被遗忘的凯伊里昂之声——20世纪40年代辛辛那提残疾人意识和包容的先驱
By: Arabeth Balasko, Curator of Photographs, Prints & Media, Cincinnati Museum Center
Kay Irion is a name that many today are not aware of; however, in the early 1940s, she was the 说话 辛辛那提. 凯在20世纪30年代末的一次车祸中受伤，成为截瘫患者 全职 在辛辛那提颇受欢迎的无线电台WSAI-WLW进行现场直播.1
Being a former Music Department Secretary prior to her accident, 在她早期的康复过程中，Kay拜访了她在WSAI-WLW工作室的老朋友和同事. While in the studio, Kay was invited to appear as a guest on The Paul Allison Morning Broadcast of Poetry and Philosophy. Apparently, she was such a hit on the show, that the Program Director, Mr. wai - wlw的Shadwell问Kay，她是否愿意做一个自己的广播节目。呆在家里辛辛那提的. Kay, 用她自己的话来说, stated:
“Mr. Shadwell知道在其他城市也有专门针对不睡觉的人的广播节目，他认为辛辛那提的这类节目可能会成功. He asked me if I could handle a 15 min. 这个节目是为不在家的人和残疾听众准备的——它可以在我自己的公寓里播放, 一周两次. 我知道广播对我的帮助有多大——也许我也可以用我的节目帮助别人.”2
因此, 蓝鸟俱乐部 成立. 1月2日, 1940, 从她的家庭工作室, 它是由WSAI-WLW的工程团队在她自己的客厅里设置的(她似乎是在家工作和播客的先驱)。, 凯·伊里昂创造了历史!
The show quickly gained a following from listeners all over Cincinnati. 蓝鸟俱乐部 成长为一个公认的节目，特色嘉宾有各种各样的才能和能力. It became affectionately known as a radio-show that “…cast a ray of sunshine into the hearts that need it most.这个节目吸引了大批听众和表演者，凯自己也开始在当地和全国获得名声和认可. 凯的粉丝群中甚至包括一位匿名送给她一朵玫瑰的忠实粉丝, 每星期一, 四年来3.
在整个过程中 蓝鸟俱乐部，持续了“four years and nine months,” guests ranged from local celebrities such as 莫菲特大叔, 尤金·古森斯, Minabelle雅培, 比尔•韦伯; to nationally and internationally known sensations of the time such as 汤米·多西, 格伦·米勒, 塞米凯, 红斯凯尔顿, 丹尼斯的一天, 博斯韦尔姐妹.4
凯还在节目中欢迎了一些不同种族背景的嘉宾，并邀请他们到她家里做客. During a time when segregation was still legal in the U.S. 反犹主义和日本拘留营也因种族偏见而愈演愈烈, Kay hosted well-known Jewish Comedian, 埃迪·坎特 who assisted with the founding of 硬币游行. Bill “Bojangles” Robinson 是一个受欢迎的嘉宾吗 蓝鸟俱乐部 而且是"one of the earliest Black performers to perform solo” on stage and screen who used his celebrity to, “overcome numerous racial barriers.流行的 Ka 'aihue家庭, from Hawaii were also performers on 蓝鸟俱乐部. 这个群体后来"credited with the founding of the Las Vegas “lounge” style,” which is still a popular mode of live performance today.5
Additionally, several guests with a variety of disabilities appeared on 蓝鸟俱乐部. From young listeners who had been stricken with polio, to men returning home from WWII with life-altering battle scars; to guests with eyesight impairments accompanied by their seeing eye dogs, guests who also used wheelchairs and crutches for mobility, like Connie Boswell of 博斯韦尔姐妹, who was a fellow paraplegic; all were welcomed on 蓝鸟俱乐部. Their appearances helped to create visibility and advocacy for disabilities, during the course of the show’s airing, 团队蓝鸟 was able to accomplish support for, “75 showers of greeting cards for 呆在家里, earphones for patients at Dunham Hospital, quilting frame for a blind woman, many crutches and canes, 18个轮椅, 4张病床, 4套支架, 3台收音机.”6
凯, 蓝鸟俱乐部 成为了一个有意义和有影响力的平台，提高了大辛辛那提地区对残疾人的认识和支持. Kay described what the program meant to her upon reflection of her life:
“…the time didn’t drag as I thought it surely would. 生活似乎回到了根本，我开始用不同的眼光看待人和事. 一切美好的事物变得更好，一切美丽的事物变得更美，生活慢了下来...但生活却焕发出新的光彩——一个新的维度……我并不是说一切都很好、很容易或一直都很快乐, 远非如此……但我似乎发现，生活在人们通常认为难以忍受的环境中, seemed now – not too hard to take after all.”7
凯伊里昂作为一名年轻的残疾女性，生活在一个残疾仍然被高度隐藏、缺乏理解和/或广泛支持的时代. Kay herself was never afraid to be seen in her wheelchair, 事实上, it was often proudly displayed, 不隐藏, 在她的画像中. It was truly an extension of who she was, 她拒绝被抹去，向社会上的其他人发出了强有力的声明:不管别人怎么看你, 你仍然有效, 你还是有用的, 而你依旧 你.
