History of Disability
By Jeremiah
The history of disabilities is a long and complicated one. Disability is a wide range, so it’s challenging to find the culture or a community; therefore, there’s a cultural barrier when writing about its history because no one truly understands it. Over time beliefs and attitudes towards it changes over time.
In ancient times, disabilities were depicted as divine punishment or a curse from a supernatural cause. People with disabilities were isolated and excluded from society, subjected to abuse and violence. Hostility, fear, and wonderment were among the varied responses to people with epilepsy across different times and places. People from ancient times believed that disabilities were contagious, so they were forcibly sterilized and prohibited from marriage or sexual relations. Historians of disabilities discovered different exoticisms, such as remedies. For example, the Arab Islamic world in the early modern period, which emphasized oral dissemination of knowledge, presented unique opportunities for some people who were blind or had low vision.
During the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church played a significant role in shaping attitudes toward disability. People with disabilities were often seen as virtuous and holy and referred to as miracles of God. At the same time, disabilities were subjected to discrimination and exclusion and confined to institutions or segregated communities.
The Enlightenment brought a more scientific and secular view of disability and marked the beginning of the modern era of disability history. The emerging fields of medicine and psychology helped to shape a new understanding of disability as a medical issue and led to the development of new treatments and therapies. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the eugenics movement emerged, which aimed to “improve” the human race through selective breeding, which led to widespread forced sterilizations of people with disabilities.
The modern disability rights movement began to take shape in the mid-20th century, as people with disabilities began to organize and advocate for their rights. This movement challenged traditional attitudes towards disability and helped to bring about significant legal and policy changes, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in the United States. Despite these advances, disability continues to be a source of discrimination and stigma in many societies. People with disabilities continue to face barriers to full inclusion. Disability is still difficult to understand, but I believe we will come to an understanding one day.
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