these laws were passed.
And much of it was organized by a group of disabled teenagers
who met at a summer camp in Upstate New York, Camp Jened.
And thanks to these former campers and many other leaders,
our built world changed.
Among the long list of things the ADA accomplished,
like protecting against employment discrimination,
it is now a legal requirement for our physical landscapes
to be architecturally accessible to disabled people.
[Jim LeBrecht] Well, before the ADA and even the passage of the regulations,
the 504 regulations,
it was really, really tough.
Anything that I really wanted was at the whim of other people.
We couldn't come into the movie theater
if we couldn't transfer out of our wheelchair.
We had no expectation of accessible bathrooms.
Our expectations basically were low.
[narrator] In some cases, the change measures in inches.
In other instances, entire new structures have been created.
The experience of making this film
has radically changed the way I view the world around me.
[narrator] You've already seen the ADA's impact on our built world.
You just may not have noticed it. For instance...
You know, our tax money was going into buses and trains,
but we couldn't get on it.
I also grew up in New York.
And...
I used the subway a lot.
I used to go to the subway and...
climb up and down the steps.
I... I...
I was normally harassed
by the police.
I wasn't bothering the police,
but I was harassed daily by them.
Because...
the police would stop us.
Did you understand?
-[low murmurs from crew] -[Neil] No.
So, the subways in New York are not-- were not accessible at that time.
But Neil was able to get around.
And what he would do
is he would frequently go up and down the stairs on his butt,
and the police, instead of helping him,
would frequently tell him he couldn't do it.
-So, denying the right to transit. -[Neil] Yeah.
[narrator] So before the ADA,
most people with physical disabilities couldn't access public transportation.
It meant that many people couldn't even leave their homes.
But nowadays, public transportation has become accessible for many,
adding features like ramps, accessible seating,
and elevators in some subway stations.
The ADA also has provisions for streets and sidewalks.
They can be inaccessible to wheelchair users
and people who are blind or low vision.
You know those small ramps you see everywhere built into the pavement?
Those are curb cuts,
and they're meant for a disabled person to safely navigate the streets,
not just for your scooter.
So now, not only can a wheelchair user
easily maneuver between the sidewalk and the street,
but a blind or low vision pedestrian
can also know when they have reached a street.
And ask anybody who's pushed a... a stroller
how much easier it is to use a curb cut.
[narrator] Parking lots too have been transformed by the ADA.
When I got my car at the age of 17,
there were no handicap parking spots,
and so I had to find locations
where I could get my wheelchair in and out of my station wagon.
[narrator] It's totally different now. For every 25 parking spaces in a lot,
at least one needs to be for accessible parking.
And some of those accessible parking spaces
must be wide enough for a person with a disability
to safely exit a vehicle.
And by the way, those reserved parking spaces also follow ADA rules.
But what about buildings themselves?
Not only were public spaces inaccessible for people with disabilities,
but often there were architectural barriers
in their private homes as well.
I grew up in a home
and I lived
on the second floor
of a walk-up apartment building.
And my parents
never thought about moving.
My parents thought
that the only alternative
-was to make me walk. -[Neil] Yeah.
And so I spent
years and years and years
without a wheelchair,
walking on crutches
and it really wasn't the best way
for me to get around,
but it was
the only solution
that my parents
and therapist
and non-disabled people had
for somebody like me.
Just simply being able to get into businesses
where, you know, there's a step up.
Uh, and so I couldn't get into many, many places.
[narrator] But that ramp you usually walk past on a regular day?
Yep, that was installed as per the ADA
because stairs just don't work for everyone.
Ever wonder why there's usually a static door
or a gate next to a revolving door?
That's right, to make it easier for a person in a wheelchair
to access the building.
But once inside, a building's interiors
could also be a barrier for people with disabilities.
Take bathrooms, for instance.
Yeah, I can get into your restaurant,
but, you know, I want to be able to hang out there for a while,
and if your bathroom is not accessible,
uh, it's really kind of a no-go for me to be there.
[narrator] You know those wide bathroom stalls?
They're not fitting rooms or places to do your yoga.
Those were created to give enough room for wheelchair access.
Also, for a wheelchair user,
sinks that are too high without leg space are cumbersome.
But by following the ADA guidelines,
sinks can be installed at the right level to be accessible.
And it's not just the buildings and the streets and transportation
that need to be ADA-compliant.
It's the things you never consider.
Like that elevator from before?
You don't notice it while using it
but the usable parts are at a certain height from the ground
to be wheelchair accessible.
But here's the thing, it doesn't cater to a person who is blind.
Our built world is therefore selectively accessible.
Many people who have a disability and are protected by Section 504
and the Americans with Disabilities Act
don't see themselves in this law.
[narrator] And it's incomplete.
Like, not all subway stations have built-in elevators.
For instance, only a quarter
of New York City's subway stations are accessible.
Similarly, restaurants far and wide
have yet to adopt Braille menus for blind people.
It has been 30 years since the ADA was signed,
but its laws are yet to be universally applied to our built world.
I think that people think-- some people think that the ADA is,
"If we follow these rules, we're doing it right."
The ADA is a floor. It's not a ceiling.
[narrator] And that's a problem.
Because unless it applies everywhere,
people with disabilities
cannot fully participate in their communities.
If I have to feel thankful about an accessible bathroom,
when am I ever gonna be equal in the community?
[narrator] A good first step is to begin thinking about disability rights
as basic human rights.
Would you like to see, um, handicapped people depicted as people?
[person laughs nearby]
-Excuse me? -[chuckles]
[upbeat music playing]
It can't just be on us
as disabled people to be making these changes.
It really has to be a societal change.
[narrator] The ADA actually improves access for all.
[narrator] I mean, think about it.
You've probably used the elevators in a subway station.
There were some before the ADA,
but now entire systems have them.
And that's just one example
of how we all benefit from the ADA every day.
I think one of the most beautiful things I learned about, working on the project,
was this concept of universal design.
It's the idea that if you design something or you make something
that works for all people, it's gonna be better for everybody.
[narrator] So, on any given day,
when you do end up using an ADA feature,
you have a generation of disability rights activists
to thank for that convenience.
So, y'all have us to thank for this.