The history of self-advocacy starts many years ago, when cultural shifts pushed individuals who lived with differences into work houses, asylums, and institutions. Eric Stoker, UDDC Information Specialist, and Dr. Matthew Wappett, Director for the Center for Persons with Disabilities at Utah State University, explore how self-advocates have had to develop abilities to change this cultural norm, and they discuss how these skills will be necessary to continue to challenge barriers that self-advocates face today.

Learn more about the history of disabilities, visit the Parellels in Time website with interactive sections for each era. https://mn.gov/mnddc/parallels/index.html

Learn more about Dr. Matthew Wappett on the Center for Persons with Disabilities' website. https://cpd.usu.edu/staff/?id=1371

This is a project of the Utah Developmental Disabilities Council. www.utahddcouncil.org

UDDC Projects, including this website, are funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration on Community Living. https://acl.gov/