D&I Timeline
The goal of the NAACP is to secure the rights for all people guaranteed in the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the United States Constitution which promised an end to slavery, provide equal protection of the law, and the right for all men to vote. More >>
After many veterans returned home with disabilities after World War I, Congress passed the Soldiers Rehabilitation Act guaranteeing federal funds for job counseling and vocational training for veterans with disabilities. More>>
This granted US Citizenship to all indigenous people (described as “Indians” in the Act) of the United States. While the Fourteenth Amendment addressed citizenship rights, it had previously been interpreted to not apply to Native peoples. More >>
The Act aimed to strengthen and encourage the culture of Native Americans in the United States and also restored the ability to manage their own land and assets. The law did not apply to Hawaii and Alaska, and Oklahoma were later added by a different law in 1936. More>>
Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act, establishing old-age benefits for workers, benefits for victims of industrial accidents, unemployment insurance, aid for dependent mothers and children, the blind, and the physically handicapped. More >>
President Roosevelt issued Executive Order 8802 which banned discriminatory employment practices by Federal agencies and all unions and companies engaged in war-related work. The order also established the Fair Employment Practices Commission to enforce the new policy. More >>
The purpose of the NCAI is “to serve as a forum for unified policy development among tribal governments in order to: (1) protect and advance tribal governance and treaty rights; (2) promote the economic development and health and welfare in Indian and Alaska Native communities; and (3) educate the public toward a better understanding of Indian and Alaska Native tribes” (NCAI Constitution). More >>
Parents won a federal lawsuit against several California school districts that had segregated Mexican-American schoolchildren. The case introduced evidence for the first time in a court that school segregation harmed minority children. More >>
Truman integrated the U.S. Armed Forces under an executive order mandating that “there shall be equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons in the armed services without regard to race, color, religion or national origin.” More>>
Parents of children diagnosed with intellectual disabilities found the Association for Retarded Citizens (ARC). ARC aimed to educate society at large about individuals with disabilities and ensure access to service and support needed for individuals with intellectual disabilities. As the words ‘retardation’ and ‘retarded’ became demeaning in usage, the organization has evolved its terminology to reflect the desires of people with disabilities and changed its name to The Arc of the United States in 1992. More>>