Thread by @smithsoniannpg

We are committed to making our content accessible to everyone and that includes sharing portraits of the many important figures in history who have created change for the inclusivity of disabled persons. #DisabilityAwarenessDay

📷: s.si.edu/32hIv5W

Laura Bridgman, who lost her sight and hearing at the age of two as a result of scarlet fever, would become the first blind and deaf American child to achieve an education. #DisabilityAwarenessDay

📷: s.si.edu/38VFSbn

Despite being unable to see or hear, Oliver Caswell learned to speak. At the Perkins Institution and Massachusetts School for the Blind, Caswell learned to write, read braille, and hone his talents as a wood-worker. #DisabilityAwarenessDay

📷: s.si.edu/2ZpATN6

Perhaps best known for his role as Superman, actor Christopher Reeve lived life according to his own definition of a hero—“an ordinary individual who finds strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” #DisabilityAwarenessDay

📷: s.si.edu/2CAnSHm

Eunice Kennedy Shriver was the creative force and organizer of Special Olympics, a charitable organization that provides training and competition in Olympic-style sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. #DisabilityAwarenessDay

📷: s.si.edu/2Wibx1v

During his tenure in the U.S. Senate (1969–96), Robert Dole supported a number of key pieces of disabilities rights legislation including the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. #DisabilityAwarenessDay

📷: s.si.edu/38Tu6OE