Disability
Disability is a broad and complex term with varying definitions. It is typically defined in terms of two elements: "(i) a physical or mental characteristic labeled or perceived as an impairment or dysfunction, and (ii) a significant personal or social limitation associated with that characteristic."
For many disability activists and scholars, the language of "labeled or perceived as" is important to this definition, as it definies disability by the social discrimination and barriers to access that disabled individuals face.
All interviews were collected in 2016-2020 for the Queer Omaha Archives in UNO Libraries' Archives and Special Collections. The first interviews were collected by Dr. Jay Irwin in 2016 and his students in the Intro to LGBTQ Studies Sociology course in fall 2016. Since 2017, Luke Wegener has collected interviews for LGBTQ+ Voices: The Queer Omaha Archives Oral History Project.
Oral history is one of many sources available to consult as part of your research. It reflects the experience of an individual and shares personal opinions offered by the interviewee in response to questioning. Additional sources can verify and provide additional information to the narrative of events presented in oral histories. Contact UNO Libraries’ Archives & Special Collections to continue your research, find additional sources, or learn more.