The Disability Rights Movement

As a cradle of social change in the 1960s, the city of Berkeley gave rise to the Disability Rights and Independent Living Movement. The Civil Rights Movement inspired a cultural shift in the idea that people with disabilities have the right to self-determination. UC Berkeley's female staff, alumnae, and allies helped change the social perceptions of people with disabilities. Leaders like Zona Roberts promoted equitable access to life opportunities as her son, activist Edward Roberts, became the first student with severe physical disabilities to attend Cal. Judith Heumann mobilized communities to oppose discrimination on the basis of disability. We feature some of the many women who contributed to this moment in time and advanced the field of disability studies.