Creating Communities for Disability Activism
In the 1960s, young disabled people found each other at camps and colleges, creating ever-expanding networks for challenging discrimination.
James Holman, the “Blind Traveller”
Once a celebrated travel writer, Holman struggled to find a publisher for his books thanks to a Victorian reluctance to witness his disability.
Being Black and Disabled in University
Pursuing an education at the intersection of ableism and racism, Black male students with disabilities develop strategies to silence negative cultural narratives.
An Earthquake Rattles Japan’s Independent Living Movement
The Great Hanshin Earthquake of 1995 highlighted the lack of financial and logistical support for people with disabilities to live independently.
Media Portrayals of the Americans with Disabilities Act
After the passage of the ADA, much of the media coverage focused on litigation and whether or not certain disabled people “deserved” accommodations.
Deaf Colonists in Victorian-Era Canada
In 1884, educator Jane Groom defied naysayers to found a community for working-class Deaf people on prairies of Manitoba.
How “Talkies” Disrupted Movies for Deaf People
The years of silent films are sometimes described as a "golden era" in the cultural history of the American Deaf community.
Navigating Dating Apps While Disabled
How disabled people use dating apps, whether specific to their communit(ies) or not, can raise personal questions about how to present themselves.
How to Hear Images and See Sounds
Artists Shannon Finnegan and Andy Slater talk accessibility, transdimensional hearing, alt-text as poetry, sound descriptions, and Instagram captions for McSweeney’s Audio Issue.
The Ugly History of Chicago’s “Ugly Law”
In the nineteenth century, laws in many parts of the country prohibited "undeserving" disabled people from appearing in public.