Exhibit Envoy
Exhibit Available March 3, 2026 through April 15, 2026
Visit the exhibit in the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library, 2nd Floor ~ DiNapoli Gallery – Open to All
Discover a remarkable, overlooked moment in U.S. history when people with disabilities occupied a government building to demand their rights and won. The exhibition uncovers the stories behind a turbulent April in 1977, when people with disabilities successfully launched protests across the nation to get Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 signed into law. Section 504 made it illegal for any federally funded facilities or programs to discriminate against people with disabilities, but as of 1977, one missing signature stood in the way of the law taking effect. After a 26-day occupation of the Federal Building in San Francisco, the occupiers emerged victorious from the longest unarmed take-over of a federal building in U.S. history when the Head of Health Education and Welfare finally added his signature to the 504 regulations. This paved the way for future disability rights, including the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990 on July 26, 1990. Above all, this exhibition reminds all of us that disabilities are a source of creativity and innovation, not pity or tragedy.
Learn more: Introduction to Patient No More: People with Disabilities Securing Civil Rights
Virtual Event: March 19, 2026 @3:00pm
You’re invited to join us for an interactive Zoom event focused on disability education, access, and inclusion.
This session is open to anyone interested in learning more about disability experiences and inclusive practices. No prior knowledge is required—just curiosity and a willingness to learn together.
Your Donation Makes a Difference
Your generosity helps us expand disability services that promote equity, independence.
Donations allow AEC to expand disability services that promote equity, independence:
- Provide students with the most current assistive technology
- Expansions of Sensory Rooms
- Replacement of Assistant Listening Devices
- Refreshing Testing Center hardware and software
