Interview with John Kavanaugh : Disability at Stanford Oral History Project
Abstract/Contents
- Abstract
- John Kavanaugh (BA Political Science, 1967) speaks about his experiences growing up in the East Bay and attending Morning Glory Residential School for the Blind and the California School for the Blind before graduating from Oakland Technical High School. He discusses his time as undergraduate at Stanford in the 1960s, recalling the lack of services or accommodations for students with disabilities at that time--along with his belief that none were really warranted--and the important role the Recordings for the Blind organization played in his education. Kavanaugh recalls rowing crew at Stanford, participating in the glee club, studying abroad at Stanford in Florence, attending the Freedom March in Washington DC, meeting his wife Joan at Stanford, and more. He remembers the joy of being able to touch sculptures in museums in Europe, the pain of people asking him to wear dark glasses, and his path to graduate studies and a career in social work. John reflects on his family’s approach to dealing with his blindness, how the language and access surrounding disability has changed, his perfect imagined world as it relates to disability, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Description
| Type of resource | text |
|---|---|
| Extent | 1 text file |
| Place | Stanford (Calif.) |
| Publisher | Stanford Historical Society |
| Date created | June 1, 2021 - 2021-06-09 |
| Language | English |
| Digital origin | born digital |
Creators/Contributors
| Interviewee | Kavanaugh, John | |
|---|---|---|
| Creator | Kavanaugh, John | |
| Interviewer | Davis, Alison Carpenter | |
| Publisher | Stanford Historical Society |
Subjects
| Subject | People with disabilities |
|---|---|
| Subject | California School for the Blind |
| Subject | Social workers |
| Genre | Interview |
Bibliographic information
| Biographical Profile | John Kavanaugh, a Bay Area native, was educated at the Morning Glory Residential School for the Blind, the California School for the Blind, and graduated from Oakland Technical High School. He received a bachelor’s degree in political science with a minor in history from Stanford University in 1967 and a master’s in social work from Smith College’s School for Social Work in 1973. He continues to work as a social worker and psychotherapist. John has been married to his wife, Joan, for 56 years. They have one daughter, Lisa, and two granddaughters, Carter and Isabel. |
|---|---|
| Audio/Video |
|
| Finding Aid | |
| Location | https://purl.stanford.edu/vf600tm7359 |
| Location | SC0932 |
| Repository | Stanford University. Libraries. Department of Special Collections and University Archives |
Access conditions
- Use and reproduction
- The materials are open for research use and may be used freely for non-commercial purposes with an attribution. For commercial permission requests, please contact the Stanford University Archives (universityarchives@stanford.edu).
- Copyright
- Copyright © The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. All rights reserved.
Collection
Stanford Historical Society Oral History Program interviews, 1999-2022
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