American Association of Peoples with Disabilities records , (bulk 2002-2010) 1993-2014

(bulk 2002-2010)

John Hay Library, University Archives and Manuscripts
Box A
Brown University
Providence, RI 02912
Telephone: Manuscripts: 401-863-3723; University Archives: 401-863-2148
Email: Manuscripts: hay@brown.edu; University Archives: archives@brown.edu

Published in 2022

Collection Overview

Title:	American Association of People with Disabilities records
Date range:	(bulk 2002-2010) 1993-2014, (2002-2010)
Creator:	Dickson, James C., 1946-
Extent:	7 Linear Feet
Abstract:	This collection, ranging from 1993 to 2014, consists of an array of materials, including correspondence, scattered administrative materials, legal documentation, audio-visual cassettes, computer files, ephemera, and a few artifacts, all of which were issued by or are associated with the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), the largest cross-disability membership organization in the United States. AAPD was founded in 1995 by five leaders from the diasability community, Justin Sylvia Walker, Paul Hearne, John D. Kemp, and I. King Jordan, all of whom were instrumental in advocating, drafting and passing the landmark civil rights law, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. The bulk of the materials gathered here represent AAPD's continuing advocacy for the equal rights of the disability community, and are mainly associated with James C. Dickson, a prominent leader in the disability community, who was Vice President for Governmental Affairs of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), and a Brown University graduate (class of 1968).
Language of materials:	English
Repository:	John Hay Library, University Archives and Manuscripts
Collection number:	MS.2014.020

Scope & content

The American Association of People with Disabilities records includes an array of materials, including correspondence, scattered administrative materials, legal documentation, and a small assortment of printed materials including a few in braille, dating from the late 20th century to the early 21st century. Of particular interest is its collection of audio-visual materials and computer files issued by or about the AAPD, or related to the disability community at large.

Series 1, Correspondence, consists primarily of photcopies of emails from an AAPD campaign to registered voters in the disability community, during the 2008 election season, designed as a petition to be sent to the presidential candidates requesting their participation in the Presidential Candidates Forum, an event sponsored by several national disabilities rights organizations and held on July 16th, 2008, in Columbus Ohio. There is also a small, but informative collection of some business letters of James Dickson, a principle AAPD administrator, as well as other scattered correspondence. (Please note: a small number of individual letters can be found interfiled within some of the other series files, according to topical relevence.)

Series 2, Administrative Materials is not comprehensive in scope but contains a few financial records, such as copies of invoices, tax forms, and travel records in the form of expense receipts and reimbursement records. It also includes materials about miscellaneous funding sources, such as charitable foundations, donors, membership drives, and revenue from other fundraising projects.

Series 3, Programs, Projects, Events incorporates materials documenting AAPD's various organizational endeavors. It includes documentation from two of its voting initiatives: the Disability Vote Project (DVP), and several Get-Out-the-Vote drives. Also included in this series are additional files from other AAPD promotional events, including materials from the National Disability Mentoring Day (NDMD) and the Spirit of ADA events.

Series 4, Litigation, Legislation, contains an assortment of legal materials primarily centered on the civil rights of the disability community. This series includes a substantive collection of documents about or in reference to key legislation pertinent to the disability community such as: the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA); the Help America Vote Act (HAVA); and the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA).

Series 5, Voting, is a significant collection of materials reflecting the political arm of the AAPD. It incorporates materials about various voting campaigns, including those sponsored by the AAPD as well as by other affiliate organizations. It also contains data compiled from the 2006 and 2008 elections, as well as analyzed data and commentary drawn from other surveys, including data collected from various polls and reports. This series also includes a variety of other files referencing other key topics of concern to the disability community, such as voter access, voter registration and verification, and the newly emerging electronic voting systems.

Series 6, Other Organizations (Non-AAPD), comprises a small collection of files of organizations other than AAPD, that, in some official capacity or another, address the concerns of the disability community. Here, in this series, one can find information about such organizations as the Aid Association for the Blind of the District of Columbia; the Disability Awareness Project; the Disability Vote Alliance; and the National Organization on Disability. Other related advocacy groups, such as the League of Women Voters, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, and the Brennan Center for Justice, round out this series.

