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The South Towns CITIZEN

Saturday May 20, 2006

Museum illuminates history of those with disabilities
By Mieko Beyer

What do eugenics, “Braille- Playboy,” British government issued cars and 19 th Century “almshouses” have in common?

They’re all part of the surprisingly diverse and untold history of people with disabilities.

“The Museum of disAbility History” focuses on telling the stories of people with disabilities. It’s an area of study that distinguishes it as one of a kind in the entire nation.

It all started out as a homework assignment for University at Buffalo students and has now become a small but steadily growing museum in a relatively new field of study.

Dr. James Boles was teaching a class on human services when he asked students to research the history of disability services. However, students were unable to find much documentation or materials devoted to the issue. They certainly found no museums.

Seeing the lack of resources, Boles helped start the Museum of disAbility History. The museum is a project of People, Inc., a not-for-profit health and human service agency of which Boles is president and chief executive officer.

The museum received its official museum charter in 2003 from the New York State Department of Education. Since then, it’s grown well. The modest 800- square-foot permanent gallery has seen about 200 visitors come through its doors this season.

“I think this museum is important to show how far we’ve come in this field,” said Boles. “It’s also our goal to dispel a lot of rumors and myths about disabilities. The disability field is fast- moving in language, treatment, and perception. People throw away what they were using 10, 15 and of course 50 years ago. We try to collect these artifacts in order to understand the history better.”

The idea for the museum got underway in 1998, and has since continued to grow with solid grant support for research and expansion. After beginning serious collecting a few years ago, its operators now have 1,300 items on catalogue.

“We’re telling the story of how society has dealt with people who have disabilities,” said Museum Director Lynn Beman. “It’s an overlooked story of an under-served population that makes up a good portion of our society. It’s a museum of social conscience, so to speak.”

Since the start, the up-and-coming museum has done very well. In 2004, the museum won an award from a local historical society for its exhibit “Eugenics in America: Perfecting the Population.”

For 2005, it created “Continuum of Care: Western New York Institutions,” which featured facilities such as Batavia School for the Blind and St. Regis School for the Deaf.

The museum also has on display “Pop Culture and Disabilities,” which has examples of “Wheelchair Becky,” a Barbie doll sidekick who uses a wheelchair. Interesting facts, such as Becky’s first wheelchair design being unable to fit into Barbie houses, give insights unique to disabled matters.

All three exhibits are currently on display at the gallery. Any exhibit put together is also available as a traveling exhibit.

In order to reach as many people as possible, the museum was broken into three components. Operators created a permanent exhibit space, traveling exhibit program and virtual exhibit on their website.

The permanent gallery space is located at 1219 North Forest Road in Williamsville, near the People, Inc. main office. It is open Monday through Friday from 10 A.M. to 4 P.M. Group tours should make appointments.

The museum hits a wide range of disabled history, but also strives to have a coherent, informative focus.

“The early history of those with disabilities hits a wide range of issues,” Boles said. “Mainly because in the 19 th Century, a variety of people were lumped together. Amputees like Civil War veterans, the mentally ill, the physically disabled, and the poor were all put into alms houses and institutions together. As you move further along, you see attention and care getting specific.”

As the museum exhibits move onto more recent history, the focus shifts to physical impairments and developmental disabilities.

Each separate exhibit covers a specific aspect of disabled history. The exhibits are displayed on-site, and also travel to various locations.

In fact, the traveling exhibits were the first thing the museum put together. Several years later, Beman estimates that the traveling exhibits have reached 50,000 to 100,000 people.

The artifacts have been displayed at elementary schools, libraries, colleges, county fairs, and even business offices. Traveling exhibits can be set up at a location for a day, week, or month.

“The traveling exhibits allowed us to get our story into the public,” Beman said. “It’s a great way for us to get our story and museum out there.”

In early June, the museum will launch a revamped website at http://www.museumofdisability.org. The new site will feature sophisticated and in-depth online exhibits.

The Museum of disAbility History also features a growing reference library. Museum founders will share this resource when they publish extensive bibliographies they’ve used to put together exhibits on the website.

The museum is dedicated and passionate about reaching the public and developing studies in disabled history. Currently, museum staff and People, Inc. are collaborating on publishing a short book on almshouses.

Additionally, the museum also continues to build up its catalogue of artifacts, and hopes to get artifacts from the community.

The museum is getting started on its latest exhibit, which will center around the “Invacar.” This vehicle was issued by the British government decades ago for people with physical impairments, such as veterans of World War I and II.

It’s a tiny spectacle to see, five feet long and weighing in at 500 lbs. After many safety issues, the British government has since attempted to destroy many of the “Invacars” – museum operators believes they may have the only one in North America.

There’s a ground-breaking and insightful museum and resource for an overlooked part of history. Watch out for traveling exhibits, request one, or better yet, get out to Williamsville to check out the Museum of disAbility History in person… right IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD.