Programs

Disabilities and the Inclusive Society

There is no gravity in space, so does an astronaut need to be able to walk? Does a teacher need to see? Which attributes are essential to a job; which are merely helpful? The progress in civil rights achieved by people with disabilities--visible in the curb cuts, ramps, and wheelchairs we see everywhere--continues to raise social questions. This lecture by Michael Franch addresses the complex issues confronting our changing society. Adult and high school audiences.

Michael S. Franch is interested in how pluralistic societies work. A historian by training (Ph.D., University of Maryland), he has taught history at a number of colleges and until his 2007 retirement, worked in health policy at the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. His is affiliate minister at the First Unitarian Church, Baltimore, and has served as leader of the Baltimore Ethical Society. Dr. Franch is a storyteller, English country dance caller, and urban bicyclist.