Disability History

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990: The Emancipation Proclamation for the Disabled(link is external)

A group of seventh grade students from Grisham Middle School in Austin, Texas, created this site for the National History Day competition; they won first place in their region and second place at the national level.

“Everybody: An Artifact History of Disability in America”(link is external)
“The Disability Rights Movement”(link is external)

These virtual exhibits are presented by the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Check out the Museum’s Disability History(link is external) hub for a full catalog of collections, exhibits, blog posts, and more.

“Parallels in Time: A History of Developmental Disabilities”

The Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities offers this history lesson, which looks at the experiences of people with disabilities from ancient through modern times.

Museum of DisABILITY History

This extensive virtual museum was developed in cooperation between People Inc. and the B. Thomas Golisano Foundation. It features sections on disability in the media, society, and medicine.

Disability Social History Project (DSHP)

DSHP is a participatory community history project.

The Lives They Left Behind: Suitcases from a State Hospital Attic

This virtual exhibit, based on a New York State Museum exhibit, chronicles the lives and experiences of residents of the Willard Psychiatric Center.

American Eugenics Movement Image Archive

This collection of materials chronicles the eugenics movement in America, which sought to eliminate “genetically unfit” people from the population.

National Park Service: Disability History

This series includes articles about disability and the Disability Rights Movement, and explores diversity issues and how they are connected to America’s historic places.