The 504 sit-in: 45 years later, our battle for equality continues on

Photo courtesy of Anthony Tusler

On April 5, 1977 a crowd which was largely comprised of individuals who were deaf, blind, living with mental disabilities, and living with paraplegia and quadriplegia gathered in San Francisco with the goal of picketing the regional offices of the federal Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW). Protests similar to this were happening on this day all over the country, but advocates in San Francisco were tired of protesting with no action. After marching past the security guards at the local HEW office without resistance, over 100 protesters began what became known as the "504 sit-in" which lasted for 26 days. Protesters camped inside the building, occupying it until the changes they demanded would be considered. Those that couldn’t occupy the HEW offices held daily rallies outside, holding public and media attention for the duration of the protest.

After years of pushing for federal civil rights protections for people with disabilities, disability rights activist groups believed HEW secretary must be compelled to sign binding regulations of The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which included Section 504, which mandated integration of people with disabilities into mainstream institutions. The language stated “no qualified individual with a disability should, only by reason of his or her disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”

Of the approximately 120 protesters occupying the HEW office, 14 individuals with disabilities and eight attendants were eventually selected to go to Washington D.C. to make their case. The FBI mistakenly thought this would be the end of things in San Francisco and tried a number of tactics to get the protesters to move on. Advocates and people with disabilities were firm in their solidarity, and wanted to "hold the building" in order to have some leverage in Washington. They wanted section 504 regulations to be signed.

After more protests in Washington, on April 28, 1977 the regulations were signed into law. Under 504, nondiscrimination became a legal, fundamental right. Within months of the sit-in, noticeable changes began to take place in urban landscapes, in university classrooms, in the workplace, and in public spaces including libraries, courtrooms, and public transit. Cities instituted curb cuts from street to sidewalk. Federal buildings made adjustments to become accessible to all, including installing ramps and wider restroom stalls. Regulations instituted as a result of the success of 504, ushered in a new era of accessibility that led to the passage of Americans With Disabilities Act in 1990.

To learn more visit Exhibit Envoy or the Paul K. Longmore Institute on Disability Studies.

We thank our friends at the State Independent Living Council of California for this article.