Museum of disABILITY History Celebrates 20 Years with Fundraiser and Auction

Tickets now on sale, proceeds benefit educational programming The Museum of disABILITY History will celebrate its 20th anniversary with a fundraiser and auction on Saturday, May 19, from 7 to 9 p.m., at its location, 3826 Main Street, Buffalo, NY. The event will include hors d’oeuvres, wine, beer and desserts, along with an auction and an awards presentation. Community leaders, disability advocates and families will be in attendance to recognize the unique establishment as it is the only museum of its kind in the U.S., dedicated to advancing the understanding, acceptance and independence of people with disabilities.  Tickets are $20 per family and under 18 free. Various donations and corporate support opportunities are also available.   All funds raised will benefit the Museum of disABILITY History’s educational programming.  To purchase tickets, for more information or for event accommodations, contact David Mack-Hardiman, at dmack@people-inc.org or call 716.629.3626. Established in 1998, the Museum of disABILITY History, a project of People Inc., is the only one of its kind in the United States and is dedicated to advancing the understanding, acceptance and independence of people with disabilities. Located in Buffalo, NY, the Museum’s exhibits, collections, publications, archives and educational programs create awareness and a platform for dialogue and discovery.

Museum of disABILITY History Founder and Author to Present, Sign Books

Presentation to Focus on Alternative Medicine in Nineteenth Century Niagara Falls September 30, 2015: A book presentation and signing featuring Museum of disABILITY History founder and author, James M. Boles, EdD, will take place on Friday, October 16, from 7 to 9 p.m., at the Museum of disABILITY History, 3826 Main Street in Buffalo. The presentation, which is part of the Museum’s Dialogues on disABILITY Speaker Series, will highlight the book, They Did No Harm: Alternative Medicine in Niagara Falls, NY, 1830-1930 , by James M. Boles, EdD. The publication explores the growth of alternative healing facilities in the 1800s, in response to primitive practices in the field of medicine. With good marketing and common wisdom, these enterprises used a variety of colorful methods to aid their customers. Dr. Boles will provide an overview of the book and share the research that shaped it. Students, human service employees, historians and medical professionals are encouraged to attend and learn about this unique era in the history of medicine. Throughout his career, Dr. Boles has made valuable contributions to the human services field. From 1981 to 2014, he served as president and CEO of People Inc., Western New York’s leading nonprofit health and human services agency. In1998, he founded the Museum of disABILITY History and was honored for his work with the Hervey B. Wilbur Preservation Award from the American Association of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. In 2006, Dr. Boles was appointed by President George W. Bush to serve as an advisory committee member on the President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities for two terms. In 2010, he established People Ink Press, a company dedicated to publishing books relating to disability history and awareness. Admission for the book presentation and signing is $6 for adults, $3.50 for students, seniors and human service employees and free for Museum members. For more information or to register, call 716.629.3626. The Museum of disABILITY History, a project of People Inc., is dedicated to the collection, preservation, and display of artifacts relating to the history of people with disabilities. The mission is to tell the story of the lives, triumphs and struggles of people with disabilities as well as society’s reactions. The Museum of disABILITY History, located at 3826 Main Street in Buffalo, NY, offers educational exhibits, programs and activities that expand community awareness.

Museum of disABILITY History Hosts Training in Accessible Voting

Machines Make Voting Possible for those who are Blind, Unable to Mark Traditional Ballot May 21, 2015: The Museum of disABILITY History is happy to host “Every Vote Counts—Yours Matters,” an accessible voting training event, on Monday, June 1, 2015, from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at 3826 Main Street, Buffalo. Attendees can learn how to use machines that make voting possible for those who are blind, visually impaired or otherwise unable to mark a traditional ballot. There will be an explanation of accessible voting machines as well as a mock debate featuring self-advocates B.J. Stasio and Darren Jackson. Those in attendance can then determine the debate outcome by using accessible machines. Refreshments will be provided. Sponsored by the New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities and the Erie County Board of Elections, the event is free and open to the community. For more information, or to register, call the Museum of disABILITY History at 716-629-3626. The Museum of disABILITY History, a project of People Inc., is dedicated to the collection, preservation, and display of artifacts relating to the history of people with disabilities. The mission is to tell the story of the lives, triumphs and struggles of people with disabilities as well as society’s reactions. The Museum of disABILITY History, located at 3826 Main Street in Buffalo, NY, offers educational exhibits, programs and activities that expand community awareness.

