It may be hard to imagine a time when a person using a wheelchair simply could not board a city bus — but that was the reality before a group of determined activists changed everything in 1978.
A protest organized by wheelchair users that year resulted in a landmark victory for disability rights, securing the ability to ride public transit alongside everyone else. That access, which millions of Americans now take completely for granted, did not come without a fight.
NPR’s Joe Shapiro and Colorado Public Radio’s Stephanie Wolf examined the story behind that historic demonstration and what it ultimately meant for the future of public transportation in the United States.
