76 results for: Disabilities
Photograph
Sam Smith and Tim Hill unveiling "Make Life Accessible" campaign billboard, April 14, 1986
This image shows Seattle City Council president Sam Smith (right) with King County Executive Tim Hill at the unveiling of the Make Life Accessible campaign. Smith used a wheelchair beginning in 1985, after losing a leg to diabetes. The Make Life Accessible campaign was run by Seattle's Resource Center for the Handicapped, and aimed to help people with disabilities find…
ID Number:2000.107.082.13.06
Date:1986
Photograph
Woman in wheelchair entering a family planning clinic, Seattle, February 1980
Over the years, people with disabilities have found it difficult to access the range of help they need to live independently. The intersection of disability with sexuality and family planning was particularly challenging, as such needs of people with disabilities were often ignored. Seattle’s Family Planning and Disability Project tried to remedy this by reaching out directly to medical professionals,…
ID Number:2000.107.082.14.01
Date:1980
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
David Denini and a resident of the Hazel Keller group home, Seattle, January 1980
The purpose of the US Community Mental Health Act of 1963 was to move people with intellectual and developmental disabilities from large state institutions to smaller, community-based facilities and services. Since then, a variety of solutions have been tried, one of which has been group homes for those unable to live independently.In 1980, about 39% of people with developmental disabilities…
ID Number:2000.107.082.14.04
Date:1980
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