
All Blog Posts
Inclusion: The Joy of Drumming
October 7, 2013
By David Mack-Hardiman, Contributor In a community called Colony Unzen in Nagasaki prefecture in Japan, people who have conditions that are disabling live in residential homes with the support of professionals and neighbors. While some of these individuals formerly lived in institutions, they are now encouraged to live as independently as possible. Several of them started drumming as a form of rehabilitation and recreation. Through constant practice and training, they formed a professional dru…
Valor Becoming An Officer
September 27, 2013
By Thomas Stearns, Researcher Just a couple of days after contacting author John W. Quinn on Facebook, the Museum of disABILITY History received a signed copy of his autobiography Someone Like Me: An Unlikely Story of Challenge and Triumph Over Cerebral Palsy. Inside, the title page contained a hand-written message of pure determination: “Work Hard. Never Give Up. Dream Big!”—words that will undoubtedly serve as a powerful source of inspiration to everyone who visits the museum and encounter…
"An Introspective Journey"
June 14, 2013
By Jewel Kats, Guest Contributor
I believe EVERYTHING in life happens for a reason. The good. The bad. The ugly. Without this combination of experiences you wouldn’t be you. I wouldn’t be me.
Fast-forward to today, and you’ll encounter a woman with disabilities who is confident, bold, outspoken, successful and happy to a fault.
I wasn’t always this way.
The Craig Colony
May 29, 2013
By David Mack-Hardiman, Contributor and Douglas Platt, Contributor Nicholas DiGesare, Cemetery Photography The Craig Colony for Epileptics was established in 1894 to meet the needs of New York’s indigent population who had epilepsy. The first patients were admitted in 1896. Craig Colony was constructed on over 1,900 acres using the “cottage plan,” a cluster of smaller buildings rather than one large structure. This institution also began to admit people with intellectual disabilities in 1935. …
Haunted Misperceptions
April 26, 2013
By David Mack-Hardiman, Contributor
While the computer age has revolutionized the world and forever changed the way that information is received, it has also given almost unlimited ability for people to stretch the truth, distort reality, and give imaginary thoughts a non-fictional spin. Hidden behind pseudonyms and user names, people are given an unchecked license to lie.
A few years ago, I was trying to find more information about the Wheater Road Cemetery in Collins, NY, whi…
Shattering the Stigma of Institutionalization
March 15, 2013
By David Mack-Hardiman, Contributor
The fall of 1928 was an exciting time for John and Molly and their young family in Whitesboro, New York, a sleepy town outside of Utica. Molly was expecting their fifth child and their older children were eagerly looking forward to the change of seasons and holiday season.
Born in New York City, John was orphaned at an early age and was raised by members of his extended family in Central New York. He was a book keeper for a local business, vo…
Lockport Mineral Spring Mystery
February 6, 2013
By Dr. James M. Boles and Melissa Royer, Contributors Because Niagara County has the notable Niagara Escarpment running along its width—east to west—there were, and still are, many natural springs as the ground water eventually flows north to Lake Ontario. Research and reading about mineral springs in the eastern United States shows a pattern of discovery by early travelers and settlers and their reports often mention the local Native Americans using the springs for medicinal purposes. A spri…
I Sing The Body Electric
January 25, 2013
By Douglas Platt, Museum Curator and Thomas Stearns, Researcher The Museum recently acquired two fascinating therapeutic instruments from the early twentieth century—"The Master Violet Ray” and "The Monitor Electric Battery.” These were types of high-frequency generators that were made for in-home medical applications. Today’s entry focuses on the Master Violet Ray, which carried the tagline: "No home should be without one." Manufactured by the Master Electric Company in Chicago, Illinois, …