Over nearly eight decades, more than 10,000 people lived at Pennhurst. Their lives contain its history. Who are they? What were their lives like? What can their stories teach us today?
File/Life is a community led exploration of the Pennhurst Archives. Seven archivists (all people with disabilities and/or family members) share stories from the archives that made them listen, feel, imagine, and remember. In doing so, they ask the question: Can a file ever contain a life?
File/Life invites visitors to read and interact with archive material, listen to audio, and watch video. Content is ASL interpreted, audio described, captioned, and available in Braille and though QR codes. Some video content is accessed through headphones. Headphones are regularly sanitized and disposable headphone covers are available.
File/Life has been supported by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage.