There are many people on the streets of Kansas City who go unnoticed and ignored – met routinely by shifted eyes, averted glances, and lowered heads. As rates of homelessness in the U.S. and the demand for emergency shelters rise, the national conversation about the issue rarely includes opinions from those who have lived it.
 
At the Kansas City Public Library, we asked our patrons experiencing homelessness to use disposable cameras to document their lives, photograph what they find interesting and beautiful, or simply express themselves. The participants then worked with acclaimed Kansas City photographer Mike Sinclair and Anne Ducey, the Library’s exhibits director, to curate the collection. The results are showcased in the exhibition Indisposable, which encourages viewers to look at the city through a different lens.
 
Emily Luedtke and Jason Pearl, who are working at the Library as AmeriCorps VISTAs (Volunteers in Service to America), collaborated with Sinclair, Instagram KC, and the Library’s reference and public affairs departments to bring the exhibition to fruition. Indisposable was made possible by generous donations from Johnna Perry and friends, Martha Gershun and Don Goldman through the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Kansas City, Brandon Smith, Katrina Abella, and anonymous contributors.

We'd like to also acknowledge and thank the following people and organizations for their time and expertise: Hope Faith Ministries, Morning Glory Ministries, Connections to Success, Jayson Molnar and Angela Cronk. 
 
Indisposable will be on display in Kirk Hall at the Central Library from June 2-9.