Three decades ago, on July 26, 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law by President George H.W. Bush, some four years after the National Council on Disability recommended the passage of legislation prohibiting discrimination based on disability. This landmark bipartisan legislation prohibited discrimination on the basis of disability in employment, federal programs, and public accommodations, opening doors that had long been closed for many Americans.

The ADA also facilitated vast improvements in the ability of the physical therapy profession to improve the health of patients, many whom, without physical therapy, would be limited in physical function, endurance, and mobility.