History of disabilities. Disabilities in society, seventeenth to twentieth century

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History of Disabilities: Disabilities in Society, Seventeenth to Twentieth Century provides historical evidence demonstrating how society has interacted with and regarded individuals considered to ...

History of Disabilities: Disabilities in Society, Seventeenth to Twentieth Century provides historical evidence demonstrating how society has interacted with and regarded individuals considered to have disabilities. Disability is a definition imposed by society on people who may or may not agree to being characterized that way. It should also be noted that not all disabilities are visible. According to the World Health Organization, disability is part of being human. Almost everyone will temporarily or permanently experience disability at some point in their life. Disability results from the interaction between individuals with a health condition, such as cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, or depression, with personal and environmental factors including negative attitudes, inaccessible transportation and public buildings, and limited social support.

Disabilities in Society, Seventeenth to Twentieth Century presents monographs (books), manuscripts, and ephemera that provide a historical view of disabilities from the seventeenth to twentieth century. The archive provides many avenues to approach disability history. It demonstrates how persons with disabilities have worked for equal rights through activism and advocacy. Some materials include personal memoirs of experiences with disabilities or the accounts of those who treated them. Rehabilitation, treatments, methods of education, and other forms of remediation are documented. Reports and proceedings of organizations and institutions that sought to help or heal those with disabilities are available for review. Policies and programs concerning persons with disabilities are also available (i.e. labor laws, legal rights, rehabilitation programs, etc.). Researchers can examine disability as a form of institutional discrimination and social exclusion as well as an empowered movement. Documentation shows how people deemed to be disabled were classified and treated, while some materials show how people have overcome physical or mental challenges in their lives and challenged perceptions of what it means to be disabled.

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