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Tenth Annual SILC Congress 2007 "Building for Our
Future" New Orleans, Louisiana
By Edith Prentiss
The SILC Congress was held in January
2007 in New Orleans Louisiana. It was an interesting choice for a location
because it was a historical city with little accessibility, and the choice of
New Orleans provided an opportunity to see the destruction of Hurricane
Katrina. Accessibility has hitched a ride on reconstruction.
The Congress included many
extraordinary sessions. Three are highlighted here:
- A panel of persons with disabilities shared their
experiences during Hurricane Katrina and after. Everyone expressed their
determination to return to New Orleans, but no one expected that this would
happen anytime soon.
- . A presentation by the director of the California
medical team in the convention center adjacent to the Superdome. When the
National Guard lost control of the Superdome, the team was evacuated and
redeployed to the airport. This was the medical director's first trip back to
New Orleans and he reported that he was still overwhelmed by the experience. He
explained that many team members had been greatly impacted by their
experiences.
- . The authors of "Assessing the Impact of Hurricane
Katrina on Persons with Disabilities" (from the National Institute on
Disability and Rehabilitation Research, NIRRD) discussed their study (posted on
the NYSILC website).
In a regional discussion on Emergency
Preparedness it was decided that the disability community must continue to
educate politicians, government officials and consumers on implementing plans
for emergency preparedness. It was further agreed that we all must have a
personal plan in case of emergency.
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The Museum of Disability
History
By Sue Cohen
Individuals with disabilities are a
segment of society that has been previously under-documented and
misrepresented. The Museum of Disability History, a project of People Inc., is
dedicated to telling the story of individuals with disabilities, their
struggles and successes and the impact that they have had on American
society.
It is the only "bricks and mortar"
museum in the United States dedicated to preserving disability history. Through
the use of artifacts, photographs and written material that span the centuries,
the Museum explores the various attitudes, beliefs and portrayals of
disability.
The Museum of Disability History is
located at 1291 North Forest Road in Williamsville, NY, adjacent to People
Inc.'s administrative offices. The Museum's current exhibits include
"Almshouses and Schools," "The Path to the Institution," "Eugenics in America"
and "Disabilities and Pop-Culture." The Museum's traveling exhibits reach
audiences who are unable to visit the Museum itself, as does the new
interactive website that can be found at
www.museumofdisability.org.
Nearly 400,000 people have seen the traveling exhibits. Since October of 2006,
the new website has had over one million hits world-wide.
The Museum of Disability History is
open Monday-Friday, 10am to 4pm. Admission is free. For more information or to
schedule a tour, please call the Museum at 716-817-7261 or visit the website
listed above.
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NYS Independent Living Council, Inc.