Remembering a Forgotten Chapter of the Holocaust
Today, we join people around the world in observing Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, which began at sunset yesterday, April 23, and continues through nightfall today, April 24.
As we reflect on the lives lost and the lessons of history, we must also recognize a too-often overlooked chapter: more than 300,000 people with disabilities were murdered under the Nazi regime as part of the Aktion T4 program, which targeted those deemed “unworthy of life.”
A new documentary, Disposable Humanity, sheds light on this history and its continuing legacy. The film, over 20 years in the making, centers the voices of disabled scholars, artists, and activists who are reclaiming this erased history and reasserting the inherent value of every life.
Recommitting to Our Mission
The mission of the Western Pennsylvania Disability History and Action Consortium is to recognize the long history of exclusion, neglect, and devaluation of the lives of people with disabilities, and to use disability history to ensure disability rights.
This Yom HaShoah, we remember not only the millions lost in the Holocaust, but also the lessons of dehumanization that led there. In remembering, we recommit – to vigilance, to advocacy, and to defending the rights of all people to live with dignity and freedom.
We encourage you to watch and share the film trailer, discuss the history, and uplift the voices of the disability community.
