KEENE, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) Keene State College has received a significant boost to its efforts in disability history education, securing a $100,000 grant from the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) program. The project, led by History Department Chair Graham Warder, aims to enrich K-12 curricula in rural communities by integrating stories of disability history into classrooms.
The grant supports a year-long initiative with potential extensions for two additional years, according to a news release from the college. The program will use the Library of Congress’s extensive digital archives to create engaging educational materials that highlight the experiences of individuals with disabilities, including those in rural settings, and institutions like schools for the deaf and blind, centers for independent living, and county homes.
A major component of the project is a one-day conference on July 8, 2025, at Keene State, gathering educators, disability historians, and advocates from across the nation, the release said. Participants will share resources and strategies for incorporating disability history into teaching and recruit more educators into this growing movement. In subsequent years, the conference will be hosted at partner institutions, including the Harkin Institute in Iowa and the University of Texas at Arlington.
The project also involves developing research guides for middle- and high-school classrooms, enabling students to explore local disability history through primary sources. Featured resources include the Library’s Historic American Buildings Survey, Veterans History Project, and Chronicling America.
Keene State faculty members, including Lance Neeper, Nancy Peck, John Sturtz, and archivist Rodney Obien, will collaborate with local educators to craft these guides, which focus on topics like disabled veterans, the disability rights movement, and rural disability institutions.
This initiative builds on Warder’s extensive work in disability history, including his leadership on the “Reform to Equal Rights” curriculum and the PBS documentary “Becoming Helen Keller.” Rich Cairn, a collaborator from Emerging America, will also lend expertise to the project.
The effort aligns with state mandates requiring the teaching of disability history in states like California, Illinois, and Massachusetts. Virtual discussions with the Teaching Disability History Interest Group will complement the program, helping educators nationwide meet these standards while fostering inclusive narratives.
