Remembering Laurie Block, Architect of Disability History 1951-2026

By Graham Warder

On September 8 of this year, we lost one of disability history’s founding forces. After a long struggle between cancer and Laurie Block, cancer finally won. Her death came just a month after that of her husband, novelist John Crowley. Though Laurie, my long time friend and a colleague is gone, her work continues. It is my sincere hope and expectation that her legacy will flourish in the coming years.  

Seeing the Whole Student: 

Understanding and Resources for Diverse Learning Needs in Your Classroom

By Tessa Dodson

Introducing a Valuable Resource: Hidden Voices: Americans with Disabilities in United States History

By Shuko Tamao and Michael Rembis

Hidden Voices: Americans with Disabilities in United States History (book link) is a remarkable achievement. Published by the New York City Department of Education, it is the product of more than two years of labor of over 35 people, including 15 authors.

A Comprehensive Approach to Full Inclusion

Effective implementation for all learners, especially the 7.5 million Special Education students in the United States, requires careful consideration of accessibility. In particular, educators must pay attention to critical accessibility principles:

Groundbreaking Support for an Underserved Group of Learners 

Link to On Demand Resources: Practical Strategies for Supporting Immigrant Students with Disabilities - from the Immigrant Learning Center

Classroom Friendly Video and Other Accessible Curriculum for Teaching the Disability Rights Movement

An array of powerful tools–some new–are now available to stimulate and support teaching about the Disability Rights Movement, focused on the 1970s through passage of the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act. 

Supporting Teachers to Teach Disability History with Confidence: Lessons from New Jersey 

By Nicole Hansen, Christa S. Bialka and Teresa G. Wojcik

Brad Lomax: The Disabled Black Panther Who Fought for Section 504

By Saphire Murphy

Brad Lomax is a disabled man who is the leading reason we have Section 504 of the Americans with Disabilities Act, but most likely, you don’t know who he is. You don’t have to be embarrassed or ashamed because not many people know of Lomax and his contributions to Disability Rights.

The Struggle for Disability Rights: From Objects of Reform to Advocates for Equality

Published in the National History Day 2026 Theme Book

Overview article on disability history for teachers and secondary students.

Download the summary article on disability history. 

“Completely Healthy Children” - The Persistence of Disabled Children and Their Allies During Aktion T4 and the Holocaust

By Wyatt Edwards

In Mikaël Ross’s graphic novel The Thud, the main character Noel, who has a developmental disability and has just arrived at a care facility in Germany, learns from an older woman named Irma about how her brother once told her the story of how the buses came to take disabled children. He was later taken himself and the Nazis killed him at one of Adolf Hitler’s so-called medical centers.