Project Description:
The Institute on Disabilities proposes to unlock historical, personal and emotional knowledge of one of Pennsylvanias fourteen institutions for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities - the Pennhurst State School and Hospital. In collaboration with community archivists with disabilities and their families, artists, historians, and archivists, we will create a multidisciplinary, interactive Story Wall. Part exhibition and part community gathering, our Story Wall will journey across archives, artifact and personal narrative to illustrate the untold story and ongoing impact of Institutionalization.
The breadth and complexity of this history requires a range of interpretive and story-telling modalities designed for neurodiverse audiences. An interdisciplinary team will support our cohort of community archivists in gathering source material (e.g. archival letters, records, images and artifact). Theyll use their tools to help the
We do not intend to present a comprehensive history of Pennhurst, but rather to tell a story rooted in a deeply personal understanding of the impact of institutionalization and the stigma associated with disability. Curated content will amplify the story that community archivists want to tell.
The repository for all content will be a multi-sensory Story Wall, designed in partnership with The Wick Poetry Center. With interactive elements such as directional audio, capacitive touch screens, and infrared sensors, the Story Wall will deliver content in multiple layers and forms, including prompts and mechanisms for visitors to respond to and create their own content. The Story Wall will premiere at the 23rd Street Armory in Philadelphia and travel to sites of civic importance in and beyond Pennsylvania.
Primary Target Audience Geographic Descriptor:
Single-County, Mulit-County, State, National
