73 results for: Disabilities
Photograph
Wheelchair user Mike Kovell using swinging doors, Seattle, July 1978
In 1978, the Washington State Human Rights Commission hosted a meeting of similar agencies from around the world. The conference, held in Seattle, included exhibits of barrier-free design and a tour of challenges to people with disabilities in the downtown area. State Commission inspector Mike Kovell, a Vietnam veteran who used a wheelchair, compiled the list and led attendees on…
ID Number:2000.107.082.14.02
Date:1978
Photograph
Mike Kovell demonstrating that curbs can be a barrier for people in wheelchairs, Seattle, July 1978
In 1978, the Washington State Human Rights Commission hosted a meeting of similar agencies from around the world. The conference, held in Seattle, included exhibits of barrier-free design and a tour of challenges to people with disabilities in the downtown area. State Commission inspector Mike Kovell, a Vietnam veteran who used a wheelchair, compiled the list and led attendees on…
ID Number:2000.107.082.14.03
Date:1978
Photograph
Metro drivers inspecting prototype kneeling bus, Seattle, March, 1975
In this image, the Rohn Industries Transbus, one of three prototype transit buses built by U. S. firms for possible production in the 1980s, gets the once-over from Metro drivers as it "knelt" on its air suspension system, allowing near-level entry up a front door wheelchair ramp. At the time Metro, was planning to replace its fleet of buses and…
ID Number:2000.107.124.28.02
Date:1975
Photograph
George Turner demonstrating a wheelchair lift aboard a Metro bus, Seattle, April 14, 1985
In this image George Turner, chairman of the Metro Elderly and Handicapped Advisory Committee, demonstrates a wheelchair lift aboard a Metro bus. Metro received a $1,000 award from the National Organization on Disability for its work in making it easier for the elderly and mobility impaired to get around on public transportation. Caption information derived from captions written by Post-Intelligencer…
ID Number:2000.107.124.33.01
Date:1985
Photograph
Jim Whittaker leading group of people with disabilities to the summit of Mount Rainier, June 29, 1981
Jim Whittaker (1929-2026) was pioneering figure in outdoor recreation and Pacific Northwest history. The Seattle-born mountaineer innovator became the first American to summit Mount Everest, on May 1, 1963, alongside Sherpa Nawang Gombu. His achievement--accomplished in an era before modern climbing infrastructure—captured national attention and helped define a generation of exploration. He later described the ascent as a “now-or-never” moment,…
ID Number:2000.107.147.09.01
Date:1981
Photograph
Antonio Sanchez at Sea Mar Community Health Center, Seattle, February 5, 1980
Sea Mar Community Health Centers was organized by a group of Latino community leaders and health activists who wanted to develop a comprehensive health center for the Latino community in Seattle, with satellite clinics in rural communities in western Washington. They began in 1978 with one small clinic in the South Park neighborhood of Seattle. As of 2022, SeaMar has…
ID Number:2000.107.159.33.01
Date:1980
Photograph
Martin J. Weideman using a curb ramp, Seattle, February 1981
In an effort to cut government spending and regulations, President Ronald Reagan’s 1982 budget proposed the elimination of Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (now the U.S. Access Board). The board’s near decade of setting standards, plus federal funding, had helped American cities begin to build curb cuts, provide bus lifts, and make other improvements to help people with disabilities…
ID Number:2000.107.228.26.01
Date:1981
Photograph
Rich Walsh, founder and director of the Resource Center for the Handicapped, Bothell, December 1986
In 1977, Richard “Rich” Walsh suffered a serious automobile accident that left him paralyzed from the neck down. He moved to the University of Washington Medical Center for major rehabilitation and found his life’s calling. Seeing other young, paralyzed people sent to nursing homes for the rest of their lives, Walsh decided there had to be a better way. He…
ID Number:2000.107.289.02.01
Date:1986
Photograph
Group playing with a large ball in a PE class for the blind, Seattle, May 6, 1969
While working on a master’s degree project at Seattle’s Northwest Center, Dave Tucker realized the need for better physical education for blind students. He consolidated Seattle Public Schools’ PE programs for the blind and partially sighted and started classes in February 1968. Among his developments was the use of a large ball that students could push, climb on, and fall…
ID Number:2000.107.19720500.1.12
Date:1972
Photograph
Students with disabilities from Lowell Elementary visiting Seattle Art Museum, May 24, 1977
A group of students with disabilities from Lowell Elementary School visited the Northwest Indian exhibit at the Seattle Art Museum in May 1977, shortly after the museum was renovated to be accessible to wheelchair users. The children also used tricycles, carts, and walkers, in addition to wheelchairs, to get around.This image shows a few of the students looking at a…
ID Number:2000.107.19770524.1.15
Date:1977