Disability History
ABILITY CENTER OF GREATER TOLEDO RECORDS, 1920-2015. [PDF]
Originally started by a small group of Toledo Rotarians as the Toledo Society for
Crippled Children, through the years the organization has served as a convalescent
home for children with disabilities, a polio and tuberculosis center, a school, and
a social service agency.
The collection includes photographs, board minutes and administrative materials, fund
raising material, programming material, publications, newspaper clippings, and awards.
MSS-190, 10 linear feet.
See also: entry under Social Welfare
ANNE GRADY CENTER RECORDS, 1983-2015. [PDF]
Organization focused on providing educational, therapy, and residential services to
persons with developmental disabilities. The organization dates back to 1976, and
this collection contains photographs, newsletters, brochures, and other printed material
documenting the history and services of the Center. MSS-306, 6 linear feet.
ASSISTANCE DOGS OF AMERICA, INC., 1986-2002. [PDF]
Organization founded for the purpose of providing trained dogs and special equipment
to enable disabled persons to be more independent (1984-present).
The collection includes administrative and financial records, photographs and videotape,
printed material, and correspondence documenting the day-to-day work of the organization.
MSS-175, 5 linear feet.
See also: entry under Social Welfare
DOUGLAS V. AUSTIN VIDEOTAPE. [PDF]
University of Toledo Faculty, Economics and Finance Department
Collection consists of one VHS videotape of Dr. Austin delivering the keynote address
at the Helen Keller Lecture Series, Troy State University, April 15, 2003, MSS-197,
1 item.
AUTISM SOCIETY OF NORTHWEST OHIO RECORDS, 1978-2009. [PDF]
Oldest and largest autism-related grassroots organization in the country founded by
parents of children with autism to provide support, education, and advocacy (1968-present)
This collection contains administrative files, advocacy files, publications, audio-visual
material, and artifacts. MSS-240, 3 linear feet.
BITTERSWEET FARMS, 1974-2004. [PDF]
Supported living farm dedicated to the individual development of persons with autism
Included in this collection are administrative, funding, research, correspondence,
and historical materials, as well as photographs and videotapes. MSS-195, 9 linear
feet.
See also: entry under Social Welfare
JAMES S. BRADY/SHIRLEY M. SANDAGE PAPERS, 1980-1995. [PDF]
Former Assistant to the President and White House Press Secretary, later gun control
advocate and vice chairman of the National Organization on Disability (1940-2014)
Contains speeches, articles, correspondence, and photographs of James S. Brady during
his tenure as vice chairman of the National Organization on Disability. MSS-278, 0.5
linear feet.
See also: entry under Politics and Government
DAVID'S HOUSE COMPASSION, 1987-2004. [PDF]
→ View Digital Collection
Service organization that provided education and counseling programs, as well as other
assistance, to HIV/AIDS victims
Contains administrative files, funding and financial records, material on planning
and development, printed material, audiovisual material, and ephemera. MSS-188, 12
linear feet.
See also: entries under Gender and Sexuality and Social Welfare
FEILBACH SCHOOL FOR CRIPPLED CHILDREN COLLECTION, 1930s-2010. [PDF]
School served disabled children, founded by Toledo Rotary.
Collection contains oversize photos of aspects of the school, snapshots of plaques,
clippings about members of the Rotary Club, and specifications for the Glendale-Feilbach
School. MSS-307, 1.25 linear feet.
FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT MEMORIAL INSCRIPTION COMMITTEE RECORDS, 1994-2001. [PDF]
Scholars committee
Collection consists of the records of the committee of scholars convened by the National
Organization on Disability and the National Parks Service to draft an inscription
for the FDR Memorial statue of Roosevelt in a wheelchair. Also contains documents
describing the fight to add the seated statue to the memorial in 1998, and the “Rendezvous
with Destiny” campaign to raise money for the statue. MSS-277, 0.5 linear feet.
See also: entry under Politics and Government
HUGH GREGORY GALLAGHER PAPERS, 1880-2002. [PDF]
Disability Rights Activist (1932-2004)
Paralyzed by polio contracted at the age of 19, Gallagher was known as the "father
of the disability rights movement." He was the author of the Architectural Barriers
Act of 1968, and wrote several books and articles. Gallagher was also a respected
Franklin D. Roosevelt scholar. Perhaps his best-known book is FDR's Splendid Deception, which explored the former president's disability and how he hid it from the public.
This collection contains correspondence, biographical and family files, Mr. Gallagher's
writings, research files, senate files, photographic material, awards, and artifacts.
MSS-185, 13 linear feet.
See also: entry under Medicine and Health, Politics and Government, and Social Welfare
LEE LAWRENCE PAPERS, 1923-2002. [PDF]
Disability Rights Activist (1923-2002)
After a catastrophic fall ended her theatre and television career, Lee Lawrence spent
the rest of her life advocating for the disabled and educating the public. This collection
contains correspondence, manuscripts, material on programs, agencies, organizations,
laws, illnesses, diseases, and accessibility. It also contains printed material and
proceedings of the White House Conferences on Handicapped Individuals and the White
House Conference on Aging. MSS-174, 9 linear feet.
