Moral Entrepreneurship and the Promise of the ADA

Abstract

A sociological analysis of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act uses theories of deviance and social movements to examine the process which led to enactment of the law. Changes in the makeup of the "moral entrepreneurs" pushing for the Act and in the "framing" of the discourse surrounding the issues are two important elements contributing to the enactment. The role of "moral entrepreneurs" in the implementation and enforcement of the Act, since its passage, is also explored. Their continued active involvement in the process may be necessary if the full potential of the law is to be realized.