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Disability Resources at MNHS

Overview

 

A man with dark hair wearing a dark suit jacket is standing in front of two Braille maps. He is facing the one closest to him on his right side. He has a serious expression as he touches the map with a long pointer held in his right hand"

 

This section of the research guide will focus on two identity groups which are most often referred to in disability studies: Sensory and Physical/Mobility. The previous section focuses on Intellectual/Developmental and Mental/Behavioral.

It is acknowledged that there are additional disability identities not included in this guide. The identities were chosen for this guide as they are some of the most common among all ages across the United States and the amount and types of records found in the Minnesota Historical Society archival collection. 

The section includes a representation of organizations for each identity described above while acknowledging that there are many others which are just as important to the disability community. This research guide is an evolving guide, to be added to and adapted as disability identities and organizations grow and change. 

Finally, it is recognized that there will be outdated and offensive language within many of the historical records within our collection. Please refer to the Harmful Language Statement included at the beginning of this research guide for more detailed information.

Best Bets: General Disability Advocacy

Minnesota State Council on Disability. Disability Council: An Inventory of Its Published Records and Reports, 1973 - 2002.  Annual reports, legislative publications, newsletters, studies, proposals, brochures, planning documents, and various print and near-print materials documenting the activities of the council and its predecessors, the Minnesota Commission for the Handicapped (1973-1975) and Minnesota State Council for the Handicapped (1975-1987). Topics covered include disability legislation, educational services, housing, employment, accessibility, parking, independent living, and services for the disabled. Digital finding aid

Directory of funding resources for assistive technology in Minnesota / prepared by STAR Program, 2000. "The STAR Program is a program of the Minnesota Governor's Advisory Council on Technology for People with Disabilities ...". St. Paul, MN : STAR Program. MNHS call number: HV1555.M6 D57 2000

Placement Service for Handicapped People : a cumulative report of the progress and achievements of the Service, 1932-19??. Minneapolis : publisher not identified. MNHS call number: HD7256.U5M58 .P7

Resources for the handicapped : a survey of Hennepin County, May, 1952. Minneapolis? : Community Welfare Council, The Community Chest and Council of Hennepin County. MNHS call number: HV1555.M6 R47 1952

Courage Center annual report collection, 1974- . Includes the following titles: Courage services meet needs of more handicapped people : ... annual report. 1974 -- Courage services : ... annual report. 1975 -- Courage services, reflections of ... : annual report. 1976 -- Courage Center annual report (varies slightly). 1979-1980; 1982-84; 1986 -- 1981, a year for reaching out -- Courage Center ... annual report summary. 1987 --. MNHS call number: FOLIO HV3023.M6 C68a

United Handicapped Federation: An Inventory of Its Records at the Minnesota Historical Society, 1973-1993. Organizational records documenting the history of a social action organization that represented the physically and mentally handicapped in the Twin Cities metropolitan area (Minn.). Records include correspondence, minutes, financial records, a constitution and by-laws, rosters, grant proposals, legal documents, reports, subject files, brochures, newspaper and magazine clippings, newsletters, and printed matter. Digital finding aid

Pamphlets relating to people with disabilities in general in Minnesota, 1964- . The Minnesota Historical Society Pamphlet Collection contains pamphlets and printed ephemera relating to programs and services for people with a range of physical and developmental disabilities, and to organizations that provide these services. MNHS call number: HV1551- HV1570

Best Bets: Sensory Disability Advocacy

Sensory Disabilities: These involve impairments in one or more of the senses, such as vision or hearing. Blindness, deafness, and hard of hearing are examples. 

Human Services Department: Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division: An Inventory of Its Regional Advisory Committees Meeting Minutes at the Minnesota Historical Society, 1996-2019. In 1980 the Minnesota Legislature recognized the unique needs of Minnesotans who are deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing and established the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Act in Minnesota Statutes 256C.21 -- 256C.30. The Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD) was established in 1980 to address the communication access, developmental and social-emotional needs of persons who are deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing. This is accomplished through a statewide network of services. Digital finding aid includes links to meeting minutes

Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing Minnesotans: An Inventory of Its Records, 1986-2017. Records of this governor appointed commission that advocates for equal opportunity for Minnesotans who are Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing.  Digital finding aid

American Association of the Deaf-Blind 16th annual convention, St. Paul : AADB 1992 Minnesota. American Association of the Deaf-Blind. Convention (16th : 1992 : Saint Paul, Minn.). MNHS call number: HV1597 .A53 1992n

Doorways: An Inventory of Its Records at the Minnesota Historical Society, 1933-1998. Records of an advocacy group for the deaf and hard of hearing located in St. Paul, Minnesota. Included are articles of incorporation and bylaws, annual reports, minutes of the annual and board of directors' meetings, financial records, subject files, and posters. Digital finding aid

