In celebration of the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, Hofstra University’s Student Access Services collaborated with the Hofstra University Museum of Art to create an exhibit showcasing disability history and art created by people with disabilities. The grand opening of the exhibit, titled EVERY body, EVERY mind: Honoring the 35th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, took place on January 30.
Preparation for this exhibit began in March of 2024 when curator Sasha Giordano found letters and legislation dating back to the 1960s. Documents from the 60s, 70s, and 80s were included in the exhibit as a visual timeline, representative of life for disabled people before the ADA passed in 1990.
As an attendee walking into this space, I was immediately struck by the spaciousness of the exhibit that was intentionally designed to provide access to wheelchair users. Greeters at both doors helped guests maneuver into the exhibit. Sign language interpreters enabled all guests to access the museum curator’s speech. The exhibit included a captioned video playing on a TV screen. Interpreter William Edgar described the exhibit as “an event about access that also provided access.” The goal of meeting everybody where they were was accomplished.
Giordano utilized Hofstra’s resources and some works of art on loan from The Viscardi Center to make this exhibit as representative as possible. A mural of Henry Viscardi was chosen because of his role as an influential disability rights activist and founder of The Viscardi Center, which supports both adults and children with disabilities. This mural features the tagline “Give us the tools,” which is the title of Dr. Viscardi’s most well-known book. The other murals in the exhibit feature additional disability rights activists Paul Hearne, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. These activists all participated in creating a more accessible life for disabled people. Of this mural, Giordano stated that it depicts “what the levers of government can do when it really serves the people.”
Artists Brian Farrell, Heidi Latsky, Laura Nugent-Carter, Finnegan Shannon, Jennifer White-Johnson, and Samantha Yergo are featured in this exhibit. The artists themselves are members of the disabled and neurodivergent communities. Much of the work on display reflects their diversity.
According to Tim Bloodgood, an art teacher at the Henry Viscardi School, representation of all kinds of disabilities and careers in the arts teaches people “to draw connections between people with disabilities and the arts.” In the making of the murals, Bloodgood made sure students from kindergarten through 12th grade participated. Of his students’ participation in the project, Bloodgood stated, “It was important to me that no matter their age or their disability that they had a hand in it.” Professional muralist Brian Farrell worked with Bloodgood to design the murals, and Bloodgood collaborated with his students to paint them.
Prosthetic artist Samantha Yergo shared that she aimed to “use [her] skills and make a difference for people.” Her work features adult and child prosthetics designed for a diverse range of people with different skin tones and stylistic preferences including painted nails and tattoos. Her work aligns with her commitment to providing all people with access to things that make them feel good. She shared, “I dye my hair, I put on makeup, I choose how to present myself to the world every day and I think everyone should have that option.” Yergo often serves patients for the duration of their lives. Her 11-year-old client, Milo Vignola, said, “working with [Yergo] has been a really great experience…[the prosthetic] always ends up being great for me.” Yergo has been working with Vignola since he was 4 years old. Two of the prosthetic feet Milo has grown out of are on display at the museum.
After undergoing her second leg amputation, yarn artist Laura Nugent-Carter started to knit winter hats for people in need. “So many people are afraid of homeless people,” she said. “We need to love each other. People need help.” Making the world accessible is multi-faceted, and Nugent-Carter is knitting one hat at a time to make the world a slightly kinder place.
EVERY body EVERY mind is an exhibit that accomplished exactly what it set out to do: make art accessible. Giordano and her team taught the audience that art meets you where you are at, regardless of where that place is.