Wade Blank (1940âÂÂ1993) was an American Presbyterian minister and a leader of the modern disability rights movement. Building on his experiences in the 1960s and 1970s Civil Rights Movement, Blank pioneered the use of nonviolent direct action to transition individuals with disabilities from nursing homes to independent living, co-founding the Atlantis Community in 1975. He led Denver disability rights protests including the 1978 "Gang of 19" bus blockade in the city, and later was a co-founder of ADAPT. Blank's grassroots organizing efforts are credited with shifting national policy and clearing the way for the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.