LibGuides: Disability Resources: Disability 101

Disability History

Timeline of Disability Rights in the United States
The Americans with Disabilities Act protects 56.3 million Americans from discrimination in all areas of life, including work, school and transportation; but it didn't just start 30 years ago....
April 28, 1977: Disability Rights Sit-Ins Force Enactment of Section 504
Between April 5 and April 28, 1977, hundreds of disabled and handicapped activists organized, protested, and occupied government buildings around the country to pressure the U.S. Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, Joseph Califano, to enact Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and publish regulations to guide its enforcement.
A Look Back at the ADA
A look back at the fight for disability rights comes with the reckoning of the challenges left unsolved
#ADA31 - Celebrate. Learn. Share.
Throughout the year, celebrate the 31st ADA anniversary and 30 years of the ADA National Network for information and training on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Disability History Museum
The Disability History Museum hosts a Library of virtual artifacts, Education curricula, and Museum exhibits. These programs are designed to foster research and study about the historical experiences of people with disabilities and their communities.
Smithsonian Disability History
Because the history of disability is the history of people, it is layered with objects, innovation, struggle, emotion, drama, and surprise. The group “People with Disabilities” has always been the largest “minority” group in America. This reality raises one of the most ignored questions in history is: Why is disability seldom a part of the story? This hub gathers together various aspects of the museum that place people who are different, atypical, non-normative, or diverse --and consequently tagged as disabled or impaired --in the story of America, where everyone belongs.
Museum of disABILITY History
The only museum of its kind in the U.S., the Museum of disABILITY History is dedicated to the collection, preservation, and display of artifacts pertaining to the history of people with disabilities. Located in Buffalo, New York, and online, the Museum of disABILITY History offers educational exhibits and activities that expand community awareness.

Disability Pride

Disability Pride Flag
A black flag diagonally crossed from the top of the hoist to the bottom of the fly by five parallel zigzag stripes of light blue, gold, white,red and green, with narrow borders of black between them.
The symbolism:
The Black Field: Mourning for those who've suffered and died from Ableist violence, and also rebellion.
The Zigzag Band: How disabled people must move around and past barriers, and our creativity in doing so.
The Five Colors: the variety of Disability, our needs and experiences (Mental Illness, Neurodiversity, Invisible and Undiagnosed Disabilities, Physical Disability, and Sensory Disabilities)
The Parallel Stripes: Solidarity within the Disability Community, despite our differences. (Source: WikiMedia Commons)

What is Disability Pride?
"Disability pride" has been defined as accepting and honoring each person's uniqueness and seeing it as a natural and beautiful part of human diversity. Disability pride is an integral part of movement building, and a direct challenge of systemic ableism and stigmatizing definitions of disability. (Source: AmeriDisability)
Disability Pride Toolkit and Resource Guide
Learn about what disability pride means and why it's important from the National Council on Independent Living.
Disability Pride Month
An overview that includes books, films, social media, and terminology to improve disability allyship at Qi Creative.

Respect and Dignity

Rethinking disability: the social model of disability and chronic illness
This paper describes the social model of disability and then considers how it might deal with chronic disease or impairment and why medical professionals should learn about disability perspectives to improve their practice.
Ableism 101: What it is, what it looks like, and what we can do to to fix it
Ableism is the discrimination of and social prejudice against people with disabilities based on the belief that typical abilities are superior. At its heart, ableism is rooted in the assumption that disabled people require ‘fixing’ and defines people by their disability. Like racism and sexism, ableism classifies entire groups of people as ‘less than,’ and includes harmful stereotypes, misconceptions, and generalizations of people with disabilities.
Disability Etiquette
Etiquette for Communicating with People with Disabilities.
Person-first Vs. Identity-first language
When speaking to or about someone with a disability, it’s important to make note of which terms are offensive, outdated, and inappropriate. Throughout this page, we’ll unpack why certain terms are used and take a deeper look inside the debate on disability terminology.
Glossary of Disability Related Terms
The RIT Office of Career Services and Cooperative Educationcompiled this list to provide suggestions of clear, direct language to use to describe disabilities and accommodations have compiled this list. If you have ever wondered what a term or an acronym means, this glossary can help you find the answer.
Respect Ability Webinars
Webinars on accessibility and etiquette, employment, advocacy and more from the disability advocacy nonprofit, Respect Ability.

Empowerment Through Social Media

Arushi Sahay — Social media empowers those with disabilities
Ability Magazine article discussing the ways social media gives people with disabilities a platform and wide audience to communicate their lived experiences.
How One Woman Celebrates Her Disability with the #DisabledAndCute Hashtag
Keah Brown discusses why she created the #DisabledAndCute hashtag, which went viral.

Imani Barbarin

Disability activist and writer Imani Barbarin has created numerous hashtags bringing awareness to discrimination faced by people with disabilities.

The Accessible Stall Interviews Imani Barbarin, Hashtag Queen
In this interview, Imani discusses why hashtags are important to the disability community.
#AbledsAreWeird
#PatientsAreNotFaking
#ThingsDisabledPeopleKnow
#DisabledCompliments

Annie Segarra

This Youtuber and activist has created online content to correct harmful stereotypes and misconceptions surrounding disability.