For a century, American cities criminalized the mere presence of people with visible disabilities.

Cultures · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: From the mid-19th to mid-20th century, so-called ugly laws barred individuals with visible disabilities from public spaces. These ordinances, which emerged as urban centers grew crowded, were designed to hide those deemed unsightly or disgusting. They effectively stripped disabled people of their autonomy, forcing many into poverty or institutionalization.

The first of these ordinances appeared in San Francisco in 1867, prohibiting anyone who was maimed, diseased, or deformed from exposing themselves to public view. This legislation quickly spread to cities including Chicago, Portland, New Orleans, and Reno, as well as the state of Pennsylvania. Supporters often framed these measures as public health initiatives, fueled by the irrational fear that viewing a disabled person could transmit illness, or as a way to prevent panhandling by those they suspected of faking disabilities.

The enforcement of these laws was often driven by a desire to maintain aesthetic order in rapidly expanding urban environments. In 1881, Chicago alderman James Peevey championed an ordinance to remove what he termed street obstructions, imposing fines on those deemed improper for public thoroughfares. While some proponents argued that moving disabled people into institutions provided better care, the reality was often the forced isolation and marginalization of individuals who were simply trying to survive. For many, these laws made it impossible to earn a living, as street vendors and performers were frequently harassed or arrested.

Resistance to these laws existed, with some mayors issuing special permits to protect the livelihoods of disabled residents. Public sympathy occasionally boiled over, such as in 1936, when a crowd in Chicago intervened to protect a Black amputee from a police officer. The term ugly laws was later popularized by researchers Marcia Pearce Burgdorf and Robert Burgdorf, Jr. in the 1970s. By that time, the laws were falling out of favor, with the final recorded arrest occurring in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1974. Today, these historical statutes serve as a stark reminder of past discrimination, having ultimately fueled the advocacy that led to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

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