From Institution to Inclusion: The History of disAbilities in Oklahoma exhibit closes

The interactive exhibit From Institution to Inclusion: The History of disAbilities in Oklahoma will be on display on the first floor of the Oklahoma History Center until August 30, 2022.

Through digital photographs, From Institution to Inclusion will highlight Oklahoma’s disability pioneers. Guests will view images of the institutions, legislators, and citizens who fought to break down barriers; the organizations making a difference today; and self-advocates who continue to lead the charge for change. Visitors will have the opportunity to explore historical items from OHS collections, including ledgers from the Cherokee Insane Asylum dating to 1879, an iron lung used for treating polio, and examples of the evolution of prosthetics and assistive devices. The exhibit will offer a unique, hands-on experience in which visitors can move their fingertips across the lines of a braille textbook, use a weighted blanket, and become acquainted with modern daily living assistive devices.

This exhibit opened to celebrate People with Disabilities Awareness Day on March 8, 2022.

Historical materials and documents in this exhibit may include offensive language, negative stereotypes, and descriptions of traumatic events. These materials are presented as part of the historical record and do not represent the viewpoints of the Oklahoma Historical Society. This exhibit was made possible through a grant funded by the Developmental Disabilities Council of Oklahoma.