Accessibility Quick Tip: Who were the Gang of 19?

“The Gang of 19 started shocking the world. It was the beginning of a protest that was nationwide in scope…” – John Holland (Attorney who filed a lawsuit against the Regional Transport District in 1977.)

Several protestors lying sleeping in front of a bus on Colfax Avenue Denver — Attribution: Glen Martin/The Denver Post

It may be hard to imagine now, but only a few decades ago the vast majority of American public transit (not to mention streets/sidewalks) was inaccessible to wheelchair users and/or those with limited mobility. Official change came with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), which prohibits discrimination based on disability. The regulations of the ADA are now the basic minimum standard we expect and an excellent example of how increased equity benefits everybody in myriad ways.

The change in law occurred in no small part because of the organization, courage, and determination of disability rights groups and individuals to demand the access we all deserve. Working together, they were impossible to ignore and the time was ripe for change.

Did you know that protests in Denver – by the “Gang of 19,” as they were later dubbed – over a decade before the ADA grabbed headlines and signaled the start of a new disability rights movement that led to the landmark legislation?

The protests

Through public protests, marches, picketing, and other forms of civil disobedience, ADAPT actions brought discrimination in public transit systems to light in various cities throughout the USA. This resulted in many cities—Denver being the first—recreating their public transit system with full accessibility in mind. ADAPT actions were also invaluable to the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990. – Atlantis Community

Prior to the protests, a lawsuit was filed on behalf of Atlantis Community (who would later form ADAPT – see below) against the Regional Transportation District (RTD) in 1977. The court ruled against Atlantis, who appealed.

On July 5-6, 1978, the disability rights group activists, led by co-founder and minister Wade Blank, assembled in downtown Denver and surrounded a bus at the Colfax & Broadway intersection for 24 hours. At the time, only ten of the 213 RTD buses had any wheelchair access. The pictures were a sensation.

The appeal was eventually settled with RTD’s agreement to retrofit their buses with wheelchair lifts. This was an important victory, providing inspiration for advocates and protesters everywhere.