Like other marginalized communities, disabled people are discriminated against. This discrimination, disabled people argue, is what’s most debilitating to them. In other words, this group of people believe that what makes someone disabled is not their medical condition but attitudinal, organizational, and architectural barriers. They view disability as an accepted part of human diversity.

Historically, sidewalk curbs have been a large architectural barrier to wheelchair users who cannot navigate stairs. In this case, the street curb disables the wheelchair user, not the person’s impairment. In order to pressure cities to install curb cuts on sidewalks, in 1980, members of ADAPT (Americans Disabled for Attendant Persons Today) decided to protest the city of Denver by smashing a sidewalk curb with sledgehammers. The city listened and now curb cuts are standard all over the United States. And it’s not just easier for wheelchair users to navigate sidewalks, but now blind individuals, parents pushing their children in strollers, and elderly people that have difficulty climbing stairs can travel independently.