Bicentennial

Hugo Deffner and the Long Road to Accessibility in Washington

11/18/2022

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A black-and-white photo. Hugo Deffner, a white man in his 60s, sits in his wheelchair at a desk. He is holding a piece of paper in one hand and wearing a suit. He is looking at the camera.

Activist Hugo Deffner came to Washington in 1957 to accept an award for his work in promoting accessible architecture. However, he discovered a city entirely inaccessible to wheelchair users and other disabled people. Over the following decades, a combination of tireless activism and legislation transformed Washington into one of the most accessible cities in America.

Production Peril: Queen Elizabeth II’s 1976 State Visit

7/11/2016

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in DC by Lafayette Matthews

President Gerald Ford and Queen Elizabeth dance during the state dinner in honor of the Queen and Prince Philip.

The year was 1976: America's bicentennial. To celebrate, President Ford invited Queen Elizabeth II to a state dinner at the White House. A certain local public television station took on the ambitious task of live broadcasting the event, but didn't expect production challenges of royal proportion.