Celebration versus Commemoration: What Mounting a Public History Exhibit is Teaching Me about the ADA

My presentation will highlight some key moments in the planning and implementation process for an interactive media exhibit "Patient No More: People with Disabilities Securing Civil Rights" that the Paul K. Longmore Institute on Disability at San Francisco State University is launching in conjunction with the 25th anniversary of the ADA.  Working with community organizations, seasoned activists, and people who accidentally played key roles, the Institute will mount the exhibit at the Ed Roberts Campus in Berkeley, the symbolic center of the Bay Area disability rights movement. While the partnerships have been smooth, tough questions still arise: how do responsible historians deal with new information and new questions that conflict with prevailing narratives? How do we remain respectful of activists memories while being true to voices that haven't yet been heard? Are there stories that still can't be told that might challenge the standard 'take' on the ADA's history and legacy?