Copy of #TeachDisabilityHistory 2024
The #TeachDisabilityHistory campaign aims to promote the importance of teaching disability history while providing leadership opportunities to disabled youth and young adults. A committee of disabled youth and young adults leads the campaign. Activities include committee-led presentations about the campaign and organizing and participating in community activities around disability history.
Disability history is the experience, journey, and oppression those with disabilities have experienced in the past, including the advocacy the disability community has done and continues to do for equal rights.
Meet the Committee
- In 2009 youth through Easterseals and other organizations such as the Boston Center for Independent Living advocated for the Governor to sign a proclamation making October Disability History Month in Massachusetts. This was a great accomplishment, but there was still no curriculum or mandate behind it.
- In 2018 there were advocacy efforts to get the disability history curriculum and documentary The Great Fight for Disability Rights into Massachusetts schools. Youth at Easterseals gathered signatures and wrote letters to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education asking that this curriculum be made available to teachers. In part due to these efforts, this curriculum is available for free to any Massachusetts teacher who would like to access it.
These efforts prompted the creation of the #TeachDisabilityHistory campaign to let teachers know about this curriculum, as well as spread awareness about the overall importance of teaching disability history and legislative landmarks of the Americans With Disabilities Act.
- Since 2019 the #TeachDisabilityHistory campaign committee has hosted and led presentations and events promoting the campaign's goals. The committee has gotten opportunities to lead presentations at conferences, colleges, schools, medical professionals, and more.
