Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon Portland Community College

Disability history exhibit

What was life in the past like for persons with developmental and other disabilities? The Disability History Exhibit is a 23-panel collage that traces 3000 years of seldom-told history.

From antiquity to the present, the exhibit brings viewers through an illustrated timeline that shows society’s attitudes and how they affect the lives of people with disabilities. Viewers experience powerful feelings as they notice similarities between ancient practices and modern stereotypes.

The exhibit is accessible at many levels, striking a balance between easily grasped information and a comprehensive history viewed from multiple angles.

Disability History Exhibit on display

The physical display has been purchased by the Oregon Association on Higher Education and Disability, and can be made available to Colleges and Universities in our region. In addition, there is an accessible web version (below) created by the University of Alaska Anchorage, as well as a video version (also below) created by PPCC Accessible Ed & Disability Resources in partnership with our Multimedia Program.

If you have questions about the Disability History Exhibit, please contact Kaela Parks.

Links to alternate formats

Accessible web version

This site provides an accessible web version, with pages for each panel. The content flows in a single column with alt text for all images, and text descriptions of information relayed through color. This site also contains PDF versions of each panel.

Playlist of video versions

This playlist provides a video version of each panel in which images from the panels are brought into focus with the text voiced by a diverse group of students. All videos are captioned. We are seeking individuals who can assist in the translation of subtitle files into additional languages. Please contact Kaela Parks if you would like to help with that effort.