A history of disability, from 1050 to the present day

Ross_Alumni · December 2020

UK Disability History Month

UK Disability History Month was set up in 2010 to create a platform from which a focus on the history of Disabled people’s struggles for equality and human rights could be highlighted and advanced through education.

This year, the event runs from November 18th to December 20th and the focus is on access and how far we have come in that regard, as well as how far we still have to go.

A history of disability

As part of the occasion, we thought we would share this fascinating history of disability resource, which details how disabled people have influenced the world around us, and how attitudes towards disability have changed within society through the ages.

It represents a good opportunity to learn, consider and talk about the subject amongst ourselves, because it's obviously clear that society has come a long way, but it's interesting to look back on how things were 100s of years ago, and think about how things will be 100s of years from now.

The resource covers the following periods:

disability in the medieval period, 1050 - 1485
disability from 1485 to 1660
disability from 1660 to 1832
disability in the 19th century
disability in the early 20th century, 1914 to 1945
disability since 1945

two people talking next to a green field one of them is a wheelchair user

So, how far have we come?

What are your thoughts on how attitudes towards disability have evolved through your lifetime? And what still needs to improve? Who would you say is the most influential disabled person of all time?

Tori_Scope · December 2020

Really interesting post Ross, and certainly a lot to look back on and think about!

phandi · December 2020

Ross, thanks for posting this.

Earlier this year, I wrote an article for Independent Living with my daughter, Lucy, in which she shared her experience of attempting to access events with me in a wheelchair.

http://bit.ly/2VygAKE

Both of us look for possible, long term positive outcomes from Covid, as venues had suddenly transformed online access to events (changes that only came about because they realised they were now excluding the able-bodied).

I'd welcome others' thoughts on their experiences, and hopes for the future.
If you have a moment, there are some really interesting comments under the article, which are worth reading

Ross_Alumni · December 2020

Thanks for sharing your article @PhilipAnderson, it's great that you do things like that to raise awareness.

newborn · December 2020

Ross Thanks for o.p.. It will be fascinating. PhilipAnderson yes, Covid19 has pushed organisations to do what they should have done long ago. It is as if they are still using quill pens, when they believe physical attendance must be the Only Way, because It is How Things Have Always Been Done.

phandi · December 2020

@newborn will they continue to provide affordable online content? They have got away without considering those with disability, online and fully at their venues. I'd love to think they will!

newborn · December 2020

Philip A I have hopes. Point is, say you are a theatre or an art gallery, or anything else, and by coming in person, people could pay entry charges, in The Way Things Have Always Been Done.
.Thanks to Covid 19, you finally notice that Queen Victoria has died, and there is such a thing as filming, and even virtual reality immersive experiences
Suppose you give a taster of what people can enjoy, free, online, then give them the option of a basic experience at, say, ten pence, or an enhanced experience at, say fifty pence. Suddenly, people all over the globe can get into your concert hall, zoo, or art gallery, or see your theatre performance.
Your costs are greatly reduced, because you only need to film it once, and you don't actually need to keep the theatre, etc,, because you will hire a film crew and a studio.
The performance, or experience, or works of art, are preserved for ever, so people can be paying the equivalent of royalties for decades to come, every time someone, somewhere in the world, goes in to watch. All those pennies will add up to far more than you could have earned by letting a limited number of people view in the physical premises you used to use.
Everyone wins. People who can't afford to travel, or are too disabled, can wander round the zoo, nip into an art gallery in one country, then see another painting by the same artist in a different country, and do it at three in the morning if that's what they want. After that, instead of just listening to favourite music, they can pop into a live performance. The music critics say after they have seen virtual reality concerts, they won't want to go back to mere live concerts.

[Deleted User] · December 2020

Things are getting a bit better, but there's still a large horde of Daily Fail reading Clowns who think all disabled adults of working age are worskhy slaves to the benefit system, OK I get there are SOME who fleece the system and don't wanna work, but by the same token there's guys like me who would willingly work 20 hours a week in a small shop or Office but as soon as I declare my disability I get rejected, even if I apply to the local Council under the 2 ticks thing.

newborn · December 2020

@ MrAllen1976 Hi Mr A. Did you look into your idea you could WFH on your own IT business, provided the landlord didn't have reasonable, repeat reasonable, grounds to object? Of course I don't know what would be involved, but it is not exactly the same as setting up an industrial machine in a domestic flat, so it would on the face of it seem the usual demarcation between work and business is unlikely to apply, especially post covid19, when so many office workers are WFH, and many will never return to the old ways

A history of disability, from 1050 to the present day

UK Disability History Month

A history of disability

So, how far have we come?

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