Bob Nelkin, retired CEO of United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania, has penned an open letter to present-day disability rights activists about the legacy of Tom Gilhool. It's a powerful retelling of the disability rights movement in Pennsylvania and attorney Tom Gilhool’s pivotal role in creating lasting change for people with disabilities. Gilhool won landmark courtroom victories in … [Read more...]

Many thanks to those who joined us on October 8 for “History and Future of Accessible Transportation: From Exclusion to Autonomy.” More than 90 attendees logged in to this event via Zoom. After opening remarks from Mariruth Leftwich, Director of Learning at Heinz History Center, and Mary Hartley, Project Director of the Western Pennsylvania Disability History and Action Consortium, long-time … [Read more...]

Nineteenth century journalist Nellie Bly, or Elizabeth Cochrane Seaman to use her given name, is well known for exposing conditions at New York’s Women's Lunatic Asylum in an act of groundbreaking undercover journalism. A new digital project, called “Women Forging the Way,” produced by the Heinz History Center, highlights another of her significant accomplishments: Her journey around the … [Read more...]

The Consortium joins the Pennsylvania disability community in honoring the life and work of Graham Mulholland. Born in Scotland, Mulholland served as executive director of the Pennsylvania Developmental Disabilities Council (PADDC) for 22 years, retiring in 2019. Mulholland was an ardent advocate for Pennsylvanians with developmental and intellectual disabilities, and pushed for advocacy … [Read more...]