This collection highlights some of the key documents in the Bob Nelkin Collection of ACC-PARC Records that help us to understand the steps he and his fellow advocates took to end the "warehousing" of children and adults with disabilities in institutions. 

Formed in 1951, the ACC-PARC was a grassroots organization made up of parents of people with disabilities in the Pittsburgh area. The aspect of ACC-PARC’s daily activities most represented in these primary sources are the efforts of the advocates to investigate the treatment of individuals with disabilities at residential care facilities in Western Pennsylvania during the 1960s and 1970s.

This Learning Lab collection showcases some of the work of ACC-PARC as they advocated for change in institutions throughout Western Pennsylvania. Each section addresses a specific step or tactic used by these advocates. Instructional materials and activities are provided throughout the collection.

The primary sources in this Learning Lab collection are housed at the Heinz History Center's Detre Library and Archives in Pittsburgh, PA:

Bob Nelkin Collection of Allegheny County Chapter of the Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Children (ACC-PARC) Records, MSS 1002, Detre Library and Archives, Heinz History Center.

The creation of this lesson plan was underwritten by the United Way of Allegheny County.