Trip Gabriel, in an August 24 article in the New York Times, wrote that the March on Washington’s “program was far more inclusive than five decades ago, with many women,” Latinos, and openly gay men and lesbians serving as speakers. But why didn’t people with disabilities receive more attention?

During the past fifty years, people with disabilities, like other minority groups seeking equal rights, have taken to the streets, forged coalitions with others, and lobbied politicians, resulting in significant legislation. We have also come together to create Independent Living Centers and other self-help groups to promote independence among, and more choices for, people with disabilities. Groups advocating for disability rights have entered into coalitions aimed at promoting equality for other underrepresented groups. And there are something like fifty million of us. So why the lack of recognition?

Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act prohibited employers and unions from discriminating on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, and gender, but not disability or sexual orientation. Beginning in the 1970’s, several pieces of disability rights legislation were passed, culminating in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990. As a result, parallel bureaucracies were created to monitor the laws and provide services to disabled people. For example, those of us who attend public schools receive services from specially-trained special education staff. Those attending universities receive services from on-campus Disability Services offices set up to meet our needs, and those employers who have formalized programs to assist their disabled staff are often separate from their programs promoting equal treatment of others.

In the 1990’s, I began working concurrently on two assignments: managing a federal grant aimed at improving employment opportunities for college students with disabilities, and assisting in conducting week-long seminars to enhance the skills of diversity trainers. Over time, I discovered that strategies used to build relationships between white men and those from underrepresented groups worked equally well in forging connections between disabled and non-disabled people. I discovered that concepts connected with the ADA were relevant to others; for example, “reasonable accommodations,” a key ADA concept, makes more sense to my non-disabled peers when they remember that we all accommodate the needs of others in subtle and not-so-subtle ways. Most importantly, many of us share similar frustrations of being disrespected, ignored, patronized to, or misunderstood despite the different minority group to which we belong.

Separating people with disabilities from members of other underrepresented groups mask these similarities, making it harder for us to get ahead. Some university professors will only communicate with staff from Disability Services Offices while negotiating directly with non-disabled students, making it more difficult for disabled students to practice the advocacy skills they need to break down barriers. Disabled students are less likely to visit on-campus Career Services Offices, making it harder for employers to tap into a unique talent source. Many employers, instead of including disability as part of their diversity efforts, either create separate bureaucracies to serve us or make little effort to hire or promote us. And mainstream civil rights organizations and talking heads downplay our advocacy achievements.

As an afterthought, I believe that three factors caused the accomplishments of LGBT advocates to be recognized during the march on Washington even though gay rights weren’t included in the Civil Rights Act: fierce opposition from the same groups who opposed the original Civil Rights legislation; President Obama’s recent support of gay marriage; and the recent Supreme Court victories.