Museum of Disability History: 'This is really something special' (Enable: The Disability Podcast)

Did you know there's a Museum of Disability History? Check it out! Dr. Chris Rosa, president of the Museum of Disability History in New York, spoke with "Enable: The Disability Podcast" about some of his favorite exhibits featuring famous people with disabilities, the development of assistive technology, and the importance of accessibility. Chris also spoke about his own experiences as a wheelchair user with muscular dystrophy, his additional work with the Henry Viscardi School, and how the museum's rich history began in Buffalo before finding its current home at the Viscardi Center on Long Island. "It's a really unique, truly one-of-a-kind collection of artifacts that chart the arc of the experiences of Americans with disabilities throughout the course of American history," Chris says. "Maybe you learned that Harriet Tubman had a traumatic brain injury as a result from being injured by oppressors, or FDR was a president with polio, but that's it. And the Museum of Disability History puts people with disabilities back in those narratives and reflects on their experiences at each of these milestone moments that we all cherish as these singular American experiences throughout the arc of American history." "As a person with a disability, I had never seen our our experiences as Americans with disabilities curated and the story told in any cohesive and meaningful way. But what really told me that this was something special was the reaction of the college students (visiting)... the way in which they were enthralled by what they saw, the time they took to engage with each of the exhibits. I saw them sitting and standing in groups, gesturing towards aspects of the collection, having really animated discussions. I said, now this is something special." For more information about the museum, visit https://museumofdisabilityhistory.org You can also visit the museum virtually via Bloomberg Connects at https://museumofdisabilityhistory.org/digital-guide/ “Enable: The Disability Podcast,” which highlights amazing people with disabilities and different abilities, releases new episodes weekly on YouTube and all major podcast platforms. Follow facebook.com/enablepodcast or @enablepodcast on Instagram and TikTok for more. Note: Views expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views of Advance Local. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices