Paul K. Longmore Institute on Disability - Paul Longmore

Remembering Paul Longmore Ten Years Later

Emily Beitiks — Fri, 07 Aug 2020 21:47:57 +0000

By: Cathy Kudlick

Monday, August 9 2010 - It’s hard to believe that it’s been ten years since we lost the friend, mentor, scholar-activist provocateur for whom the Longmore Institute was named. Paul would have turned 74 on July 10. The author of The Invention of George Washington would probably have found a way to wrangle a ticket or two or three to “Hamilton” on its first night at San Francisco’s Orpheum Theater in 2017. He’d have applauded the multiracial twist on American history and would have wondered within earshot of many why Gouverneur Morris (the man with significant disabilities responsible for “We the People” preamble in the US Constitution) didn’t have a central role and even romantic lead. To the line “Revolution is messy but now is the time to stand,” he would have cheered louder than the rest, then quipped: “standing can be messy too.”

The author of Why I Burned My Book and Other Essays on Disability would have much to say about the present world. He’d have read multiple papers cover to cover, though most would be online because he’d have replaced his big newspaper-reading table and page-turning contraption with dozens of news apps he’d check in with on a daily basis. On Facebook he’d fume about the lack of leadership in Washington and would have penned and phoned scores of messages to politicians about the need for affordable healthcare—especially in the age of COVID-19, equal distribution of medical equipment, and how important it is to include the disabled perspective in every conversation about resources, medical rationing, workplace protections, and the meaning of life. He’d also rail against the magical thinking and denialism of those in Washington and in some state legislatures that have created and exacerbated the coronavirus spread and blocked its proper management.

The author of Telethons: Spectacle, Disability, and the Business of Charity would caution against quick fixes led by the private sector and the decades-long defunding of the public health sector. He’d also worry that in this age of renewed scarcity and economic retrenchment the charity model would become the central way for Americans to find medical and economic relief. He’d zero in on failure and greed within the nursing home industry, the push to limit resources, be they physical such as crowded conditions or personnel who are under-trained and under-paid. He’d also urge people with disabilities to keep pushing for better representations in the media that would forever erase images of pity and helplessness, instead emphasizing our creativity and productive challenges to the status quo so we’re seen as indispensable rather than disposable. For example, he’d point out that the resourcefulness of people with disabilities remains a coveted strategy amongst the non-disabled in this moment. To launch the next thirty years of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), he’d cue people with disabilities to learn everything they could about the late Civil Rights Activist, Congressman John Lewis, particularly his invitation to make “good trouble.”

We desperately need the incisive analyses of Paul Longmore at this moment, his understanding of the past, the present, and the future and his advocacy of social justice. So our charge is clear: keep our collective fires burning for generations to come.

And here’s a teaser for anyone who read this far: a recently discovered scrap of Paul’s writing is about to be published in an exciting new anthology. Stay tuned!

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Paul Longmore

disability history

Telethons

COVID-19

Alice Wong Longmore Lecture with Video & Transcript: "Storytelling as Activism: The Politics of Disability Visibility"

Visitor — Mon, 16 Apr 2018 22:29:39 +0000

On April 3, 2018, we celebrated the fifth annual Longmore Lecture in Disability Studies with Alice Wong, founder/director of the Disability Visibility Project and co-partner of #CriptheVote. Interviewed by Longmore Institute Director Catherine Kudlick, Wong explored disability justice, savvy strategies for social media, intersectionality, and political engagement through storytelling. Wong, normally the interviewer herself in her work, opened up, "“As a person born with a disability, I’ve always been an activist, just by existing in a nondisabled world! I was an accidental activist. I was timid calling myself an activist with a capital A...” Fortunately, at the end of the lecture, she shared, "This was a much more pleasurable experience than I thought it'd be!" Missed this great event or joined us but are eager to take it again? Read the recap of all the live tweets on Wakelet here, access the transcript here, and watch the video now!(Includes ASL & captioning): [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPwH6UTjeKE]

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#Cripthevote

Alice Wong

Disability Visibility Project

Longmore Lecture

Nicole Bohn

Paul Longmore

Donor Profile: Ellen Longmore Brown

Visitor — Wed, 06 Jul 2016 17:30:12 +0000

Before Paul Longmore met any of his honorary “brothers” and “sisters” in the disability movement, he had Ellen Longmore Brown - both sister and ardent supporter - at his side. An American Baptist minister, Ellen has been crucial to the success of the Paul K. Longmore Institute on Disability.

Ellen was five when Paul became disabled at age 7, and her early memories are hazy. However, she recalls that his amazing sense of humor developed AP (After Polio), as he’d previously been a shy child. Case in point: when a botched tracheotomy procedure left him with a hole in his neck, he told the neighborhood kids that he fell into the Grand Canyon and was saved by a tree branch that punctured his neck. Ellen believes, “The humor was something he had to develop because of how people reacted. It used to make me so mad as a child, I reacted with anger, he with humor.”

When Paul passed away, fortunately Ellen knew the importance of preserving Paul’s scholarship. She immediately supported SF State’s efforts to archive his papers and publish his magnum opus Telethons posthumously. She even arranged for all future royalties of Paul’s books to go to the Longmore Institute. She explains, “I wanted to see what he’d started continue, and I do what I can financially to support that too because it’s so important. It’s grown and blossomed beyond his imagination but I want to be sure that the work he started continued.”

Though she lives far away from the Longmore Institute in Pickerington, Ohio, she closely follows the Longmore Institute’s work. Seeing Telethons published was particularly significant for her. She shares, “The group that came together to use all their knowledge and resources to finish it, I don’t know how often that happens. I’ve always known the impact Paul had on people, but just to see that in action, and people saying this has to be done not only so that it can be written and read but also to honor Paul was a highlight for me, “ she chokes up, “Because he worked on it for 20 years. Every conversation we had he’d be talking about it. He used to say that he hoped Jerry Lewis died before the book was published or else he feared the Muscular Dystrophy Association mafia would come after him!”

When asked to describe why she values the Longmore Institute’s work, she felt that her answer brought out her “preacher-side.” She explains the impact in three ways:

The institute is celebrating disability when for so many years [disability] meant pity.... The Longmore Institute celebrates who people are, and people in the disability community might not have heard that before, especially when you look at movies coming out that show people with disabilities wanting to die. The Longmore Institute is also empowering … telling people that they do have a voice, and even though there are some that can’t talk for themselves, to know that someone else is doing it for them. That’s something Paul did that the Institute is carrying out. Lastly, educating the disability community about things that people might not be aware of, but also educating society. Your message needs to get out.

Ellen is grateful knowing that Paul’s work continues to make a difference. Please join the Longmore Institute and Ellen Longmore to take a moment to remember Paul on Sunday, July 10, which would have been his 70^th birthday.

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Donor Profile: Anthony Tusler

Visitor — Tue, 05 Jul 2016 18:04:58 +0000

This week we sat down to talk to longtime friend of Paul Longmore, Anthony Tusler, at his house in Penngrove, CA. Disabled since the age of five, Tusler is a motorized wheelchair user. Describing Anthony’s contributions to disability rights and advocacy takes some time. In addition to over 20 years as director of disability services at Sonoma State University, he has led important work to draw attention to the higher rates of alcoholism and drug use in the disability community, he has researched and published about technology and access, and he also promotes disability in the arts, through his own photography and studying disability in music.

He first met Paul Longmore back when Paul was a graduate student writing about George Washington. A shared colleague recommended they meet, and Anthony remembers thinking then that Paul would some day be a leader in the disability movement. Shortly after, Anthony arranged to have Paul give a lecture on euthanasia for The California Association for Post-Secondary Education and Disability (CAPED) because he knew Paul had a voice and perspective that needed to get out there. While many of Paul’s friendships were more academic and bonded in disability theory, Anthony recalls that their connection was rooted in a shared love for disability culture. When Paul Longmore almost poisoned himself by taking too much Zinc to fight off a cold, Anthony just laughed to Paul’s relief, both agreeing that such a mistake was standard “crip stuff."

