its name to America Online, Inc. AOL for DOS was
launched in February, 1991, and a Windows version
premiered in 1993.
At first, AOL primarily offered its own services:
games, information services, and chat rooms. Chat
rooms in particular helped to build a sense of com-
munity among users that both took advantage of and
contributed to the home-computer revolution. In-
ternet access through AOL was limited, which
pleased parents but displeased many other users.
Later, it became possible to use other Internet soft-
ware when logged into AOL.
AOL gained attention from the press, including
an influential article inThe Wall Street Journalin 1992,
and began an aggressive marketing campaign in
1993, sending its software in the mail. Membership
grew to 10 million in 1996. In 1997, AOL bought
CompuServe, then its biggest competitor. In the late
1990’s, AOL also began to provide both instant
messaging (AIM) and Web-search services.
Criticism of AOL included frustration at the diffi-
culty of canceling the service. In 1996-1997, when fa-
cilities did not match demand, customers faced fre-
quent busy signals when trying to connect through
the dial-up service.
Impact Cultural forces were poised for mass access
to the information superhighway, and America On-
line helped to fill the demand, presenting online
participation as family-friendly. In 2000, AOL
merged with Time Warner.
Further Reading
Ashby, Ruth.Steve Case: America Online Pioneer. Brook-
field, Conn.: Twenty-first Century Books, 2002.
Thornally, George.AOL by George! The Inside Stor y of
America Online. Livingstone, N.J.: Urly Media,
1999.
Wilkinson, Julia L.My Life at AOL. Bloomington,
Ind.: AuthorHouse, 2001.
Bernadette Lynn Bosky
See also Apple Computer; Business and the econ-
omy in the United States; Computers; Dot-coms; E-
mail; Instant messaging; Internet; Search engines;
World Wide Web.
Americans with Disabilities Act
of 1990
Definition The world’s first comprehensive civil
rights law for people with disabilities
Date Signed into law on July 26, 1990This bill prohibited discrimination against the disabled
and created a lasting impact on the millions of disabled peo-
ple living in America.Considered by some to be the greatest legislative
contribution made by Republican senator Bob Dole
of Kansas, the Americans with Disabilities Act of
1990 (ADA) prohibits discrimination in employ-
ment, in places of public accommodation (includ-
ing all restaurants, retail stores, hotels, theaters,
health care facilities, parks, convention centers, and
places of recreation), in transportation services, and
in all activities of state and local governments to a
person who has a disability. According to this bill,
disabilities are defined as a physical or mental im-
pairment that substantially limits one or more of the
major life activities of such individual; a record of
such an impairment; or being regarded as having
such an impairment.Long Road to Victory The subject of disability
rights was a very close issue to Senator Dole. During
his tour of duty in World War II, Dole received a se-
verely disabling injury at Castel D’Aiano, Italy. The
wounds he received crippled his right arm for the
rest of his life; even after multiple surgeries and
months of rehabilitation, Dole had only about ten
percent of the use of his arm. As a representative
for the state of Kansas and then as a senator, he
fought for the rights of the disabled. In his maiden
speech in the Senate, given on April 14, 1969, Dole
spoke of his own disability and how other people
with disabilities were being denied the opportuni-
ties necessary to live life to its fullest. For years, he
would give a speech on or around April 14 (the anni-
versary of his war wounds) that related to disabilities,
reminding Congress that there was still work to be
done. Dole challenged the government to do more
to help this sector advance in life. Furthermore, he
encouraged the formation of a presidential task
force to determine how to get thousands of disabled
persons back into the workplace and leading suc-
cessful lives.
In November, 1978, the National Council on theThe Nineties in America Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 35