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American Experience

Change, Not Charity: The Americans with Disabilities Act

Season 37 Episode 2

The emotional and dramatic story of the decades-long push for equality and accessibility that culminated in the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990. A story of courage and perseverance, the film highlights the determined people who literally put their bodies on the line to achieve their goal and change the lives of all Americans. From AMERICAN EXPERIENCE.

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3/25/2028
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Season
Clearing the Air: The War on Smog
52:39
The story of L.A.’s noxious smog problem and the creation of the EPA and Clean Air Act.
Mr. Polaroid
52:20
The story of Edwin Land, whose iconic Polaroid camera let everyone instantly chronicle their lives.
Forgotten Hero: Walter White and the NAACP
1:52:47
The story of one of the most influential yet forgotten civil rights figures, Walter White.
American Coup: Wilmington 1898
1:51:27
The little-known story of the deadly 1898 race massacre and coup d’etat in Wilmington, NC.
The American Vice President
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52:36
A look at the US vice presidency, from constitutional afterthought to position of political import.
The Riot Report
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1:53:04
When US inner cities erupted in violence in 1967, LBJ created a commission to investigate.
The Environment
1:52:30
The story of housewives who led a grassroots movement to galvanize the Superfund Bill.
The Cancer Detectives
52:54
The untold story of the people who fought tirelessly to save women from cervical cancer.
Fly with Me
1:52:39
The lively but neglected history of the women who changed the world while flying it.
Nazi Town, USA
52:51
The story of the German American Bund, a pro-Nazi group active across the US in the 1930s.
The War on Disco
51:46
Explore the culture war that erupted over the spectacular rise of disco music.
The Harvest: Integrating Mississippi's Schools
1:47:20
The story of a Mississippi town’s effort to integrate its public schools in 1970.
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