Since Paul passed away and the Longmore Institute reemerged in 2012, Anthony has been a vital supporter, both with his time and as a donor. In 2013, he hosted a concert at his home to benefit the Longmore Institute. He played a number of roles to support the Patient No More exhibit, which featured his photography from outside the building on the first day of the 1977 504 occupation. It’s not an exaggeration to say that the exhibit could not have happened without him. In particular, he convinced photographer and 504 protester HolLynn D’Lil to share her historic collection of photographs, primary sources, and notebooks, previously kept private. If Anthony had not vouched for the Longmore Institute’s integrity and recognized the importance of making this collection public, “Patient No More” might not have had enough materials. Anthony poses before giving a photography lecture at the Patient No More exhibit. Photo courtesy of Anthony's Facebook page.

Anthony disclosed that his first work with the Longmore Institute was less successful than he’d have hoped. In 2012, he gave a talk on disability and music that he felt just didn’t hit the way he wanted it too (he teases that Associate Director Emily Beitiks having her water break and needing to head off to have a baby minutes before the event was partially to blame). But this experience only strengthened his bond to the Longmore Institute. Afterward, Director Catherine Kudlick pushed him on how he could tighten the presentation and offered to help. He said, “This moment exemplified what makes you guys unique. We don’t critique each other’s work enough in the disability community, so it touched me that Cathy was not only willing to speak honestly with me but also offer to help guide it forward. No other organizations are offering this sort of support for the development of disability culture and scholarship. The Longmore Institute is in a unique position, being a part of a university, to do this work that invests in the long-term.”

He urges other people to start volunteering with or donate to the Longmore Institute because “Disability culture is essential to our efforts to improve the lives of people with disabilities. It can’t just be about services.” Anthony’s friendship with Paul Longmore was based on this belief, and he is grateful to see that the Institute’s recent work supports it as well. Anthony has supported our annual Giving Tuesday efforts for the past two years. Photo courtesy of Mr. Tusler's Facebook page.

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Quilts for Starting Conversations

Visitor — Tue, 05 Aug 2014 21:31:06 +0000

By: Guest Blogger Corbett O'Toole

On August 8, 2012 I received a wonderful email inviting me to create a quilt for the Paul K. Longmore Institute on Disability at San Francisco State University. This honor brought with it many questions. What purpose would the quilt serve? Where would it hang? What focus? Who would be the audience?

The quilt project is intrinsically tied to Paul. His unexpected death created the reason SFSU permanently established the Institute and named it for him. Many of us involved in the quilt had strong personal ties to Paul. Should the quilt be a memorial to him? Should it include his vast collection of disability political t-shirts?

The quilt discussions became an opportunity for us to discuss our fondest memories of Paul and to explore which aspects of his legacy we wanted to immortalize in the quilt. Although Paul died four years ago, his former students still attend SFSU and his mark on the campus is strong. Paul’s international mark on the field of disability history is rooted in the classrooms at SFSU where he led many explorations of how disability and history intersect. His answer: everywhere. SFSU also hosted several important milestones in Disability Studies: 2000 NEH Institute on Disability Studies; 2000 Symposium on Disability, Sexuality and Culture; 2002 Queer Disability Conference; and 2008 Disability History Conference.

After many discussions with the Institute Director, Catherine Kudlick, and Eugene Chelberg, Associate Vice President for Student Affairs, an initial direction emerged. The quilt would hang in the Institute’s library and conference room with a direct sightline from the entrance of the Institute. The large surface, 4 by 6 feet, provided an open canvas. Paul’s deep interests in disability history, activism and culture emerged as the guiding representational themes.

In addition to capturing Paul’s interests, the quilt needed to support the Institute’s mission to create opportunities for unexpected conversations, for making new connections, and for bringing all people's diverse relationships to disabilities into the room. The breadth of these goals soon outgrew one quilt so we created two.

The Windows Quilt offers a peek into the diversity of disability communities. Consisting of sixteen photographs, three graphics, two quotes from Paul and a portrait of him at the center, this quilt uses a classic quilting technique called Attic Windows. These images represent slices of disability past, present and future. Each image opens opportunities for discussions.

