Americans Disabled for Access in Public Transit (ADAPT)

Americans Disabled for Access in Public Transit (ADAPT) began their crusade during October of 1983 in Denver, Colorado. Although the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 provided for accessibility to all Americans, President Reagan decreed it was up to transportation providers on the best way to provide for the needs of the communities.

In protest of Denver's lack of wheel chair lifts on new city buses, 36 disability rights activists staged a sit-in demonstration. They blocked several Denver Regional Transit Authority buses, protesting the city's inaccessibility in mass transit systems. The success of the demonstration helped spark the disability rights movement in America.

[TABLE OF CONTENTS]

Patriot Act

Signed October 26, 2001, the Patriot Act of 2001 changed over 15 different statutes. The act was designed to provide for the interception and obstruction of terrorism. It expanded four tools of surveillance: wiretaps, search warrants, pen/trap orders and subpoenas. The most controversial excerpt is the permission for law enforcement to obtain records of internet activity, medical, business, library, and educational institution records of individual citizens. It also gave new and broader definitions of terrorism that could include protesters and organizations that voice disagreement with the policies of American leadership, raising much protest for civil rights organizations.

[TABLE OF CONTENTS]