“They Took Sledgehammers to Sidewalks – The Curb-Cut Effect”

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, students with disabilities at UC Berkeley organized for better access to public spaces, sometimes creating their own curb cuts by using sledgehammers to break up the concrete or chaining themselves to buses. They chanted “access is a civil right!” at sit-ins, bringing attention to overlooked accessibility issues.

Today, curb cuts are everywhere, benefiting not only people with disabilities but also parents with strollers, travelers with luggage, cyclists, and delivery workers, proving that inclusive design helps everyone.

This segment from the PBS special “Change, Not Charity: The Americans with Disabilities Act” illustrates the history of the curb cut.

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