Oral Histories
Disability rights advocates in 1993 in New York City at the "Disability Independence Parade." Judy Heumann and her fellow advocates often used the Civil Rights Movement as a model for their own activism. Judy Heumann is pictured third from the left alongside Paul S. Miller, Phyllis Rubenfeld and Justin Dart. Dart played a major role in the passage of the ADA, and was there when President George H.W. Bush signed it into law. Source: NYC Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities.
The Community of Care project is gathering oral histories as a resource that will preserve our shared stories about living in the community and caring for one another. We are working with those who wish to share their story about disability caregiving and caretaking, providing resources for all steps in the process.
Insights from the project apply not just to Buffalo, but to people elsewhere engaged with creating communities to address issues of care. The collaboration between the Gender Institute and the CDS makes UB an excellent place to do this work. Buffalo is a racially diverse city, with a strong community of disabled people and their advocates. As someone who works in public health it is exciting to be part of a project that is focused on leveraging the humanities to address significant issues that affect our world."
—Jo L. Freudenheim, PhD, SUNY Distinguished Professor
Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health
School of Public Health and Health Professions