SELENA MOON, INDEPENDENT HISTORIAN
Proposal Type
Structured Conversation
Seeking
- Seeking Additional Presenters
- Seeking Specific Expertise
- Seeking General Feedback and Interest
Related Topics
- Advocacy
- Public Engagement
Abstract
This conversation explores the difficulties that those with disabilities may have in conducting and accessing to showcasing their research, from transportation barriers to inaccessible spaces, to lack of digitized materials. How can these difficulties be overcome? What materials, resources, and methods have been used to circumvent these difficulties? What voices and history have been overlooked and how can we expand and diversify access
Second, the difficulty that people with disabilities have in conveying their research and accessing others’ research. What non-traditional means of conveying history can, or already is used to reach broader audiences?
Description
2020 marks the 30th anniversary of the ADA. In recent years, disability and disability history has become more visible not only in the National Parks’ “The Telling All Americans’ Stories (TAAS) Disability History” series, but also in the media, through Julia, a Muppet with autism, introduced on Sesame Street in 2017.
At the NCPH annual meeting in 2016, the “Making Public History Accessible: Exploring Best Practices for Disability Access” working group explored, how, twenty-five years after the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), “there is still much work to do to make historic sites, interpretation, and educational programs accessible to people with disabilities” and discussed “the challenges of creating accessible spaces and programs and to review and establish best practices for accessibility.” Can the same discussion be applied to creating accessible research spaces/materials for people with disabilities?
Most history is conveyed through museums, historic sites, and similar institutions and historians meet at conferences. What means are there to allow those who otherwise might be unable to participate – virtual reality tours, plays, music, 3-D prints of paintings – and how successful are they? What other means can be used?
If you have a direct offer of assistance, sensitive criticism, or wish to pass along someone’s contact information confidentially, please get in contact directly: Selena Moon, [email protected]
All feedback and offers of assistance should be submitted by July 1, 2019. If you have general ideas or feedback to share,please feel free to use the comments feature below.
I am my wife’s research assistant as she (Dr. Alida Boorn – Historian) is blind. She is hosting a session on ageism and ableism at the Western History Association 2019 Conference in Las Vegas if your are in the area, you would be most welcome to attend. There are a couple of groups that you may want to checkout for your session.
Disability History Association – http://dishist.org/
H-Disabilities – https://networks.h-net.org/h-disability
Paul K. Longmore Institute on Disability https://longmoreinstitute.sfsu.edu/
Public Disability History https://www.public-disabilityhistory.org/
The AHA and the OAH also have Disability History Committees
Thank you very much for your reply! I am a DHA and AHA member, but haven’t gotten involved in the AHA Disability Committee or joined the OAH yet. Dr. Kudlick at the Longmore Institute is on my list of contacts.
I enjoyed reading Dr. Boorn’s proposal and hope to attend, though I’m not sure how likely that will be. I’m very happy that such issues are getting attention in other organizations as well!
Hi Selena – a great subject for a structured convo. Do you have a sense of who else you will be including? It would be great to have an idea of what expertise and experience they will bring to bear on this important topic.
Good luck!
Hi Tanya,
Thank you so much for your feedback! I have several panelists (perhaps too many, but I wanted not only a range of historians but also other institutions) and I hope to include that when I make my final proposal, though I’ll have to make sure everyone is comfortable with that first.
Hello, Selena, Thanks for your contribution of the fantastic idea regarding the issue of accessibility of public history. I am currently working as a graduate student in history and library science at the University of Iowa. My research focuses on the forgotten history of Chinese exchange students in Iowa in the early 20th century and its exhibition in the general public. Going through your proposal, I am wondering if you are still seeking additional presenters for this conversation. It is because I hope to contribute my own presentation, which is based on my ongoing research project regarding how to utilize DH technologies in letting local community know the forgotten history of Chinese students in Iowa. If you have interest in my proposal and want to know it details, please contact me via email: [email protected].
Hello Selena – what a great topic for a discussion. I too am wondering who you will bring to the table to fill out the discussion and if you will be providing examples or ideas of how spaces have been adapted and if there are ways to improve on what has already been implemented in museums across the globe. Good Luck!
Hi Shannon,
Thank you very much for your feedback!
Glad you asked, one of the first people to contact me works at a museum which has implemented some amazing accommodations and will be talking about it.
I would like panelists and the audience to discuss what has or hasn’t worked and also for audience members who might work in institutions that might not have accommodations, to learn what they need to do.
I’m hoping that after this conversation, institutions and/or individuals could partner with panelists and/or audience members, or create a guidebook of sorts, but that might be a bit much.