See also: entry under Social Welfare
JOSINA JONES LOTT PAPERS, 1949-2000. [PDF]
Educator (1898-1972)
Founder of the Lott Day School, the first of several schools for developmentally disabled
children. Also founded the Lott Sheltered Workshop (later known as Lott Industries)
to provide her students with job skills.
This collection consists of administrative records, biographical and historical materials,
printed material, audiovisual material, and ephemera. MSS-186, 4.5 linear feet.
See also: entries under Education and Schools and Social Welfare
LUCAS COUNTY HOME/INFIRMARY HISTORICAL RECORDS. [PDF]
In January 1838, the Lucas County commissioners located and acquired a site for a
county poor farm at the corner of Detroit and Arlington. It later became known as
the Lucas County Home and Infirmary.
This collection contains register books of employees of the Home and Infirmary covering
the period from 1913-1939. MSS-250, 8 linear feet.
NATIONAL ALLIANCE FOR THE MENTALLY ILL, TOLEDO CHAPTER, RECORDS, 1980's-2002. [PDF]
Organization formed to improve the lives of persons with mental illness
The collection contains administrative and financial records, photographs, and material
about the organization's education programs. MSS-178, 3.25 linear feet.
See also: entry under Social Welfare
QUOTA CLUB, 6th DISTRICT OHIO RECORDS, 1922-1997. [PDF]
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Ohio section of a classified community service club of executive, professional, and
business women
The bulk of the collection is a group of fourteen scrapbooks that highlight Quota
events and achievements. The rest of the collection consists of printed materials,
administrative materials, photographs, and other visual materials. MSS-122, 8 linear
feet.
See also: entries under Civic Interests and Philanthropy
SIGHT CENTER OF TOLEDO RECORDS, 1920-2004. [PDF]
Founded in 1923 as the Toledo Society for the Blind, this organization strove to improve
the lives of persons with visual impairments by teaching vocational and life skills
and hosting social events.
The collection includes photographs, administrative records, newspaper clippings,
and scrapbooks. MSS-179, 12.25 linear feet.
See also: entries under Education and Schools and Social welfare
CARLTON E. SPITZER PAPERS, 1957-2013.
Writer, playwright, and aviator (1925-2013)
This collection contains the correspondence, personal and biographical material, publications,
play files, photographs, and radio interview of Carlton E. Spitzer, who later developed
an interest in disability issues. MSS-230, 2 linear feet.
KAREN GOTTLIEB STONE, 1983-1999. [PDF]
Photographer and writer
This collection contains copies of a column Ms. Stone wrote for the Albuquerque Journal about living with disability. It also includes a copy of her book Awakening to Disability: Nothing About Us Without Us. MSS-193, .25 linear foot.
TOLEDO HEARING AND SPEECH CENTER RECORDS, 1920-2000. [PDF]
Organization that provided hearing screenings and speech therapy as well as special
instruments to assist hearing impaired individuals (1920-2014)
Collection contains numerous administrative, financial, legal, audiovisual, and published
materials of the organization. Specific items include minutes, agendas, reports, financial
statements, contracts, photographs, films, newsletters, and newspaper clippings, among
others. MSS-292, 12.25 linear feet.
See also: entry under Social Welfare
TOLEDO MENTAL HEALTH CENTER CLIPPINGS. [PDF]
Collection consists of photocopies of newspaper clippings about the Toledo Mental
Health Center. MSS-198, .25 linear foot.
See also: entry under Medicine and Health
TOLEDO ROTARY CLUB RECORDS, 1908-2011. [PDF]
→ View Digital Collection
Service organization of professional businessmen
This collection includes administrative and committee files, correspondence, membership
records, scrapbooks, and project files of the Toledo Rotary Club, in addition to materials
from Rotary International. MSS-145, 25.5 linear feet.
See also: entries under Business and Commerce, Civic Interests, Philanthropy, and Social Welfare
TOLEDO STATE HOSPITAL, LUCAS COUNTY INFIRMARY, & MAUMEE VALLEY HOSPITAL ARCHITECTURAL
AND SURVEY DRAWINGS, 1884-1989. [PDF]
Insane Asylum (1888-1973)
Collection includes schematic maps from the Toledo Insane Asylum, which was designed
by Edward O. Fallis and operated by Dr. Henry A. Tobey. The schematic drawings are
from the original plans for the asylum. MSS-221, 50 linear feet.
See also: entries under Architecture, Medicine and Health, and Social Welfare.
ZEIGLER HABILITATION HOMES, 1960s-2005. [PDF]
Intermediate care facility for persons with developmental disabilities and mental
illness, founded in 1979 by Charlotte Zeigler
Contains photographs of the Zeigler family, the homes and their residents, Mrs. Zeigler's
obituary, and sympathy cards. MSS-208, .75 linear feet.
See also: entries under African-Americans, Social Welfare, and Women.
Visit the Disability Studies Program at The University of Toledo for more information on the program.