UC Berkeley is the home of the disability rights/independent living movement. This has produced a complex history reaching back 100 years. However, the disability rights/independent living movement is by no means a historical artifact. It continues to live and grow on our campus, through the work of disabled people and allies in our community. The movement is being dreamscaped and implemented by our community day in and day out.
Below are links to writings, events and archives that can provide more information on this rich and deep history and futures.
Disability History
Read about UC Berkeley’s Disability Rights and Independent Living Movement in UC Berekley’s Bancroft Library Archive.
Ella Callow, our Assistant Vice Chancellor on Disability Rights presented at the Beyond Accommodation: Changing the Disability Frame event on the History of the Human Rights Movement and Disability Activism at UC Berkeley
Read about Freire: Disability Rights, Justice and Studies to learn more about Disability Justice.
Disability Futures
Read about UC Berkeley’s plans for the future in our first inaugural Campus Disability Strategic Plan, created over a 15 month period by the Chancellor’s Advisory Committee for Disability Accessibility & Planning, together with the disability community, and campus staff and faculty.
View the plans for 34 interconnecting projects to create more accessible external paths of travel and open spaces on our campus in the award winning Accessible Paths and Places Master Plan. *The plan and a Braille version of the plan is available at the DAC offices on request at Access@berkeley.edu
Learn about the future of the Disability Minor program and recent investments in the program.
Be part of the future of the Disability Rights movement on campus
Donate to our DAC fund to help us complete accessibility projects throughout the UC Berkeley campus.
Join a committee focused on disability at UC Berkeley.
More information can be found on our Culture page.