在她一生中, Kay attempted various rehabilitation programs, continued to advocate for disability awareness and city-wide changes. She even wrote to the President of the United States, Franklin Delano Roosevelt affirming the language choices regarding “全职” vs. “自闭.” She had written the following to him; “全职 (the term we prefer rather than the one “shut-in.)用她自己的话来说, 凯说她人生的终极目标是尽可能地独立, she advocated and supported others who had those same wishes and goals.8
Kay did eventually relearn how to walk after attending 贝瑞学派; however, 她说这段经历在精神上比身体上更残酷, she continued to spend the majority of her life in her wheelchair.
One statement Kay made, regarding her experiences, her fellow spinal cord injury survivors truly stuck out. 凯解释道, 用她自己的话来说, 为什么她认为残疾人社区在二战后开始获得更多的关注和倡导. 她评论说,
“这个康复的梦想得到了我在战后遇到的截瘫退伍军人的帮助和教唆……我从他们那里学到了更多关于独立的知识。. 这是大规模康复项目和物理医学的开始. When thousands of veterans injured in the war, with tremendous problems, the V.A. 感觉肩负着巨大的责任，所以他们开始着手解决这些问题. Thus physical medicine and physical therapy came into their own.”9
凯伊里昂是辛辛那提的先驱、包容的拥护者和变革者. Her theme throughout life was, “Things may happen, let them happen.“愿我们都能接受一点凯的精神，记住她的名字，庆祝她的故事. 为了纪念 American Archives Month, National Disability Employment Awareness Month, 辛辛那提博物馆中心很荣幸与大家分享凯伊里昂令人难以置信的生活, 她不顾困难，一生都在倡导残疾人意识.10
关于藏品: 凯伊里昂收藏永久安置在照片，印刷品和媒体部门. 该系列包含了庆祝蓝鸟俱乐部历史和凯伊里昂生活的图像和蜉蝣的混合物.
1 The December 29, 1940 Cincinnati Enquirer article reads, “蓝鸟俱乐部” broadcasts originate in Miss Irion’s home, 145 West McMillan Street. 据信，她是辛辛那提唯一一个在家里安装了录音室的广播表演者.” – “NBC is to 加入 in Observance of Bluebird Club Anniversary,” – Cincinnati Enquirer, 12月29日, 1940; SC#296 Kay Irion Collection, Provided Courtesy of the Cincinnati Museum Center.
2 “广播 & TV From a Wheelchair, n.d.SC#296凯伊里昂收藏，由辛辛那提博物馆中心提供.
3 “我想要传达的是事故发生后我的思想和哲学——在不幸的情况下，生活仍然可以不那么糟糕——甚至有时是快乐的，有时是有用的. 我在电影《十大赌博平台排行榜》中听到的那首歌不断地出现在我的脑海里. The lyrics that said: “Things may happen, 让他们发生吧……”这就成了我们的主题曲——这也是“蓝鸟俱乐部”得名的原因.- SC#296 Kay Irion Collection，由辛辛那提博物馆中心提供.
4 “蓝鸟俱乐部 Scrapbook, n.d.” – SC#296 Kay Irion Collection.
5 SC#296凯伊里昂收藏，由辛辛那提博物馆中心提供; http://www.维基百科.org/; http://marykayetrio.com/mary-kaye/
6 “蓝鸟俱乐部 Scrapbook, n.d.” – SC#296 Kay Irion Collection
7 “广播 & TV From a Wheelchair, n.d.” – SC#296 Kay Irion Collection
8 “Letter to FDR, March of Dimes Donation, February 12th, 1941” – SC#296 Kay Irion Collection
9 “广播 & TV From a Wheelchair, n.d.” – SC#296 Kay Irion Collection
10 同前.
