The demonstrations that have gripped the country over the summer are reminders of other protests that preceded them, many of which have led to transformative change. Although small in size and barely recognized by the media at the time it occurred, one of the more effective such protests took place in March 1990 and became known as the “Capitol Crawl.” Some 1,000 activists had gone to Washington, DC, to urge the passing of legislation that would address discrimination against persons with disabilities. But it was the 60 or so protestors who, after climbing out of their wheelchairs and tossing aside their crutches, began the arduous process of crawling up the 83 steps of the U.S. Capitol, that captured the attention of Congress.
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