New documentary highlights Gallaudet’s role in the fight for the Americans with Disabilities Act | Gallaudet University
As a key player in the history of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Gallaudet’s campus was a natural choice for previewing a new documentary about the story behind the law. A screening of “Change, Not Charity: the Americans with Disabilities Act,” produced by the PBS series “American Experience,” was hosted by the Schuchman Deaf Documentary Center (SDDC) and the Center for Democracy in Deaf America (CDDA) on March 12. The event included a Q&A with writer/producer Chana Gazit, American Experience executive producer Cameo George, and director Jim LeBrect.
Dr. Brian Greenwald, ’96, Director of the SDDC, was pleased to see a full house in attendance. “It’s crucial to understand our history and how we arrived here because too often, people take progress for granted—and we can’t afford to do that,” he says. “This is a valuable opportunity for the Gallaudet community to come together and recognize that the path to the ADA was anything but easy.”
The day of the screening, March 12, coincided with the anniversaries of two central events that contributed to the passage of the ADA — and are featured in the film. It was the 35th anniversary of the Capitol Crawl, in which disabled protesters pulled themselves up the inaccessible 83 steps of the Capitol building. And, 37 years ago, it was the 7th day of Deaf President Now (DPN).
