Recognizing and valuing disabled public historians’ labor: a roundtable

In this brief history and roundtable discussion, a group of scholars, disabled and nondisabled, will introduce hiring and inclusion practices—tangible steps—that history institutions, including GLAM institutions (galleries, libraries, archives, and museums) can take in order to recognize and value the labor of disabled public historians. This paper explores the value of disabled labor through the experiences of disabled public historians. Our contributions are vital for the field of disability, crip, and mad studies (as community stakeholders conducting research), but more broadly, as individuals who bring their own unique perspectives and skills to a field that is increasingly challenged to recognize the diversity of historical communities. This roundtable discussion is the culmination of more than a year of monthly meetings of the Lived Experience Working Group, in which scholars came together to posit a way forward for the field about prioritizing and recognizing the contributions of disabled public historians.