Enabling Acts: The Hidden Story of How the Americans with Disabilities Act Gave the Largest U.S. Minority Its Rights

In 2015, the principle of providing accommodations for the disabled—such as bathroom facilities, wheelchair accessibility, and closed captions—is well-established. In this worthwhile but laborious book, Davis seeks to transport readers back to the time before the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990. This is an extremely detailed account of a complex legislative process (Ted Kennedy compared creating bills to “playing an accordion”) and civil rights movement with “no Selma or Birmingham,” but instead, grueling state-by-state grassroots visits and custom proposals. But, as depicted by Davis, the movement still had its dramatic moments, particularly the “Capitol Crawl” up the steps of the Capitol Building. Interestingly, he suggests that public support for the Act helped steer the close 1988 election to George H.W. Bush, who in July 1990 hosted the ADA’s signing ceremony on the White House lawn. For fans of politics, the circuitous legislative journey detailed here will be fascinating. Agent: Anne Edelstein, Anne Edelstein Literary Agency. (July)