Introduction
Western Pennsylvania is home to a significant amount of disability history, with a strong record of advocacy to ensure appropriate policies and services. The Consortium provides access to a range of resources to help researchers, educators, and the public locate and engage with this history across multiple institutions and platforms.
Please contact the Consortium or complete our survey if you are aware of collections and repositories that are not represented here.
Consortium Online Archive
The Consortium is developing a searchable online archive that will provide direct access to selected materials from our collections.
Coming soon!
Additional Research Resource
The Senator John Heinz History Center, home to the Thomas & Katherine Detre Library & Archives, is an important resource for materials related to disability history in Western Pennsylvania, including archival collections, publications, and objects.
The link below will direct you to the Detre Library & Archives landing page. From there, users can learn more about the library’s holdings and search their online collections. This resource is maintained by the History Center and is separate from the Consortium’s online archive.
Explore Thomas & Katherine Detre Library & Archives.
Explore all Western Pennsylvania Finding Aids:
The Consortium provides access to a growing set of finding aids that document disability history collections held by a range of institutions and repositories throughout Western Pennsylvania. These finding aids are intended to help users identify relevant collections and locate where materials are held.
The links below will download PDF documents containing finding aids for individual collections. These documents may include collection name, number, dates, contact information, descriptions, and keywords, depending on what information is available. In most browsers, PDF documents will open in a new window.
- ACCESS Transportation Systems Photographs
- Allegheny County Association for Children and Adults with Learning Disabilities information packet 1989 [manuscript]
- Allegheny County Institution District Books, 1940-1977
- American Friends of Israel War Disabled Records
- Association for Mental Health Affiliation with Israel records [manuscript]
- Blind and Vision Rehabilitation Services of Pittsburgh Records and Photographs
- Bob Nelkin Collection of ACC-PARC Records
- Bob Schmitt Oral Histories
- Called to Welcome: a conference on people with disabilities in seminaries and congregations [sound recording]
- Carolyn Graffam Collection on the D. T. Watson Institute
- Cemetery diagram of the Allegheny County Home for the Insane and Tuberculosis Sanatorium, 1920
- Children’s Aid Society of Jewish Women Records
- Congregation Poale Zedeck Records, 1922-2006 1951-1969 [manuscript]
- Dick Thornburgh Papers
- Dixmont State Hospital Records and Photographs
- Dorothea Simon papers 1930-c1975
- Ervin Rozner Papers and Photographs
- Herb Douglas Sr. and Jr. Papers and Photographs
- Holly and E. Paul Dick Papers and Photographs
- Josh and Kate Bayer Collection
- Leonard C. Staisey Papers and Photographs
- Letter, 1977 Oct. 3: to Edward Martin
- Lucy Spruill Papers and Photographs
- Marian Hershman Papers
- Mary Cimino Papers and Photographs
- Ministry with the Handicapped [sound recording]
- National Council of Jewish Women, Pittsburgh Section Papers
- National Wheelchair Games, 1985-1988
- Open Doors for the Handicapped of Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh Chapter Records
- PA Archives Polk Center
- Patricia Clapp Papers, 1947-2015
- Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Children, Allegheny County Chapter Records
- Polk Center Expense Reports
- Polk Glass Negatives
- Ray Sprigle Papers and Photographs
- Register books of the Allegheny County Hospital for Insane Patients, 1900-1935
- Western Pennsylvania Hospital and Dixmont Hospital Records, 1848-1918
- Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf, 1995-1999
- Woodville State Hospital population account ledger, 1922-1941
Finding Aids that concern reporting of abuse in institutions:
Finding Aids that concern people who are blind:
- Blind and Vision Rehabilitation Services of Pittsburgh Records and Photographs
- Herb Douglas Sr. and Jr. Papers and Photographs
- Leonard C. Staisey Papers and Photographs
- National Council of Jewish Women, Pittsburgh Section Papers
Finding Aids that concern state institutions:
- Allegheny County Institution District Books, 1940-1977
- Bob Nelkin Collection of ACC-PARC Records
- Cemetery diagram of the Allegheny County Home for the Insane and Tuberculosis Sanatorium, 1920
- Dixmont State Hospital Records and Photographs
- PA Archives Polk Center
- Patricia Clapp Papers, 1947-2015
- Polk Glass Negatives
- Register books of the Allegheny County Hospital for Insane Patients, 1900-1935
- Western Pennsylvania Hospital and Dixmont Hospital Records, 1848-1918
- Woodville State Hospital population account ledger, 1922-1941
Finding Aids that concern people with mental illness:
- Allegheny County Institution District Books, 1940-1977
- Association for Mental Health Affiliation with Israel records [manuscript]
- Cemetery diagram of the Allegheny County Home for the Insane and Tuberculosis Sanatorium, 1920
- Dixmont State Hospital Records and Photographs
- Patricia Clapp Papers, 1947-2015
- PA Archives Polk Center
- Polk Glass Negatives
- Register books of the Allegheny County Hospital for Insane Patients, 1900-1935
- Western Pennsylvania Hospital and Dixmont Hospital Records, 1848-1918
- Woodville State Hospital population account ledger, 1922-1941
Finding Aids that concern education of children and adults with disabilities:
- Allegheny County Association for Children and Adults with Learning Disabilities information packet 1989 [manuscript]
- Blind and Vision Rehabilitation Services of Pittsburgh Records and Photographs
- Congregation Poale Zedeck Records, 1922-2006 1951-1969 [manuscript]
- Leonard C. Staisey Papers and Photographs
- Patricia Clapp Papers, 1947-2015
