Efforts to Advance Teaching of Disability History Converge

Through the years, I have attend many uplifting annual conferences of the National Council for the Social Studies. Yet the November 22-24, 2024 conference set a new high for new energy and focus on teaching disability history. Interest in workshops and posters on disability history attracted strong participation.

Support for Teaching Disability History

Find up to date program details on teaching disability history on this page. 

Explore Disability History at the NCSS Conference

Scheduled workshops on disability history: 

The team from the #TeachDisabilityHistory Easterseals and Emerging America – Desi Forte, Rich Cairn, and young adult disability activists – will co-present a workshop: How to integrate voices of people with disabilities into the curriculum. They will demonstrate activities and curriculum for sharing disability history with broad audiences. Friday, November 22 - 3:00-3:55pm - Rm 308, Hynes Convention Center. 

Inclusive History News

In this Issue:

November Featured Blog Posts:

• Disability History at the National Council for the Social Studies - Boston

• News of the Field
• Disability History News & Resources
• Events @ Emerging America 
• Other Professional Development Events
• Teaching Resources 
• New at the Library of Congress 

Infusing Disability History into the Classroom

By Rich Cairn & Graham Warder

In Living with Disabilities in New England, 1630-1930

Dublin Seminar for New England Folklife 2021 Annual Proceedings.

Inclusive History News

In this Issue:

October Featured Blog Posts:

• Infusing Disability History into the Classroom by Rich Cairn & Graham Warder

• Do you and your students know about the erased history of Jim Crow and Civil Rights Outside the South? 

• News of the Field 

Emerging America History eNews is now: Inclusive History News

Committed to Access and Inclusion of All Learners in Civics, History and Social Studies 

Created in response to teacher requests in 2013, the History eNews emailed monthly short descriptions and links of quality history and social studies events and resources.

Leah M. Bueso, University of Illinois Springfield, and Rich Cairn, Emerging America published a groundbreaking foundation and guide to organizing student-led civic engagement projects that are fully accessible to and inclusive of students with disabilities and all learners.

By Rich Cairn, History, Civics & Social Studies Inclusion Specialist, CES

Teaching about Disability in the Gilded Age and Progressive Era

Slides from presentation by Rich Cairn at the virtual conference: A More Perfect Union: Exploring America's Story in the Gilded Age and Progressive Era, June 17, 2024

Update: August 4, 2025 - After 30 years, on June 30 Brown University abruptly shut down the Choices Program and all its curriculum and resources. 

Guest post by Max Chervin Bridge