Accessibility and Cold War Intelligence, 50 Years On

Discover a new perspective on the Cold War as we mark National Disability Employment Awareness Month.

This is a hybrid event you can register for Online or In-Person.

David A. Taylor, author of Cork Wars: Intrigue and Industry in World War II and other books, has searched through declassified documents and other records to share the stories of those with disabilities working in the intelligence field during the Cold War. Today, Taylor will be discussing two men who made significant contributions to the American intelligence community in this era of uncertainty. Lyman Kirkpatrick served in the OSS during World War II and joined the CIA after it was created in 1947. In 1952, Kirkpatrick contracted polio and was paralyzed from the waist down. Kirkpatrick would eventually become the Inspector General of the CIA. One year after Kirkpatrick contracted polio, so did William Taylor, David Taylor’s father. Though Taylor lost full use of his legs and his left arm, he continued his work as an engineer for the Army, as CIA liaison, and at NASA where he would go on to work on the Apollo program and analyze the Soviets’ progress in the Space Race. In 1975, he joined one of the earliest exchanges of scientific and technical expertise between the Soviet Union and the United States.

These examples point to other stories not yet compiled. The CIA says on its website, “we want to emphasize the essential roles of officers with disabilities … We want to ensure that people seeking to contribute to our mission are able to, and that they have access to services in order to do so.”

Following Taylor’s presentation, you’ll be able to ask your questions in-person or online.

You may also like the following events from International Spy Museum:

• This Tuesday, 7th October, 06:30 pm, Spies, Lies, and Cybercrime with Eric O'Neill in Washington
• Next Wednesday, 15th October, 10:30 pm, Members Only Event: Unveiling Josephine Baker in Washington D.C.
• Next Sunday, 19th October, 05:00 pm, Access to SPY: An Evening for Neurodivergent Adults in Washington

Also check out other Sports events in Washington, Arts events in Washington, Literary Art events in Washington.