"A gift to all Deaf Minnesotans : a history of St. Paul's Charles Thompson Memorial Hall" by Hill, Corinna S. and Johansen, Bruce. In Minnesota History, vol. 68, no. 4 (winter 2022/2023), page 120-133. MNHS call number: F601.5 .M66 v.68:4 Reading Room. Online access

Employment and Economic Development Department: State Services for the Blind: An Inventory of Its Records, 1943 - 2009. Records documenting the duties and administration of the state's agency to help people who are blind, visually impaired, or DeafBlind to live and work as independently as possible. Digital finding aid

List of Minnesota consumer and service organizations "of" and "for" the blind, 1982?. Minneapolis, Minn. : Gopher State Blind Associates. MNHS call number: HV1790 .L57 1982

J.L. Sinykin. Sinykin pioneered the concept of guide dogs for the blind and established training methods. Osseo, Minn. : Osseo Area Schools, School District 279, c1983. MNHS call number: Video Tape 72

Best Bets: Physical/Mobility Disability Advocacy

Physical Disabilities: These affect a person's ability to move, perform physical tasks, or experience pain. Examples include mobility limitations, paralysis, and chronic pain conditions.

United Cerebral Palsy Association of Greater Minneapolis. Association records, 1948-1986 (bulk 1954-1956). Articles of incorporation, bylaws, minutes of the board of directors, fund raising and public program information, historical information, printed pamphlets, newsletters, and news clippings collected by Hazel Nisser while a member of the advisory board (1954-1956). Information about Dowling School for Crippled Children, Camp Courage (a summer camp for children), and AccessAbility (a center for preschool development and adult vocation) are also included. MNHS call number: P2432

Handicapped/disabled files, 1973-1977. Metropolitan Transit Commission. Correspondence, inter-office memoranda, reports, pleadings, and related papers regarding services to handicapped and disabled bus riders in general (1973-1977), a suit brought by the United Handicapped Federation to require MTC to acquire special buses in the Twin Cities to handle the handicap (1977), and Project Mobility (1976-1977). The latter includes a media kit and briefing book. See attached PDF

MIchael J. and Jennie B. Dowling: An Inventory of Their Papers, 1883-1944. Newspaper and magazine articles, correspondence, printed materials, photographs, motion picture film recording, and memorabilia of Michael J. Dowling, a Minnesota politician, newspaper publisher, businessman, and spokesman for the physically handicapped, who as a boy lost three of his limbs to frostbite, and of his wife Jennie. Digital finding aid

Pamphlets relating to assistance and services to people with physical disabilities, 1936- . The Minnesota Historical Society Pamphlet Collection contains pamphlets and printed ephemera relating to programs, services, and living facilities for people with physical disabilities. MNHS call number: HV3011- HV3023

MiSCAA's first forty years : a history of the Minnesota Society for Crippled Children and Adults, Inc., 1928-1968. Minneapolis, Minn. : MiSSCA, 1970. MNHS call number: HV1555.M6 M665 1970

Sister Kenny : the woman who challenged the doctors / by Victor Cohn. Minneapolis : University of Minnesota Press, c1975. MNHS call number: RT37.K47 C65 Reading Room

From rage to courage : the road to dignity walk / Michel Monnot.  Michel Monnot was a French professor at Carleton College who was diagnosed with Parkinson Disease at age 38 in 1978. In 1985 he embarked a walk from Park Ridge, Minnesota to Los Angeles (15 miles a day, from Sept. 1985 to January 1986) to raise funds for Parkinson research. Northfield, Minn. P.O. Box 442, Northfield, Minn. 55057 : St. Denis Press, c1988. MNHS call number: RC382.M66 A3 1988. Online access available through the Internet Archive

