Disability Visibility and Architectural Barriers

Summary

Specific chapters from the 2022-2023 KU Common Book selection Disability Visibility, edited by Alice Wong, are related to primary sources and digital collections from the Dole Archives with a special focus on Kansas and KU disability efforts, with a lens of national dialogue. This discussion of disability lends easily to primary sources from the Dole Archives to highlight a narrative of how community-voiced problems influenced policy and legislative development which, with key support in Congress, culminated in the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, a landmark piece of civil rights legislation. The Dole Institute of Politics has many resources available on the topics exhibited in the Common Book selection and is committed to full accessibility for all students, staff, and public.

Through the lens of Senator Dole's congressional career, the primary sources in this topic guide touch on issues of accessible transit, independent living, architectural barriers, and the ADA. A special collection of interesting KU specific letters and reports tell our own campus story of working to eradicate architectural barriers for all students. In addition, correspondence and reports on the United States Capitol building and its journey to accessibility are thought-provoking for a class discussion. The Dole Archives are proud to make these documents available to all KU students to accompany Disability Visibility and invite you to see these materials for yourself in-person with a tour or class, or utilize them online.