Series 7, Printed Materials, is small in scope and includes a variety of formats. A few scattered brochures, flyers, leaflets and posters mostly from other advocacy organizations are included among the material in this series, as well as a small assortment of monographic and serial titles, including scattered issues from AAPD's quarterly journal, AAPD News, spanning the years 1999 to 2005.

Series 8, Subject Files, also small in scope groups together a variety of stray topical files collected by AADP administrators. It includes materials about or originating from various leaders in the disability community, including AAPD co-founder Justin Dart, James Dickson, Andrew Imparato, and Frederick Fay.

Series 9, Ephemera, is primarily comprised of newspaper clippings about the AAPD or of general interest to the wider disability community.

Series 10, Audio-Visual Materials, Computer Files, is a small, but significant collection of material in a variety of formats. Both the analog component of this series, primarily in the form of VHS and BetaCam SP cassettes, and the digital component of this series, mainly in the form of CD-ROMs and DVDs, document the administrative operations of the the AAPD, and each is especially strong in terms of AAPD-sponsored events, such as its Annual Gala Awards Dinner

Series 11, Artifacts is comprised of a small, eclectic group of items that includes a ADA novelty fan, an AAPD stencil, a scrapbook, and a set of hand-made thank-you cards.

Access Points

Subject Names

• Dickson, Jim (1946-)

Subject Organizations

• Community Organizing Archive (Brown University)
• American Association of People with Disabilities

Subject Topics

• People with disabilities -- Civil rights -- Law and legislation -- United States
• People with disabilities -- Political activity -- United States

Document Types

• Greeting cards
• Letters (Correspondence)
• Manuals (Instructional materials)
• Newspaper clippings
• Printed materials
• Realia
• Video recordings
• Audio tapes
• CD-ROMs
• Ephemera
• Essays

Arrangement

The collection is arranged into 11 series:

• Series 1. Correspondence
• Series 2. Administrative Materials
• Series 3. Programs, Projects, Events
• Series 4. Litigation, Legislation
• Series 5. Voting
• Series 6. Other Organizations
• Series 7. Printed Materials
• Series 8. Subject Files
• Series 9. Ephemera
• Series 10. Audo-Visual, Computer files
• Series 11. Artifacts

Biographical/Historical note

The American Association of People with Disabilities is one of the nation's largest disability rights organization. Launched on July 25, 1995, marking the eve of the fifth anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, from which it drew much inspiration, AAPD was established to promote equal rights, political empowerment, economic justice, and independent living of people with disabilities. Its primary goals remain aligned with the principles first established by the ADA: to ensure the disability community's right to full participation in all aspects of society.

Access & Use

Access to the collection:	There are no restrictions on access for analog materials, except that the collection can only be seen by prior appointment. Some materials may be stored off-site and cannot be produced on the same day on which they are requested. Advance notice is required to view any audiovisual media or born-digital records that may exist in this collection. Audiovisual media and born-digital records in this collection have not been reformatted yet. Researchers may request access to copies by contacting the John Hay Library with the collection name, collection number, and a description of the item(s) requested. Access to original physical audiovisual or born-digital media is restricted.
Use of the materials:	Researchers are advised that express written permission to reproduce, quote, or otherwise publish any portion or extract from this collection must be obtained from the Brown University Library. Although Brown University has physical ownership of the collection and the materials contained therein, it does not claim literary rights. It is up to the researcher to determine the owners of the literary rights and to obtain any necessary permissions from them.
Preferred citation:	American Association of People with Disabilities records, Ms. 2014.020, Brown University Library.
Contact information:	John Hay Library, University Archives and Manuscripts Box A Brown University Providence, RI 02912 Telephone: Manuscripts: 401-863-3723; University Archives: 401-863-2148 Email: Manuscripts: hay@brown.edu; University Archives: archives@brown.edu

Administrative Information

ABOUT THE COLLECTION
Acquisition:	Collection donated by the Association. Deed of gift signed by signed by James Dickson, Vice President of Organizing and Civiol Engagement on 30 March 2012.
ABOUT THE FINDING AID
Author:	Robert Rosa.
Encoding:	This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2022-12-06.
Descriptive rules:	Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Additional Information

Related material:	Related Archival Materials note See also: James C. Dickson papers, 1988-2002
Other information:	Brown University Library catalog record for this collection: American Association of People with Disabilities, 1993-2014

Inventory

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