Images and Artifacts

This is a photo of a two story building which appears to be made of stone. The photo is black and white which makes the building a light gray color. It is taken from an angle, so there is also a smaller building behind it which may be attached. It is lighter in color and also has two floors.      This image is of a group of people playing a game of basketball in wheelchairs. Two of them have their backs to the camera and are watching as three people in front of them reach up for a basketball which is just at the times of their fingers, arms stretched above there heads. There is another person to the right with both hands raised toward the ball. They are in a gymnasium with a shiny brown wooden floor. There are more people standing in the background.      A man in a dark suit with a white collared shirt underneath sits at a table with a typewriter in front of him. He seems to be holding a piece of paper with his right hand and is working with something on the machine with his left hand. He appears to be in a work room- there are many wicker baskets stacked on the floor in front of him, on the desk, and on top of a large cabinet behind him. There is a large sign propped up on the table but it is difficult to read the print on it.     A woman with short dark hair is sitting in a wheelchair. She is holding a baby on her lap. The baby is leaning back into the woman with his head against his chest. There is a young girl in a light colored dress standing on the woman's left side with her arm around the her neck. The woman is smiling with her head turned toward the young girl. There is a man standing directly behind them holding a younger girl on his right side. The man has a small smile and the younger girl has a small closed-mouth smile, looking at the camera with wide eyes.     A large group of people- which appear to be all men- are posed in front of a small stage with a backdrop. There are roughly six rows with the back four standing, one row on chairs, and the last row sitting on the floor or crouching. The photo is in black and white but they all appear to be wearing either suits with ties or suit jackets with collared shirts.     A large black and white group portrait of men and women in front of a large stone building. Part of the group is standing on the steps leading up to the front door of the building and the group spreads out as it reaches the bottom of the steps and onto the front walk and grass in front of the building. The row of people in the front are sitting on chairs. The men are wearing dark suits and the women are wearing long white dresses and hats, a few are large white summer hats.     This is an image of a poster demonstrating sign language for each letter of the alphabet with a drawing of a hand and the corresponding letter. The signs and letters are printed in black on a light background. The poster was created by the Minnesota Association of the Deaf.     Circular light blue pin-back button with black text that reads, "Keep Our Deaf And Blind Schools Open", with an outline of the state of Minnesota. In the mid-1980s, the status of multiple residential schools for deaf and blind students was called into question. This button expresses support for keeping the schools open after a 1985 State Planning Agency report recommending they remain open.     This image is of a tri-fold brochure which has been opened up to show the entire paper. One the top left side, there is local contact information for people who may need help or have questions. Just below that are definitions for HIV, STD, and AIDS. Below that is contact information for the Center for Disease Control, the MN AIDS Project, and two AIDS hotline numbers- one for Greater Minnesota and one for the Twin Cities. Below that is information on how the project was funded through a grant from the Minnesota Department of Health. The next panel includes space for an address, the return address, and a place for postage. The third panel has a an outline of the state of Minnesota with an open hand drawn in the center. There is a small red heart in the center of the palm and a red AIDS ribbon drawn on the index finger. Printed at the bottom is: Deaf Community AIDS/HIV + STD Network     When he was around three years old, Frank McElroy Bemis contracted polio, resulting in limited mobility. As a young teen, his right leg was amputated due to on-going complications. Around 1913, he was fitted for a wooden leg by Northwestern Artificial Limb Company, located on First Avenue North in Minneapolis, which enabled him to attend high school at St. Thomas Academy. Bemis used this prosthesis into his sixties, when he had the same maker produce a replacement for him.

Beyond MNHS Archival Collections

  

Access Press Header

 

Access Press Newspaper 

Access Press, Ltd. is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization dedicated to serving people with disabilities by publishing disability-related news and information. It is one of only twelve multi-disability-focused newspapers published in the United States. Access Press is funded through individual contributions, subscriptions and paid advertising along with grants from numerous businesses and organizations.

The first issue of Access Press was published in May 1990. From the time of that first edition, the paper was published continuously on the 10th of each month--until April, 2020, when the paper began publishing on the first day of each month (Source: accesspress.org)

Active Disability Advocacy and Organizations in Minnesota

Achieve Services - Mission: "Achieve Services creates innovative opportunities to inspire people with disabilities. We enable every participant to lead a meaningful and self-determined life."

Advocating Change Together - Vision: "ACT envisions a world where people with and without disabilities are valued for their contributions and have equitable access to leadership and power."

Avivo Artworks - Description: "Avivo Artworks is a program within Avivo’s Community Support Program (CSP), which supports artists living with mental illness as they create art, build community, and reduce stigma. ArtWorks programming is founded on the principles of arts access, recovery, and social justice."

Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute - Vision: "Our vision is to partner with all people to live, work and play to their full potential."

Critical Disability Studies Collective (CDSC) - U of M - History: "In 2015, University of Minnesota graduate students founded the Critical Disability Studies Collective (CDSC). The goal was to build a community through the study of social norms that shape our ideas about disability and ability."

Minnesota Association of Centers for Independent Living (MACIL) - Description: "The Minnesota Association of Centers for Independent Living (MACIL) is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to advocate for a statewide network of independent living services and supports for Minnesotans with disabilities throughout the State."

Minnesota Disability Law Center - Mission: "The Minnesota Disability Law Center (MDLC) of Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid is the federally designated Protection and Advocacy agency for people with disabilities in the state of Minnesota."

NAMI Minnesota - Mission: "Through education, support, and advocacy, NAMI Minnesota champions justice, dignity, and respect for all individuals and families affected by mental illnesses."

Pacer Center - Description: "PACER Center enhances the quality of life and expands opportunities for children, youth, and young adults with all disabilities and their families so each person can reach his or her highest potential. "

 

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