University of Toledo Professor Kim E. Nielsen Joins Dialogues on disABILITY Speaker Series

Presentation to focus on the importance of disabilities throughout history

As part of its Dialogues on disABILITY Speaker Series, the Museum of disABILITY History will host author and professor, Kim E. Nielsen. The presentation, entitled “Disability History is Our History,” will take place on Friday, February 21, 2014 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at 3826 Main Street in Buffalo.

The event will focus on stories of historical figures with disabilities, as well as changing definitions of disability over the course of time. Additionally, Nielsen will emphasize disability in law, culture and why the history of people with disabilities is important to all.

Kim E. Nielsen, who earned her Ph.D. in History from the University of Iowa, is professor of Disability Studies at the University of Toledo, where she also teaches courses in History and Women’s and Gender Studies. Dr. Nielsen’s newest book, A Disability History of the United States, is the first book to place the experiences of people with disabilities at the center of the American narrative. It covers U.S. history from pre-1492 to present. Other works from Nielsen include Beyond the Miracle Worker: The Remarkable Life of Anne Sullivan Macy and Her Extraordinary Friendship with Helen Keller (Beacon, 2009) and The Radical Lives of Helen Keller (NYUP, 2004).

The Dialogues on disABILITY event is $5 for adults and $2.50 for seniors, students and human service employees. The event fee includes admission to the gallery space of the Museum of disABILITY History. For more information or to register, call 716-629-3626.

The Museum of disABILITY History, a project of People Inc., is dedicated to the collection, preservation, and display of artifacts relating to the history of people with disabilities. The mission is to tell the story of the lives, triumphs and struggles of people with disabilities as well as society’s reactions. The Museum of disABILITY History, located at 3826 Main Street in Buffalo, NY, offers educational exhibits, programs and activities that expand community awareness.