Join the Heinz History Center, on Thursday, April 15, 2021, from 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm via Zoom as they invite scholars and archivists to discuss the strengths and limitations of historical records from state-run institutions to reflect the personal stories of institutionalized people with disabilities in Pennsylvania. Though flawed and fragmentary, these historical records provide glimpses into … [Read more...]

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...]