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Reflections on MLK Legacy

Updated: Jan 24


Disability rights campaigners protest in Delhi, December 19th 1995. Credit: Javed Abidi
Disability rights campaigners protest in Delhi, December 19th 1995. Credit: Javed Abidi

Dr. Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s not only spawned racial transformation in the US. It also inspired the Disability Rights Movement of the 1970s in America and led to a global movement of disability access and inclusion. 


Before the Civil Rights Movement and the disability rights movement that followed, people with disabilities faced significant discrimination and stigma, similar to what people of color endured. There were no laws to protect them against discrimination in employment, housing, or education. Physical and social barriers restricted access to buildings, opportunities, and public life. 


In the United States, many people with disabilities were placed in asylums or institutions under deplorable conditions, isolated from society. 


In South Asia, the lack of government and community support plunged individuals with disabilities and their families into extreme poverty. Families bore the full burden of care, often leading to financial ruin. It was not uncommon for people with disabilities to resort to begging as their only means to generate income. Societal beliefs in karmic retribution further marginalized individuals with disabilities, blaming them and their families for their condition. This dehumanization often forced families to hide their disabled members out of shame.


These challenges prompted people concerned with the marginalization of the disabled to see in the Civil Rights Movement a blueprint for addressing their issues.


Disability rights activists adopted many of the strategies used in the Civil Rights Movement, including sit-ins, protests, and public demonstrations. Their goal was to secure legal recognition of their rights to access physical spaces, education, employment, and public services.


America's Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, served as a model for disability rights legislation. In the United States, legal victories such as the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 built on these precedents, prohibiting discrimination based on disability. These landmark laws inspired similar efforts globally, including the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in 2006. Today, all eight South Asian countries are signatories to the CRPD and have incorporated disability rights into their legal systems.


These movements and the legal advancements spawned by them also influenced churches and denominations worldwide, prompting many to become more accessible and inclusive for people with disabilities.


We in the disability space have much to be grateful for today. Not only do people with disabilities have more legal protection globally, they are also experiencing greater access. When systemic barriers are removed and equality is prioritized, people have greater opportunities to access social spaces and connect on a heart level. This leads to greater acceptance in society. 


However, laws and access cannot guarantee the kind of deep inclusion and belonging Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. envisioned in his “I Have a Dream” speech. True unity requires a transformation of the heart—something no legislation can mandate. It requires a humble acceptance of our propensity to sin and our need for a Savior. We need Jesus to achieve the unity God has created us for and the abundant life he wants us to experience, regardless of our race or ability.

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