Disability, Independence and the History of The Boston Home
Friday, October 30, 2026, 8:30 am - 4 pm
The Boston Home is proud to present a thoughtful day of discussion of disability history as seen through the history of The Boston Home, founded in 1881. This program is supported by a grant from Boston 250, a public-private partnership between the City of Boston and private sector partners. Please see schedule of sessions and registration information below. For more information, please contact Victoria Stevens, Director of Philanthropy & Communications at 617-326-4310 or vstevens@thebostonhome.org.
Program
8:30 am Coffee, Pastries & Registration
9:00 am Session 1 Setting the Founding of The Boston Home in Context: Exploring the 19th century approach to care and housing for people with disabilities.
Graham Warder, Professor Emeritus of History at Keene State College, and Katherine Benson, Emerging America
10:00 Session 2: Early History of The Boston Home
Earl Taylor, Dorchester Historical Society, Virginia Soybel, Chair of The Boston Home Board of Trustees, and Fran Murphy, CFO of The Boston Home
11:00 Session 3: Advocacy in Our Lifetimes: A panel of residents of The Boston Home will share their own experiences with advocacy both prior to and since the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Panel of residents and friends of The Boston Home
Morning Session Q & A
12:15 Lunch Break
1:00 Session 4: Accessible Housing Panel: Presentation on Harmon Apartments and 3i Housing
Marva Serotkin, Chair, Board of Directors of Harmon Apartments and Paul Linet, Founder & President at 3i Housing of Maine
2:00 Session 5: Accessible Outdoor Spaces
Afternoon Q & A
3:00-4:00 Tours of The Boston Home, Harmon Apartments & Gardens
