PBS Trailer: ‘Change, Not Charity’ Tells the Story of the ADA Movement

PBS’s American Experience has released the official trailer for its powerful new documentary, Change, Not Charity: The Americans with Disabilities Act. The film explores the decades-long struggle of disability rights activists who fought to pass the ADA, a landmark civil rights law signed in 1990. Highlighting voices from the disability community, the documentary reveals the movement’s roots in grassroots activism, exposing the barriers and discrimination people with disabilities faced—and continue to face. From powerful protest footage to personal accounts, Change, Not Charity reframes disability not as a charitable cause but as a human rights issue. The PBS special brings long-overdue visibility to a fight that transformed American society and still shapes conversations around inclusion and equality today. As public interest in civil rights history grows, this timely film offers an emotional and educational look at how people with disabilities demanded change—and won. Change, Not Charity premieres soon, continuing PBS’s legacy of telling urgent and underrepresented stories.