Records of the Project on Women and Disability, 1975-2000 (inclusive), 1987-1997 (bulk)

The Project on Women and Disability, founded in 1987 by Marsha Saxton, began as a project of the Boston Women's Health Book Collective, intended to bridge a gap between the women's community and the disability rights movement in Boston, Massachusetts. As stated in their 1995 membership directory, the Project's mission was "to eliminate sexism and disability bias, and to empower women with disabilities as equal and active partners in addressing the issues facing disabled women."

The Project offered leadership training and resources for women interested in disability issues, including applying the Americans Disabilities Act to the workplace, the impact of genetic technologies, how employers could integrate disabled workers into their organizations, how to treat disabled customers or clients respectfully, and how to create workable liaisons with organizations for people with disabilities. The Project on Women and Disability also created programs and events that addressed the needs of women with disabilities, such as its "Fierce with Reality: a conference for Women with Disabilities, Deaf Women, and Women with Chronic Illness" held on October 9, 1995. The conference featured a keynote speaker, panel discussions, and workshops; all of the presenters and most of the participants were women with disabilities.

The Project also focused on achieving reproductive rights for women with disabilities through its "Project C.A.R.E." (Community Access, Resources, and Education for Disabled Women and their Babies), which sought to improve the quality of health care for disabled mothers and pregnant women in the greater Boston area. As part of "Project C.A.R.E.," the group released a "Self-Advocacy Guide," which was intended to help women with disabilities navigate pregnancy and giving birth.

The Project on Women and Disability was managed by the Boston Women's Health Book Collective until 1989, when the project joined forces with the Massachusetts Health Research Institute, Inc. In 1992, the Project became an independent non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization. The Project on Women and Disability received most of its funding from grants and donations from organizations such as Polaroid, the Boston Foundation, the Boston Women's Fund, the Haymarket People's Fund, and the Globe Foundation.

The Project on Women and Disability was overseen by a board of directors. Board members served on various committees, including the benefits committee, the conference committee, the education and training committee, the fundraising committee, the housing committee, the medical advocacy committee, the reproductive rights campaign committee, and on the Project's journal, WILDA: A Journal for Women in Leadership / Disability Activists.

The Project had one full-time staff member, one part-time staff member, work-study students, and volunteers, most of whom were women with disabilities. Marsha Saxton served as executive director from 1987 until 1994. A few months later, Saxton became the special projects coordinator for medical advocacy and reproductive technologies. Cindy Blank-Edelman served as community coordinator between 1992 and 1994; she became interim director in 1994 after Saxton stepped down. In 1995, the Board of Directors named Blank-Edelman executive director. Between 1987 and 1997, the Massachusetts Office on Disability provided work space for the Project. In 1997, the Project on Women and Disability's office moved to Newton, Massachusetts.

Due to a lack of consistent funding, in 1994 the Project on Women and Disability joined the non-profit federation, Community Works, which provided financial support for charitable and educational organizations through payroll deduction fundraising campaigns in the Boston, Massachusetts, area. In 1996, the Project proposed to re-join the Boston Women's Health Book Collective. The Project on Women and Disability ended in the late 1990s.

For more information see: 1995 Membership Directory (#10.12).