This week, the Smithsonian opened up a
new exhibit that focuses on disability history as part of the
National Museum of American History. “EveryBody: An Artifact History of Disability in America” is the first of its kind and is
entirely online, which means many people can access it.
Currently, the collection is made up of
stories and atrifacts collected by the Smithsonian for more than 50
years, and the collection will continue to grow. It is difficult for
people today to get a good grasp on disability history since the
disabled community was often ignored in the past, but this exhibit
sheds a bit of light onto that cast aside community. As museum
curator, Katherine Ott, says, “Being anonymous or forgotten does
not mean that you are invisible. We can piece together past
experiences by combining what the image tells us (about age,
clothing, location, era, activity) with what we know about the
history of disability in America.”
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| A poster available to download |
There are many untold stories out there
that are important in gaining an understanding of disability history
and promoting awareness and acceptance. Only a handful of individuals
ever made it into the history books, and even then, it was because
they had some historical influence outside their disability. The
evolution of the role of disability in American culture as a whole
seems to get little attention. How often does one find such an
account, especially one that is accessible to a widespread audience?
The Smithsonian's exhibit offers people the opportunity to see a side
of America's history that often goes unnoticed, challenging people's
understanding of American history and how we got where we are today.
The exhibit is divided into five main
sections: Disability and History, People, Place, Technology, and
Citizens and includes items like Braille writers, prosthetics,
protest artifacts, medical devices, and wheelchairs that show the
history and progress that has been made in America. They also have
some really neat looking posters that you can download (in English
and Spanish) for free and print.
Definitely go check it out; EveryBody
is an interesting and educational exhibit that is worth giving a
look. And isn't it said that we can't move forward without first
knowing where we've been? Click here to head over to the online exhibit, explore a little, and then tell us what you think about it!
Happy learning!
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