People with disabilities—America’s largest minority
Image: Civil War veteran who lost body parts to frostbite. Activist Ed Roberts’ wheelchair.
“…When history comes through artifacts, distinct themes emerge—for example, the significance of place, relationships, and technology—that are less apparent when only books and words are used.”
“The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History has created an online exhibit called EveryBody: An Artifact History of Disability in America. The exhibit presents history from the perspective of people with disabilities and features sections on disability and history, people, places, technology, and civil rights.”
“…Just as language about disability has changed (with movement away from stigmatizing terms such as crippled, handicapped, or invalid), so has understanding of it, with civil rights becoming paramount.”
“…Institutions, group homes, schools, nursing homes, camps, and independent living centers generated camaraderie and new ideas as well as rebellion and change…”
It was in a summer camp in the Catskills that a group of teens formed unbreakable bonds and ignited the Disability Rights Movement.
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