Exhibition: History of Disability

 

History of Disability

For my public history exhibition, I have decided to write about the history of disability since that has been something I have been interested in. Although we learn many historical facts on wars, rights, racism, etc., we do not learn much about disability rights and their history. Even thought his topic is a sensitive topic, like other topics as well, I believe it is important to still talk about what occurred to people with disabilities and how they were treated.

Americans with Disabilities Acts (ADA) was signed back on July 26, 1990, by President George H.W. Bush. There were many struggles with inequality and segregation, not just in America, but in many other countries as well. This exhibition will show the history from Greek Empire, Roman Times, Middle Ages, Renaissance Ages, and from 1700-20th Century. 

In Greek times, there were no special sympathy for any people with disability in Greek society because they were obsessed with the idea of human perfection. They believed beauty and intelligence were a big part, so people with disabilities were miserable and treated differently. They believed that when a child is born disabled, they believed it was not worth it to bring up a child since they cannot live an independent life. 

Romans came up with a law code called 'Law of the Twelve Tables' which stated to "kill the deformed child quickly". This was also for Greek children where there was a law known as 'Preventing the Rearing of Deformed Children' which was recommended by Aristotle.

If any were found to be born with disabilities, they were also abandoned in the jungle and mostly did not survive. However, if some were found alive, they were placed as second grade citizens, though they would not be permitted to enter the temple or talk to anyone since only physically perfect people were able to serve the gods.

For those needing jobs, there were few options where a person with disability had the option to become a blacksmith, jeweler, painter, potter, poet musician, a seer, or would appear as entertainers at drinking parties. 

Back then, there was no word for "disabled" so Romans used the word "monstrum" which also was used for mythical monsters. In ancient Rome, it was a similar attitude to the Greeks where they were considered inferior, mark of the god's wrath and were to follow the 'Law of the Twelve Tables'. Though, it was up to the father to decide whether the child lives or dies. 

Life was very difficult for them due to their "indifferences" neglect, and fear they had to face. They were often called "fools" and were court jesters employed to entertain nobility, which is like what the Greeks did. They often would put them in "Idiot Cages". These cages were placed in the town center to serve as entertainment for townspeople. Some were even shipped off in the "Ship of Fools" to entertain other people in other lands. 

During the Fall of Roman, Christianity rose and people were showing sympathy, compassion, and pity towards people with disabilities. Even during the Middle Ages and Renaissance time, it was dominated by the idea of God, so people with disabilities were known as "Children of a Caring God". There were times when they were brought to the Roman Catholic Church, and they were taken care of. They eventually began a family care and foster care for people with disabilities thinking "if they take care of these people and treat them like family, they would be rewarded in the hereafter". 

During the Renaissance Age, people became more interested in arts and sciences, which led to advancements in healthcare and understanding more of disabilities. Queen Elizabeth of England passed a law to take care of the "poor and disadvantaged", which gave the government the responsibility to care to the poor, mostly people with disabilities. Even King Jams 1 was the first one who made Europe's first psychiatric hospital. 

Around the early 1700s, it was often the town's responsibility in caring for people with disabilities. They provided poor farms and almshouses for those who are in need of shelter. They were often overcrowded, dirty, and no supervision. Living in these conditions, however, were not up to them, but up the families' decision in placing them there. Families who sent them there were often very poor and financially unstable, so they were not able to privately support them. Since it was often overcrowded, the government eventually made groups where where individuals would be divided into where they seem "fit". People with disabilities were commonly sent to "lunatic" and "insane" asylums. 

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Beginning of late 1700s, European hospitals came up with "moral treatment'. Doctors in France and England discouraged physical restraints and wanted to focus on the emotional well-beings. they believed this method of treatment would be helpful and effective. This method also inspired Dr. Thomas Story Kirkbride, who directed the Institute of the Pennsylvania Hospital in Pennsylvania in 1840. He had several locations that did moral treatments and made sure the surrounding of these buildings were best for the patients mental and physical health. He made sure to have activities and views that can support patients health such as workshops, farm, and fields where they can also garden and work no the land. There were several religious organizations that supported moral treatment, however, due to financial costs and other reasonings, they had to stop practicing in the 1900s. They decided to change the program by focusing on new research, new medical treatments, electroshock therapy, and hydrotherapy.

In Massachusetts, there is a psychiatric facility named Judge Rotenberg Center, where they did electroshock therapy on people with disabilities to "fix" or "cure" them. Eventually there was a law that passed, so new clients that come in are not allowed to get electroshock therapy, however, clients that were there before the law was passed, are still able to receive electroshock therapy. 

By the early 1990s, doctors were influenced by the ideas of eugenics where it is a misguided belief that controlling genetics could improve human race. Some doctors practiced sterilization to remove their ability to have children or lobotomies by cutting connections between parts of the brain. 

Around 1960s to 1990s, many of these hospitals and psychiatric institutions shut down so instead they can provide services for the individual's needs rather than trying to "cure" them. There were many people who were gathering and using their voices to speak out for what they want. On March 13, 1990s, there was a group of people with disabilities who left their wheelchairs and other mobility aids, and crawled up the steps of the U.S capital in Washington to pass the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), also known as "Capitol Crawl". During this crawl, an eight year old activist, Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins, who has been protesting for 2 years, led the people up the stairs. 

These changes shifted largely due to the disability rights movement int he early 20th century. Individuals spoke out and protested for their rights, self-advocacy, and independence. Although history of disability has come a long way in other countries and in America, there are still work to do in order to protect, and fight for their rights and for the future generation. 

Resources

#stoptheshock: The judge Rotenberg Center, torture, and how we can stop it. Autistic Self Advocacy Network. (n.d.). Retrieved December 13, 2022, from https://autisticadvocacy.org/actioncenter/issues/school/climate/jrc/

Bernett, R. (2020, October 15). How was a disabled Greek person treated in society? Wondrium Daily. Retrieved December 13, 2022, from https://www.wondriumdaily.com/how-was-a-disabled-greek-person-treated-in-society/

A brief timeline of the history of disabilities: The shameful treatment of people with disabilities. Southern Adirondack Independent Living Center | SAIL Helps! (2020, August 19). Retrieved December 13, 2022, from https://sailhelps.org/a-brief-timeline-of-the-history-of-disabilities-the-shameful-treatment-of-people-with-disabilities/

How ancient roman ruins can teach the world about accessible travel. euronews. (2021, March 12). Retrieved December 13, 2022, from https://www.euronews.com/travel/2021/03/12/how-ancient-roman-ruins-can-teach-the-modern-world-about-accessible-travel

Little, B. (2020, July 24). When the 'Capitol Crawl' dramatized the need for Americans with disabilities act. History.com. Retrieved December 13, 2022, from https://www.history.com/news/americans-with-disabilities-act-1990-capitol-crawl

The Minnesota Governor's Council on Devlopmental Disabilities. (n.d.). Parallels in timea history of developmental disabilities. Parallels In Time | A History of Developmental Disabilities | Part One. Retrieved December 13, 2022, from https://mn.gov/mnddc/parallels/two/1.html#:~:text=THE%20MIDDLE%20AGES,-After%20the%20fall&text=Life%20was%20hard%20for%20almost,jesters%20employed%20to%20entertain%20nobility.

U.S. Department of the Interior. (n.d.). Disability history: Early and shifting attitudes of treatment (U.S. National Park Service). National Parks Service. Retrieved December 13, 2022, from https://www.nps.gov/articles/disabilityhistoryearlytreatment.htm

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