Preservation grant will help in the care of rare collections

Williamsville, N.Y., December 20, 2007. The Museum of disABILITY, a project of People Inc., has been awarded a grant of $5,000 from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The grant will allow the Museum to enhance the care of its important collection thereby ensuring these rare and uncommon documents are never lost.

The Museum of disABILITY History was awarded a grant by the NEH in 2004, which enabled the Museum to develop a long term plan to improve archival management. The current grant will allow the Museum to implement recommendations from the 2004 grant. Implementations under this grant include:

• Developing a disaster response kit that will allow the Museum to quickly respond to a natural emergency to safeguard the collection.
• Hiring an archival consultant to help inspect, clean and store materials in the collection.
• Purchasing environmental monitors and specialty storage equipment to ensure that the Museum artifacts are not exposed to conditions that deteriorate their vulnerable condition.

A hallmark of quality museum is the proper care of its collections. The Museum of disABILITY History is proud to receive this grant from the National Endowment of the Humanities so it can continue to practice the fundamentals of museum work.

People Inc. is a not-for-profit health and human services agency providing programs and services to more than 12,000 people with special needs, their families, and seniors throughout Western New York. Since 1971, People Inc. has assisted individuals to achieve greater degrees of independence and productivity.

The Museum of disABILITY History advances the understanding, acceptance and independence of people with disabilities. Its exhibits, collections, archives, and educational programs create awareness and a platform for dialogue and discovery.

The Museum, located at 3826 Main Street in Amherst, is open Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. or by appointment. Admission to the Museum of disABILITY History is free. For more information, call 716.629.3626 or visit www.museumofdisability.org.