A new collection of videotaped oral histories is putting the spotlight on leaders of the disability self-advocacy movement.

The compilation of personal stories from 13 individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities influential in shaping the self-advocacy movement is part of a larger collection of materials on disability rights at the University of California, Berkeley library.

While self-advocacy has become increasingly relevant in the last several decades, organizers of the oral history collection say there is little documentation of it. They interviewed self-advocates from across the country for inclusion in the project and transcripts and excerpts of the video interviews are now available online.

“The collection is perhaps the most in-depth exploration of the transformative impact and cultural meaning of the self-advocacy movement,” said Tamar Heller, president of the Association of University Centers on Disabilities. “Spanning over six decades, the life stories of self-advocates document how far we have come as a society while reminding us how much further we still must go.”

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