In one image, Deaf students hold up a “Deaf President Now” banner in front of the U.S. Capitol. Why did the Deaf students shut down Gallaudet University until the Board of Trustees selected the first deaf President? Just the way I wrote that sentence opens up discussions. People who have hearing impairment and who identify as part of the Deaf community, use the capital Deaf usage to show their cultural affiliation. This protest builds upon the U.S. history of underrepresented people fighting for representation in public leadership positions. Yet this is the first time that most Americans became aware of the issues. How is that protest relevant to the history of deaf people? To the struggle to prevent American Sign Language from disappearing? To students sitting in the Longmore Institute today at SFSU?

Some stories, while compelling, did not make it onto the quilt. Stories such as the long and tragic history of institutionalizing people with physical and mental differences; the deaths of thousands of people with hemophilia from tainted blood supplies and the ongoing poisoning of the next generation with the hepatitis virus; the struggle between people with disabilities and the nondisabled people who “speak for” them; the parallel struggles of the HIV/AIDS communities and other people with disabilities; and so many more.

The quilts, at their best, merely begin the discussions. The work of the Longmore Institute provides many opportunities to deepen and expand those discussions and to initiate ones not yet imagined.

The pull to provide a specific memorial for Paul proved too strong to resist so we created a second quilt, the T-shirt quilt. At his death, Paul’s colleagues collected 54 of his favorite political t-shirts for preservation. Eugene Chelberg and David Meissner collected, catalogued, washed and ironed them. From this collection, we chose thirteen. From the whimsically designed yet insightful “Why be normal? Normal is so mediocre” to the direct “Nothing About Us Without Us,” these shirts are but a taste of Paul’s deep belief in full equality and his love of the mischievous such as in the drawing of a group of blind gondoliers over the words “The Venetian Blind Society.”

Each of the two large quilts, the Windows Quilt and the T-shirt Quilt, reflect and honor the work of Paul K. Longmore and his specific connection to SFSU.

As with all creative projects, many people worked together to create these amazing quilts. Babette Schmitt provided many artistic insights, found obscure images after the rest of us gave up, kept our spirits up during late night sessions, and made the work feel effortless. Cathy Kudlick provided a clear direction, brought diverse and needed resources, and carried Paul’s spirit throughout the project. Graphic designers shaped the design and made our images useful, most notably Terri O’Hare and Alex Ho. Quilter extraordaire Melissa Quilter lent her nimble fingers to the ever-growing project. I provided the metaphorical rubber bands that held us all together throughout this exciting and challenging project.

I hope that you enjoy these quilts as we honor and continue the work of Paul K. Longmore. He changed the landscape of disability history and SFSU. He is missed.

Quilt block descriptions:

Beginning at top left: A light-skinned female dancer wears a sleeveless, thigh high black dress. Her body is without arms. She leans her head back and kicks her right leg high into the air, toes pointed, while her left foot rises onto her tip-toes. Her long dark curly hair hangs down her back as her face looks upwards. Behind her a thin, white curtain falls down to the ground with a strong light behind it.

Block 2: Oakland based Deaf performer and dancer Antoine Hunter leans forward, forearms reaching, hands touching with fingers open and reaching. Antoine's dark African-American skin shows strong dancer's muscles, particularly in his arms and shoulder. He is wearing a red tank top, black pants, a necklace with an oval white disk with two holes in it. He appears to be in his late 30s, has a dark moustache and beard, and a short afro. He faces the camera, looking slightly above it.

Block 3: The word ‘love’ is spelled out with large silhouetted fingers against the wall of a building. In the bottom left corner, a yellow wheelchair rider stick figure holds hands up triumphantly in the air. Over the hands the background writing says “Accessibilidad universal.”

Block 4: A close-up self-portrait painting of Frida Kahlo, the 1933 "Self-Portrait with Necklace." Frida is a medium-skinned Mexican woman with dark bushy eyebrows and a faint moustache over lipsticked lips. Her dark hair is pulled back into a braided bun at the base of her neck. She wears a white blouse with lace trim and a necklace of pre-Columbian jade beads.

Block 5: A quotation by Paul K. Longmore printed onto bright green fabric that reads, “We are building a culture of pride, freedom and self-determination. “

Block 6: A light-skinned man (apparently a father) kneels down next to a young, light-skinned blind girl, approximately 6 years old (apparently his daughter). She holds a white cane in her left hand. The background is a garage and driveway.

