This Month in Disability Rights History: August 2025

It’s a busy month for firsts, with the first Olympic-style games for athletes with disabilities and the first disability-specific legislation anywhere in the world! Plus, we have important legislation, successful protests, and it’s SMA-Awareness month! That’s Spinal Muscular Atrophy, in case you were unaware 🙂

The First International Silent Games Takes Place: August 10th to 17th, 1924

The Silent Games, held in Paris, France just two weeks after the conclusion of the Olympics also held in Paris, was the first olympic-style event for athletes with disabilities. 148 Athletes from nine countries participated in thirty-one events including Cycling, Swimming and Diving, Track & Field, Football, Tennis, and Rifle Shooting. The games were created by Eugene Rubens-Alcais, a deaf athlete who also founded the International Committee for Sports for the Deaf just after the conclusion of the games. The games are now known as the Deaflympics, and will be held in Tokyo, Japan this coming November.

August is Spinal Muscular Atrophy Awareness Month

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects the motor nerve cells in the spinal cord. It impacts the muscles used for activities like breathing, eating, crawling, and walking. Roughly 1 in every 15,000 births in the US will be affected by SMA, with about 2 percent of the population being a genetic carrier. SMA may affect people’s ability to perform some of the functions of life, but does not have a neurodegenerative effect.

Autism CARES Act signed into Law: August 8th, 2014

The Autism Collaboration, Accountability, Research, Education, and Support (CARES) Act was signed into law by President Barack Obama on August 8th, 2014. It expanded federal support for autism-related services, prioritized collaboration between agencies, boosted early intervention efforts, and enhanced research across the lifespan of autistic people. The legislation emphasized that autism policy must address needs across all stages of life — not just in childhood — helping to build a more comprehensive and responsive support system.

The Blind Persons Act 1920 – August 16th, 1920

The Blind Persons Act 1920 was the first disability-specific legislation anywhere in the world, and it was brought on by a 20-day protest march across the UK to London, organized by the National League of the Blind. In 1918, it was estimated that 20,000 of the 35,000 blind people living in the UK were living in poverty, and that many were being exploited by charity workshops. The act reduced the pension age for blind men from 70 to 50, and allowed blind children to take the same exams as sighted children.

ADAPT Protests for Accessibility in Chicago Transit System: August 25, 1984

On August 25, 1984, wheelchair users of ADAPT (which stands for Americans Disabled for Accessible Public Transit) held a rally at South State and West Jackson Streets to pressure the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) to install wheelchair lifts on its mainline buses. Disability activists disrupted CTA board meetings and blocked CTA buses, and in 1985, ADAPT sued the CTA for discrimination. They were eventually successful in Chicago, and this pushed them to protest in Washington D.C. for federal-level laws ensuring accessibility, which helped lead to the passing of the ADA in 1990.