Experiences of People with Disabilities (1867-1977)

Historical context

Throughout history, societies have recognized that people have different abilities. Some people were identified as being disabled, though the definition of disability has changed over time. In the last two centuries in the US, the treatment of people with disabilities has changed significantly. Responsibility for the care and treatment of people with disabilities shifted from primarily within the family to institutions and government auspices, often in asylums (see also this Library of Congress resource including primary sources about asylums.) People with disabilities shifted from being largely hidden from public view to being more visible in the community. Disabled people have also pushed for changes to be included and have the same access to the community as everyone else. 

Historical resources

• Bending the Arc of Disability History Toward Rights and Freedom video series by Allan Bergman
• Disability History: An Introduction
• Disability History by RespectAblity 

Culturally relevant pedagogy considerations

Seeing oneself in the curriculum is critical. Tenet 2 of Culturally Responsive Pedagogy emphasizes that students see aspects of their identities mirrored in the curriculum, reading texts, assessments, and classroom environment. Many students, their family members, or friends have disabilities, and yet disability studies and disability history is rarely taught in schools. In a review of all standards of the US states, District of Columbia, territories, and Department of Defense Education Activity conducted by Wendy Harris in 2020, only 21 included the word disability or disabilities, many of those in “Americans with Disabilities Act.” Disability history is also the history of the most diverse minority group and reflects all these intersectional identities. This source set is a contribution to including disability history in the classroom and includes sources reflecting the experience in asylums, others around classifying disabilities and policies restricting or supporting people with disabilities, and still others around resilience, resistance and joy.

Content warning

Several of these sources use words that may have been appropriate to use in the past but are now offensive to many people. It is important to clarify the meaning of words as used in the past and to let students know which words are offensive. It is also important for students to know these terms even if they are no longer acceptable, as they are useful keywords to use when researching historical topics around disabilities. For more discussion of terms used for disability over time, see this guide to disability terminology or this guideline for writing or talking about people with disabilities.

This set was compiled by Wendy Harris, high school teacher at Metro Deaf School in St. Paul, Minnesota.