Fighting for Accesible Transportation – The Gang of 19

By Erin Ferrier

Transportation is about moving people and goods where they need to go. Many people have driver’s licenses and own cars which makes being able to get where you want to go easy. But what if you couldn’t drive? What if you had to rely on others for transportation? What if you have a disability that prevents you from driving? What would you do then? What came to mind with the questions asked above? Did you think of buses or taxis. Maybe you thought about Uber or Lyft? These transportation services are accessible to some, but not all. Those living in rural communities have historically lacked public transportation options and, if there are bus stops, those stops are many miles apart with a bus that only comes by twice a day.

The lack of access to transportation has always been an issue for people with disabilities in both urban and rural areas. This has dramatically reduced opportunities for employment, recreation, education, and inclusion in society. Did you know that those with disabilities and the elderly did not have the same right to use mass transportation until the Urban Mass Transit Act of 1970 (UMTA) was declared a national policy? The UMTA also mandated lifts on all new buses so that people with mobility disabilities could have access to public transit. Unfortunately, the UMTA was not enforced.

This led to a grassroots effort to make public transportation accessible for people with disabilities and it started with those who would become known as the Gang of 19. On July 5th-6th, 1978, a group of 19 individuals from the Atlantis/ADAPT Community blocked the busy intersection of Broadway and Colfax in downtown Denver in a protest against the lack of wheelchair accessibility for RTD buses. The group chanted “We will ride!” until the city and RTD agreed to make the buses accessible to people who use wheelchairs. The primary legal victory resulted in Denver RTD retrofitting all 213 buses with wheelchair lifts.

Thanks to the efforts of the Gang of 19, Denver became one of the first cities in the country with accessible mass transit. This group paved the road for creating the Americans Disabled for Accessible Public Transit and, later, the Americans with Disability Act (ADA).

ADAPT had grown into a national grass-roots community that organizes disability rights activists to engage in nonviolent direct action, including civil disobedience, to assure the civil and human rights of people with disabilities to live in freedom. This year, 2025, marks the 47th anniversary of the Gang of 19 protest. To learn more about the Gang of 19 – Colorado Experience: The Gang of 19 – ADA Movement.

Do you need assistance in navigating transportation options? DAC NEW is here to help! Please call (509) 606-4639.

Are you a provider who would like to learn more about the transportation options in the Spokane, WA area? On February 12th, a Transportation “Speed Dating” event will be held from 1PM-3PM at the Spokane Central Library located at 906 W Main Ave, Spokane, WA 9920. To register, please go to Eventbrite.