• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Western Pennsylvania Disability History and Action Consortium

Western Pennsylvania Disability History and Action Consortium

Honoring the historic struggle of Western Pennsylvanians with disabilities to attain human and civil rights.

  • HOME
  • ABOUT
    • MISSION, VISION, & OBJECTIVES
    • EXECUTIVE & STEERING COMMITTEES
    • ADVISORS
    • STAFF & CONSULTANTS
    • FUNDING
    • SPEAKERS BUREAU
    • CONTACT
  • HISTORIC RESOURCES
    • HISTORIC TIMELINE
    • WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA DISABILITY HISTORY COLLECTIONS
    • WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA DISABILITY HISTORY RESOURCES
    • NATIONAL DISABILITY HISTORY RESOURCES
    • MEDIA ITEMS
    • RESEARCH INSTITUTIONAL RECORDS
  • CURRENT PROJECTS
    • INTERSECTION OF RACE AND DISABILITY PROJECT
    • STATEWIDE COLLABORATION FOR DISABIILITY HISTORY
    • ADVOCACY
  • GET INVOLVED
    • NEWSLETTER SIGNUP
      • READ OUR ARCHIVED NEWSLETTERS
    • NEWS
    • DISABILITY HISTORY EVENTS ACROSS PENNSYLVANIA
  • DONATE

Heinz History Center Hosts American Democracy Exhibit

03/16/2021

On March 13, 2021, the Heinz History Center opened the exhibit American Democracy: A Great Leap of Faith. Developed in partnership with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History and the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES), this timely exhibition explores the history of citizen participation, debate, and compromise from the nation’s formation to today, as our region and country attempt to make sense of a year that included heated election cycles, civil unrest, presidential impeachments, and unprecedented challenges to our democracy. It examines how Pittsburghers and events in Western Pennsylvania have significantly helped shape our democracy, including the Whiskey Rebellion, women’s suffrage, the civil rights movement, and more.

Artifacts from Paul Dick and Rachel Freund on display in American Democracy: A Great Leap of Faith. From left to right: dowel rod used by Paul to vote, voting machine used by Rachel to train voters, and Let Our Voices Be Heard t-shirt worn by Rachel. The backdrop is a black and white image of disability rights activists including Eileen Shackleton and Ray Smith marching in a parade. Image Source: Senator John Heinz History Center
Artifacts from Paul Dick and Rachel Freund on display in American Democracy: A Great Leap of Faith. From left to right: dowel rod used by Paul to vote, voting machine used by Rachel to train voters, and Let Our Voices Be Heard t-shirt worn by Rachel. The backdrop is a black and white image of disability rights activists including Eileen Shackleton and Ray Smith marching in a parade. Image Source: Senator John Heinz History Center

Among these topics, this exhibit shines a light on issues of access and the vote, including calling special attention to the work of disability rights activists Paul Dick, Rachel Freund, Paul O’Hanlon, and Eileen Shackleton, through objects and images, with the intention to help the public understand that access means more than just accessible voting machines – it means ensuring access to the entire democratic system.

The History Center would like to thank the Western Pennsylvania Disability History and Action Consortium for the multi-year partnership that has resulted in the inclusion of these important disability rights stories in this exhibit. Special thanks are also due to Paul Freund, Holly Dick, and Karen Hoesch of ACCESS Transportation Systems for donating the images and artifacts that appear in this exhibit.

The exhibition will remain open through Sunday, Oct. 10, 2021. You can learn more here.

Footer

GET IN TOUCH

Western Pennsylvania Disability History and Action Consortium
info@wpdhac.org

Find us on Facebook Find us on YouTube

SUBSCRIBE TO E-NEWS

Subscribe

* indicates required

SEARCH THIS WEBSITE

Copyright by Western Pennsylvania Disability History and Action Consortium. All rights reserved.
Website development by Cindy Leonard Consulting.