Block 7: Illustrated images of 7 different hands, including 5 hands belonging to different ethnicities, a dog paw, and a hand with a hook. All of the hands are forming a circle making different hand shapes including the American Sign Langauge "I love you".

Block 8: Three members of Axis Dance Company strike a stunning pose; the center dancer, Bonnie Lewkowicz, as a light-skinned female wheelchair rider, opens both arms out to her sides. The other two dancers, both light-skinned women, leap back to symmetrically frame the center person. They both are bent at the waist, toes pointing towards Bonnie, arms stretched backwards with fingers pointing away from Bonnie. All three dancers wear black tank tops and black pants. Bonnie wears black shoes, the other dancers are barefoot. This photo is by Margot Hartford of a rehearsal of the Axis Dance Company production of "Fantasy in C Major," a 2000 dance choreographed by Bill T. Jones.

(ROW 2) Block 9: Image of the Capital in Washington DC with a large banner reading “ DEAF PRESIDENT NOW.” Behind the banner are supporters of this cause holding three vibrant waving flags; blue, yellow and red.

Block 10: An Asian woman has extensive burns on her face and her forearms are amputated six inches below her elbow and have burn scars. Her face stares intently towards the caligraphy paper where she draws the apparently-Japanese characters. She holds the long bamboo brush between her arms. She has short dark hair and wears a black shirt covered by a read sweater and a black smock. On the table are an ink well, some completed drawings and a lock that is holding down the edge of the drawing paper.

Block 11: The centerpiece image of this quilt is a photo of Paul K. Longmore (1946-2010). Paul, a grey-haired, middle-aged white man, leans forward in his wheelchair. He wears a black turtleneck shirt and a dark grey suit jacket. He holds a ventilator hose in his mouth as he stares intently forward.

Block 12: A light-skinned young person approximately 15 years old stands at the beach wearing a black tshirt with a large teal wave design and the words "ADAPT SURF". They are laughing with mouth wide open, hands raised up and smiling eyes. They have thin wet short medium brown hair.

Block 13: Three white people surround a recumbant tricycle that holds a sign that reads “Pride Revolution: Chicago Disability Pride 2010.” In the center is a painting of a red heart with a yellow raised fist. Eli Claire, author from Vermont, rides the recumbent bike. His feet are up on the pedals, he wears a sleeveless black tshirt, black shorts, a few tattoos, a black bowler hat, black-framed glasses and a large rainbow paper flower lei. To his right (left in the photo) stands Riva Lehrer, artist from Chicago, wearing a black tank top, green shorts, high-top black boots with rainbow shoe laces, a red purse with the strap slung across her chest, dyed red hair with a front forelock of grey. To Eli's left (right in the photo) is Samuel Lurie, a social worker from Vermont, who wears a white tshirt, blue jean shorts, black sneakers, a very large rust-colored floppy sun hat, and a matching rainbow lei.

Block 14: Phamaly Theatre Company (formerly known as The Physically Handicapped Actors & Musical Artists League) performs the Wizard of Oz. In this photo (from left to right) the Scarecrow is a deaf actor in a very blue costume and makeup, Dorothy is a young light-skinned blind woman who's black lab guide dog plays Toto, the Cowardly Lion holds up a white blind cane, and the Tin Man is a female actor using a wheelchair.

Block 15: A Tom Olin photograph of a disability rights demonstration: A crowd of people of many different skin tones, mostly all in wheelchairs, form a long line side-by-side facing the camera. One holds a protest sign that reads "Redirect 25%" while another person hold a large flag similar to the American flag but with stars making an outline of a person sitting in a manual wheelchair.

Block 16: The logo of the organization ADAPT, which assures the civil and human rights of people with disabilities to live in freedom. This image is a rendition of the universal disabled image of the person in the wheelchair but the figure's arms are raised in fists and the chain that attached the two wrists over the head is now broken. The image is printed on green fabric. Over the figure is the word "ADAPT" and under is the phrase "Free Our People."

