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"It's been a real adventure, but he just was thrown in the mix with his three brothers." Al and Linda Hublar talk about the lack of support and resources available when their son Mark was born with Down syndrome in the 1960s. They have made a point…

The second annual Central Indiana Invitational Wheelchair Games took place on April 28 and 29, 1979 at Carmel High School, north of Indianapolis. Events in swimming, weightlifting, field sports (including javelin, discus, shot put, and club throw),…

"Let's wait and see what he can do," is what doctors told Sharon after the birth of her son in the 1980s. Fortunately, Sharon didn't wait around. She searched out services for him and as he got older, she continued to advocate for him by enrolling…

This 1931 black and white photograph shows an aerial view of the Indiana State Capitol building in Indianapolis. Credit: Bass Photo Co Collection, Indiana Historical Society. Collection P0130; Folder B15:F9; Negative…

"I was in a hospital before I was discharged. Nobody told me about unemployment. Nobody told me about what we'd face in life in a wheelchair," recounts Al Tolbert in this video interview excerpt. "I think we're doing a better job than we did after…

"If you've ever seen the movie 'Forrest Gump', my mom was kind of like Forrest's mom." Andy was born with cerebral palsy in 1979, but his mom made sure he had the same opportunities as a child without disabilities. In the 1980s, Andy was mainstreamed…

"I was laid off work for six months." In an excerpt of a 2021 interview, Ashley Porter describes her experience of unemployment and social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Activities such as ballroom dancing were no longer possible, meetings…

This is a school photo of Betty Louise Williams (1959-2018) in 1974, during her time in junior high school. Betty grew up in Richmond, Indiana in the 1960s and 70s. She became a leader in the self-advocacy movement, serving as president of both…

Bettye Dunham got her start in the disability field in 1975. She was a support person to an Indiana University student needing assistance with note taking and studying. Bettye says, “The things I learned from Chris really endeared me to the field.”…

In describing the deinstitutionalization movement, Bill Gilkey says, “I think the process went pretty well and one reason for that was because they did have community mental health centers in place in many areas of Indiana. Bill Gilkey, a retired…