Our story:

On March 12, 1990, the culmination of several actions took place as over 1,000 individuals marched from the White House to the U.S. Capitol, demanding the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Upon reaching the Capitol, about 60 individuals discarded their wheelchairs and other mobility devices, embarking on a crawl up the Capitol steps. This brave act, known as the “Capitol Crawl,” showed the barriers of inaccessible architecture for people with disabilities. It served as a harsh reminder of the pressing need for the ADA, which was signed into law by President George H.W. Bush on July 26, 1990.

On May 1, 2024, a historical moment in time occurred, Disability advocates from across the Commonwealth crawled up the front steps of the Capitol. The goal, to make a statement that if the front doors are open to the public then the entrance must be accessible. 142 people checked in, plus dozens of others, for this historic moment in Pennsylvania history and a few dozen advocates tossed their mobility devices and crawled the 67 steps to the front doors.

Earlier in the day we took our demands to senate and representatives offices inside the building (after having to come in the back doors). We discussed three things: (1) affordable accessible integrated housing, (2) accessible transportation, and (3) home and community based services. Thank you to the advocates from all over the commonwealth that came together to have our voices heard. #DisabilityStrong #HarrisburgCapitolCrawl Find out more

“The lack of media presence at the event is really telling of people’s attitudes towards people with disabilities.”

— Disability Advocate, Alisa Grishman

““We will be back until we have equal access!””— Disability Advocate, Hillary Benish-Rothrock