Block 17: A 50 year old African-American woman, Deborah Dixon aka Dix, with a non-apparent disability smiles with pride, wearing her Bachelor's graduation garb.

Block 18: A medium-skinned blind woman shows her cell phone to the photographer, revealing the braille on its keys.

Block 19: A second quote, this one printed on brown fabric, from Paul K. Longmore states, “Discrimination is a bigger obstacle to overcome than any disability.”

Block 20: A dark-skinned man wearing a police uniform of blue long-sleeved shirt and black pants pushes his manual among parked cars. On the back of his black wheelchair is a large white sign with black letters that says "Police." His smiling face is turned to the right.

Block 21: A dark-skinned African-American man is protesting by lying next to his power wheelchair holding a sign stating “Nursing Homes Kill!”

Block 22: A group of disabled veterans bowling together. In this photo, the man in front is a light-skinned man in a red manual wheelchair who has just released the bowling ball. He wears a tan tshirt with the words "Home of the Free," a khaki baseball cap and blue jeans. Behind him is a dark-skinned man wearing glasses with a blue tshirt and blue jeans in a blue manual wheelchair.

Block 23: This pen-and-ink drawing shows a line of children moving together. Leading the group is an Asian-appearing young woman wearing a plaid jumper and sweater riding with white socks and shoes in a rear-wheel drive Everett & Jennings power wheelchair with a tray top where her arms are leaning as she drives forward intently. Holding onto her chair is a light-skinned child about the same age wearing a dark tshirt, dark pants and dark hair with roller skates. Holding on next is light skinned child with a v-neck shirt, light shorts, white skates and shoulder length blond hair. The fourth child is light-skinned and blond wearing a long-sleeve shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbow and blue jeans with dark skates. The fifth child, a medium-skinned girl, has dark hair, white skates, wears a light tshirt and dark skirt. The final child is light-skinned, medium-blond hair, wears a dark tshirt, blue jeans and dark skates.

Planning Accessible Events

Visitor — Wed, 15 May 2013 20:54:05 +0000

By: Emily Smith Beitiks

The Longmore Institute recently hosted a panel and reception honoring the work of Paul K. Longmore (in case you missed it, you can watch the captioned video here). Leading up to the event, my mind was rushing with all the things to keep track of: adequate space for wheelchair riders that doesn't block the path but also doesn't quarantine them to one section of the room; tracking down the comments from all the speakers to give to the captioners; directions and signage that clearly lead attendees to the event, preventing attendees from accidentally ending up in the Westfield mall, the Bermuda triangle of consumerism. Now that we've planned a few events that strive for maximum accessibility, we like to think we're getting the hang of it, but the concern is still always lurking: if we can't put on an accessible event, what right do we have to ask it of other events and organizations?

Much to our delight, nearly eighty people of all shapes and sizes quickly filled the room. In fact, it was so packed that we rushed to put out additional chairs [an accommodation for the leg users who did not bring their own], spilling into the open space we had reserved for the reception.

The panel was deeply emotional, filled with both laughter and sorrow as close friends and colleagues shared their memories of Paul Longmore. While the panelists were speaking, Longmore Institute friend and supporter Corbett O'Toole passed me a note. Since she has already saved us from many unanticipated pitfalls of inaccessibility, I immediately unfolded the note with a sense of foreboding. The note read: "I'm concerned about these chairs in the back. You don't want anything in the way of a crip and their food and wine." Grateful, we whisked away the chairs the moment the panel ended, and whew, our refreshments were accessible for all.

I offer these behind-the-scenes moments for they illustrate an important lesson that often gets neglected when we talk about access for people with disabilities: thinking about access only gets you half way there. To go the rest of the way, you must also think about culture. Many have argued that disabled people have a culture, just like other minority groups (the institute's founder Paul Longmore liked to say that this culture even involves a cuisine: fast food!). Corbett's friendly reminder - this crowd will not be shy about grabbing those hors d’oeurves you're offering, so plan accordingly! - provided yet another example to back this up.

As we continue to push our events to make each one more accessible than the last, may they also be supportive of and contributing to disability culture.

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Organization of American Historians

Paul K. Longmore

Paul Longmore

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