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As the disability community celebrates the 36th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26, The Arc San Francisco is marking the occasion with an announcement that honors the past while investing in the future.
The Arc San Francisco is now home to The Paul K. Longmore Center, continuing the work of the Longmore Institute at San Francisco State University after funding for the institute ended in 2025.
Named after renowned disability historian, activist, and professor Paul K. Longmore, the Center will connect people with developmental disabilities to the history of the disability rights movement while creating opportunities for people across the disability community to learn, lead, and advocate together.
The announcement comes during Disability Pride Month and in a milestone year that also marks The Arc San Francisco’s 75th anniversary. It serves as a reminder that while the ADA transformed access and civil rights for millions of Americans, the work of advancing disability inclusion and leadership continues.
“We are carrying that legacy forward through accessible, plain-language programs that bring disability history, advocacy, and leadership into the community,” said Melissa Crisp-Cooper, Associate Director of Advocacy at The Arc San Francisco, and Board Member at The Arc of California.
Through community conversations, educational programs, and leadership opportunities, The Paul K. Longmore Center will help ensure that disability history is accessible to everyone, especially people with developmental disabilities whose voices have too often been left out of conversations about disability rights. Future programs will bring together self-advocates, families, artists, academics, and community leaders to learn from one another and strengthen the disability rights movement together.
To celebrate the ADA anniversary, participants at The Arc San Francisco proudly held signs declaring, “Disability Rights Are Civil Rights,” “The ADA Protects Our Rights,” and “Listen to People with Disabilities.” All of those statements are powerful reminders that the promise of the ADA is realized when people with disabilities are heard, included, and empowered to lead.
As California celebrates 36 years of the ADA, The Paul K. Longmore Center ensures that the history of the disability rights movement will continue to inspire the next generation of advocates.
Click HERE to learn more about The Paul K. Longmore Center and The Arc San Francisco in their announcement.