August 29, 2025

Making Computers Accessible: Disability Rights and Digital Technology

18 minutes

Explores the historical development of accessible computer technologies and the evolving landscape of disability rights in the United States. It highlights how people with disabilities, advocates, and policymakers pushed for inclusive technology design, moving from a paternalistic view of disability to a civil rights-based model. The text also examines the contributions of major companies like IBM and Apple in developing accessible features and discusses the impact of key legislation, such as the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, on technology accessibility. Ultimately, it illustrates how the pursuit of universal design in computing aimed to accommodate a wide range of user needs, making technology more flexible for everyone.

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