The blueprint for the ADA: "Toward Independence" turns 40

Disability community members often consider 1990 to be a landmark year, marking the moment the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law.

But many key studies and pieces of legislation paved the way for the ADA’s passage. One of those marks its 40th anniversary in 2026. (The report’s history is recalled here with a reminder to readers that language centered on disability has changed over the last four decades.)

A Landmark Assessment

In 1986, the National Council on the Handicapped (now the National Council on Disability, or NCD) issued a landmark report: Toward Independence: An Assessment of Federal Laws and Programs Affecting Persons with Disabilities–With Legislative Recommendations.

The document provided a sweeping look at existing federal laws and programs, finding that many lacked basic supports for the disability community. The law-by-law review provided crucial information for policymakers.

Another focus of the report was the significant gap in civil rights laws when examined in a disability context. Looking back years later, the focus on civil rights is especially striking, drawing clear parallels to the eventual formation of the ADA. It laid the groundwork for the first comprehensive equal opportunity law, offering numerous legislative recommendations.

Three Key Conclusions

The report authors researched 10 major federal policy topics and reached three significant conclusions:

Disability programs needed to place more emphasis on equal opportunity initiatives.
Federal policy needed to assist and encourage the private sector to promote opportunities, independence, and self-sufficiency for disabled individuals.
Social Security and other safety net programs remained vital.

The White House Connection

An initial copy of the report was delivered on January 28, 1986, to Vice President George H.W. Bush at the White House. It was presented by NCD Chairwoman Sandy Parrino, Vice Chairman Justin Dart, Council Member Jeremiah Milbank Jr., and Executive Director Lex Frieden.

Report cover: Toward Independence — Toward Independence: A Report to the President 1986

Bush, who would later sign the ADA into law as president, welcomed the report and began a high-level review.

Andrés Gallegos, a disability rights attorney who chaired NCD from 2018 until his death in 2023, once reflected on the report’s impact.

“When you reflect upon the history of the ADA from a legislative standpoint, this was the beginning. This helped millions of persons with disabilities dare to dream that civil rights legislation was attainable,” Gallegos said. “The same influential role that NCD played then continues today – providing pointed and timely advice to the President and federal policymakers that has as its only purpose improving the lives and advancing the civil rights of persons with disabilities.”

A follow-up report, On the Threshold of Independence, was released by NCD in 1988. This served as the initial draft of what would become the ADA.