By Tim Lambert
Dedicated to Jonathan David Collins
In the Middle Ages and the 16th century, if they could not work, disabled people relied on relatives and neighbours. There were also almshouses, but only a small number of disabled people lived in them. Often, they became beggars. In 1530, a law in England allowed disabled people to be given licences to beg.
By an act of 1601, overseers of the poor were appointed by each parish. They had the power to force people to pay a local tax to help the poor. Those who could not work, such as the old and the disabled, would be provided for. In the 18th century, workhouses became common in Britain. Disabled people were often forced to enter them. Unfortunately, after 1834, conditions in workhouses were made much harsher.
Yes, in some ways, things improved for the disabled in the 19th century. Louis Braille, the man who invented a system of writing for the blind, was born in 1809. A Frenchman, Charles Barbier, devised a system of communication using raised bumps that soldiers could use at night. In 1824, Braille modified his system, creating a form of writing specifically designed for blind people. Braille also invented a system for writing music. Unfortunately, it took a long time for Braille to become universally accepted. There were also variations of Braille. However, a universal code for Braille for the English-speaking world was made in 1932.
The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) was founded in Britain in 1868.
Since Ancient Times, some blind people used dogs to help guide them. However, systematic training of guide dogs was begun in Germany in 1916 by Dr Gerhard Stalling. He opened a school for training guide dogs. His idea gradually spread. The first guide dog was trained in the USA in 1928, and in 1931, the first guide dogs were trained in Britain.
The first braille ATM in Britain was installed in Gateshead in 1992.
Meanwhile, in 1988, Dave Hurst and Alan Matthews became the first blind men to climb Mont Blanc in the Alps. In 2001, Erik Weihenmayer became the first blind person to climb Mount Everest.
In the 16th century, monks used gestures to communicate when they could not speak due to their vows of silence. A monk named Pedro Ponce de León adapted the gestures and created the first sign language to teach the deaf. In Britain, Thomas Braidwood opened the first school for the deaf in 1760. In the USA, the first school for the deaf opened on 15 April 1817.
In Britain, in 1841, the Refuge for the Deaf and Dumb was founded to provide welfare and job training for deaf people who had left school. In 1873, St Saviours Deaf Church opened in London. It was the first purpose-built church for deaf people. The British Deaf Association was founded in 1890.
In the USA, the National Association of the Deaf was founded in 1880. In 1901, Miller Reese patented an electrical hearing aid. In the USA the National Theatre of the Deaf was founded in 1967.
Meanwhile, in 1824, Beethoven conducted the first performance of his 9th Symphony, despite being deaf.
In Britain, The RNID (Royal National Institute for Deaf People) was founded in 1911. The first Deaflympics (Olympics for deaf people) were held in 1924. The first talking books were made in Britain and the USA in 1935. In Britain, Hearing Dogs for Deaf People was founded in 1982.
In 1987, Marlee Matlin became the first deaf actress to win an Oscar for Best Actress in Children of a Lesser God.
The British Deaf History Society was founded in 1993. In 2003, the British Government recognised British Sign Language as an official language.
King Phillip II of Spain had a wheelchair made for him in 1995. His servants pushed it. In 1655, a German, Stephen Farfler, invented a wheelchair that he could propel himself in. Wheelchairs were gradually improved. The first successful electric wheelchair was invented by George Klein in 1953.
The Romans made prosthetic hands and legs, and they were made for many centuries afterwards. In the 16th century, Ambroise Pare made hinged prosthetic hands and prosthetic legs with locking knee joints. Prosthetic limbs were improved during the American Civil War (1861-1865) as so many soldiers became amputees. In the late 20th century, prosthetics were made of light and easy-to-clean materials.
George Eyser was an amputee. He had an artificial leg. But he won 6 medals at the Olympic Games in St Louis in 1906. He won the medals for gymnastics. He won 4 gold medals, one silver, and one bronze. In 1960, the first Paralympic Games were held in Rome.
Unfortunately, the 20th century was not just a story of progress. Many disabled people were murdered in Nazi Germany. It was called Aktion T4.
In the late 20th century, disabled people began a long campaign for their rights. Ed Roberts was born in 1939. He was the first wheelchair user to attend the University of California. He became a campaigner for disabled rights.
In the USA in 1973, a section of the Rehabilitation Act outlawed discrimination against disabled people in federal employment and by federal contractors. In 1975, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act gave all disabled children the right to free and appropriate education. In 1978 the federal government agreed to fund independent living centers.
In 1984 the Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act ensured all polling places were accessible for the disabled. In 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act outlawed discrimination on the basis of disability.
In Britain, the Disabled Persons Employment Act of 1944 said that employers with 20 or more staff must ensure that 3% of them are registered disabled. The Disability Discrimination Act was passed in 1995. It made it illegal to discriminate against disabled people in employment, the provision of goods and services and buying or renting property. The Equality Act of 2010 made it compulsory to treat the disabled equally
Meanwhile, in 1975 the UN adopted the Declaration on the Rights of Disabled Persons. The first International Day of Disabled Persons was held on 3 December 1992.