Museum of disABILITY History Launches GoFundMe Campaign

What: Community leaders and advocates will come together to officially kick off a GoFundMe fundraiser campaign to benefit the Museum of disABILITY History. To date, the campaign has already received the support of national celebrities including activist, journalist and author Maria Shriver and screenwriter, actor and native Buffalonian William Fichtner. Producer and director Diane English, a native Buffalonian who is best known for creating the hit television show Murphy Brown, and Chris Burke, actor and Goodwill Ambassador for the National Down Syndrome Society, have also voiced their support. Proceeds raised in the campaign will benefit projects designed to create awareness and a platform for dialogue and discovery. The kick-off event, Night of a Thousand Stars, will include appearances by Buffalo Bills Ed Rutkowski and Lou Piccone, members of the Buffalo Sabres Alumni Association and Héctor Camacho, Jr., along with a silent auction, presentation and gallery tours. The event is not open to the public, but Western New Yorkers are invited to support the campaign by visiting gofundme.com/Musedisability . Who: Héctor Camacho, Jr. Ed Rutkowski Congressman Brian Higgins Jane Corwin, NYS Assemblywoman, 144th District Christopher L. Jacobs, Erie County Clerk Edward A. Rath III, Erie County Legislator Mark J.F. Schroeder, City of Buffalo Comptroller Lou Piccone When: 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. October 3, 2015 Where: Museum of disABILITY History 3826 Main Street Buffalo, NY 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.

Museum of disABILITY History Receives Grants from WNYLRC

BUFFALO, N.Y., January 14, 2008: The Museum of disABILITY History is pleased to announce that they recently received two grants totaling $4,500 from the Western New York Library Resources Council. The grants will allow the Museum to complete the cataloging of approximately 200 unique publications and to purchase software to permit the Museum's library catalog records to available to a nationwide audience. "We are so grateful to WNYLRC for their generosity and support," stated Theresa Fraser, Assistant Museum Director. "Once the conversion is completed, our new catalog will allow for greater accessibility to our growing library collection - we are very excited to share our collection with the public!" The Museum of disABILITY History is dedicated to advancing the understanding, acceptance, and independence of people with disabilities. The Museum's exhibits, collections, archives, and educational programs preserve and document the history of people with disabling conditions and serve to create awareness and a platform for dialogue and discovery. The Museum of disABILITY History is a project of People Inc. and is chartered by the New York State Department of Education Board of Regents. People Inc. exists to enable individuals in Western New York with disabling conditions to function in an accepting society, and to decrease the incidence of disabilities. The Western New York Library Resources Council, a not-for-profit consortium of libraries and library systems, is dedicated to enhancing access to information, encouraging resource sharing, and promoting library interests for its members that serve the people of Western New York. For further information, please contact the Museum of disABILITY History at 716.629.3626 or visit our website at www.museumofdisability.org

Museum of disABILITY History to Host Book Signing with Author Darby Penney

Event in Conjunction with Temporary Exhibit, The Lives They Left Behind: Suitcases from a State Hospital Attic March 19, 2015: The Museum of disABILITY History will host a book signing with Darby Penney, advocate and author of The Lives They Left Behind: Suitcases from a State Hospital Attic on Saturday, March 21, at 1p.m. at 3826 Main Street, Buffalo. Penney and co-author Peter Stastny spent 10 years investigating and learning about patients committed to Willard State Hospital and the lives they had before and after being committed to the institution. Their book tells the fascinating stories of these patients. Admission for the event is $6 for adults and $3.50 for seniors, students and human service employees. It is being held in conjunction with the traveling exhibit The Lives They Left Behind: Suitcases from a State Hospital Attic, which will be on display at the Museum of disABILITY History until April 11. The exhibit was created by The Community Consortium, an organization that works to promote the full citizenship and civil rights of people with psychiatric disabilities. To register for the book signing event or for more information, call 716-629-3626. The Museum of disABILITY History, a project of People Inc., is dedicated to the collection, preservation, and display of artifacts relating to the history of people with disabilities. The mission is to tell the story of the lives, triumphs, and struggles of people with disabilities as well as society’s reactions. The Museum of disABILITY History, located at 3826 Main Street in Buffalo, NY, offers educational exhibits, programs and activities that expand community awareness.

Museum of disABILITY History to Host Panel Discussion, Open Mic

Event focuses on contributions of writers with disabilities February 27, 2014: The Museum of disABILITY History will host “Out of the Shadows: Join the Conversation,” a unique two-day event which takes a close look at the lives and contributions of writers with disabilities.   On Friday, March 6, from 7 to 9 p.m., a reading and panel discussion will be held at the Museum of disABILITY History, 3826 Main Street, Buffalo. Writers with disabilities as well as those who cover disability in their work will discuss “crip lit” culture, what it means to them and how it empowers writers of difference. Speakers include: Sally Bittner Bonn, a Rochester-‐based mother and disability writer; Lisa Cunningham, educator and poet; Beth Geyer, local disability arts educator, playwright, editor/writer and artistic director of Unique Productions UP!; and Lizz Schumer, writer, reporter and editor. Admission is $6 and free for members of the Museum of disABILITY History. Also taking place at the Museum of disABILITY History is an open mic with local and regional writers on Saturday, March 7, from 1 to 3 p.m. Writers with disabilities will share their stories and contributions. Writer, reporter and editor, Lizz Schumer, will open conversation about the importance of writers with disabilities. Admission for this event is free.   Registration is encouraged for both events. Call 716-629-3626 to reserve your spot.   The Museum of disABILITY History, a project of People Inc., is dedicated to the collection, preservation, and display of artifacts relating to the history of people with disabilities. The mission is to tell the story of the lives, triumphs, and struggles of people with disabilities as well as society’s reactions. The Museum of disABILITY History, located at 3826 Main Street in Buffalo, NY, offers educational exhibits, programs and activities that expand community awareness.

Museum of disABILITY History to Host Workshop on Tourette Syndrome

Session to Focus on Methods of Managing Tourette Syndrome In and Outside of School The Museum of disABILITY History is pleased to host a unique workshop on Saturday, February 6, 2016, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 3826 Main Street in Buffalo. The session, “Tourette Syndrome and Associated Disorders in the Classroom” (2016 session),” will be presented by President and Founder of the Tourette Syndrome Association of Greater New York State, Susan Conners, MEd. The workshop is held in association with Learning Partners. Focusing on topics such as methods of managing Tourette Syndrome (TS) and associated disorders in and outside of school, the workshop is ideal for parents, educators and health and human service professionals. Continuing Education Units (CEUs) will be available for those interested. The cost to register is $40 for adults (with an additional fee of $30 for those pursing CEU credit) and $10 for students. A continental breakfast and lunch will be served. Wi-Fi available.  It is advised to register early as the workshop will be limited to the first 60 participants. Registration and payment is due by January 29. Registration forms are available online at museumofdisability.org or call 716.629.3626 with payment information.  The Museum of disABILITY History, a project of People Inc., is dedicated to the collection, preservation, and display of artifacts relating to the history of people with disabilities. The mission is to tell the story of the lives, triumphs, and struggles of people with disabilities as well as society’s reactions. The Museum of disABILITY History, located at 3826 Main Street in Buffalo, NY, offers educational exhibits, programs and activities that expand community awareness.

Museum of disABILITY History to Join Local Attractions for “History in Your Backyard” Cultural attractions collaborate to create ‘passport’ event in Erie and Niagara Counties

This August, the Museum of disABILITY History and six other Erie and Niagara county cultural attractions are teaming up to present “History in Your Backyard,” a collaborative month-long celebration enabling guests to visit seven locations for one low price. Participants will receive a commemorative “passport” that will be stamped at each attraction. The event was created to raise awareness of local museums and attractions, and to allow visitors the opportunity to enjoy a diverse array of history close to home. All ticket holders will be eligible to win a prize of a helicopter tour for two over Niagara Falls.  Get inspired while visiting the Museum of disABILITY History by taking in exhibits, such as Throughout History, Pop Culture and Sports and Disability. Kids and adults can sit in the Invacar, a three-wheeled car adapted for use by drivers who are disabled. Visitors will experience a visual story that shares the lives, triumphs and struggles of people with disabilities. Tickets are $25 for adults, $10 for children and students, and free for those under the age of 2. A family package is also available for $60. Tickets with passports can be purchased from the Museum of disABILITY History and can be used any time, at all participating sites, throughout the month of August. Additional participating attractions are: Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village, Col. William Bond / Jesse Hawley House, Erie Canal Discovery Center, Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum, Niagara Aerospace Museum and Niagara County Historical Society. For more information, call 716-629-3626. The Museum of disABILITY History is located at 3826 Main Street in Buffalo. Its hours are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Attractions that are part of the “History in Your Backyard” initiative will be operating under its normal hours. The Museum of disABILITY History, a project of People Inc., is dedicated to the collection, preservation, and display of artifacts relating to the history of people with disabilities. The mission is to tell the story of the lives, triumphs and struggles of people with disabilities as well as society’s reactions. The Museum of disABILITY History, located at 3826 Main Street in Buffalo, NY, offers educational exhibits, programs and activities that expand community awareness.