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Wrote the first work on epilepsy -
Recommended there be a law to "prevent the rearing of deformed children." -
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In 787 AD, Datheus, the archbishop of Milan, founded the first asylum for abandoned infants. Conditions at the institution were custodial at best, and most children did not survive. -
In Hamburg, the first "idiots' cages" were housed in a tower in the town wall. -
Some persons with disabilities, particularly those considered unproductive dependents, were "shipped off" to other lands. Some communities paid sailors to take such individuals away so they would no longer pose a burden. -
Queen Elizabeth of England prompted Parliament to pass a series of laws to take care of the poor, which included most persons with disabilities.
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The history of disabilities prior to this time span were often referred as a time of confusion due to a lack of understanding of, and services for, persons with disabilities.
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The Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia, with the help of Benjamin Franklin, is the first hospital to create a
special section for the treatment of mental illness and mental retardation. In 1756, these patients would be
chained to the walls of the basement and put on display for a fee. -
Virginia established the first hospital solely for the treatment of "idiots, lunatics and other people of unsound
mind." -
Developed embossed print and claimed that blind persons could be taught to read. -
Philip Pinel (1745-1826), the leading French psychiatrist of his day, was the first to say that the "mentally deranged" were diseased rather than sinful or immoral. In 1793, he removed the chains and restraints from the inmates at the Bicetre asylum, and later from those at Salpetriere. Along with the English reformer William Turk, he originated the method of "moral management," using gentle treatment and patience rather than physical abuse and chains on hospital patients. -
In 1799, Jean-Marc Gaspard Itard heard reports of a boy abandoned in the woods of Aveyron, France, who had apparently been raised by wolves. "Victor, the Wild Boy of Aveyron," as he was called, was chosen by Itard as an experimental subject to prove the validity of the "blank slate" concept: that a person could become, or be made into, whatever one wants. Itard had the child brought to Paris and entrusted to the care of his housekeeper. -
Almshouses, Poorhouses, Asylums, State Institutions, Reform Schools
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Dorothea Dix advocated for the separation of the people with disabilities incarcerated in penitentiaries and
poorhouses. Her efforts led to the establishment of 32 state-run mental institutions across the United States. -
Dr. Samuel Gridley Howe, a strong social reformer, was concerned about the conditions of persons with mental illness, hearing loss or those who were blind, slaves, and groups of people who were politically oppressed. In 1848, Dr. Howe established The Massachusetts School for Idiotic and Feeble-Minded Youth, an experimental boarding school in South Boston for youth with intellectual deficiencies. -
P.T. Barnum’s American Museum on Broadway is destroyed by a mysterious fire. The Museum offered many
strange and unusual attractions such as General Tom Thumb, a 25-inch tall dwarf. Chang and Eng, Siamese
conjoined twins were also on exhibit at the museum. -
First Ugly Law was passed in San Francisco Order No. 783 prohibiting street begging and restricting certain
people from being out on public streets and public places. This law spread to other cities and was concerned
more with appearance like deformity, unsightliness and being a disgusting object. This was to discourage
people with disabilities from being out in urban areas. -
As teachers in public schools became aware of the increasing numbers of students with learning disabilities who were labeled "backward" or "feebleminded," they called for special classes and teachers to educate them. Rhode Island opened the first public special education class in the U.S. in 1896. By 1923, almost 34,000 students were in special education classes. -
Late 19th & start of the 20th century saw the rise & consequences of the Eugenics Movement, which advocated " … the science of the improvement of the human race by better breeding." "Feeblemindedness" was thought to be hereditary, and was eventually blamed for most of society's burdens. Proponents of eugenics advocated the sterilization of persons with disabilities. They believed that if people with disabilities reproduced, they would eventually ruin the human species. -
During the 1920s and 1930s, special education classes were offered primarily in large cities. Many families sent their children to institutions because they believed that only there they would receive training. Lack of community services and negative attitudes about persons with disabilities resulted in an increased demand for institutional placement.
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Buck v. Bell was a sterilization case concerning a woman labeled as "feebleminded," reached the United States Supreme Court in 1927. A family tree showed that the girl was the 3rd generation of people with low IQ. Chief Justice, Oliver Wendell Holmes, " declared that 3 generations of imbeciles are enough!" He approved the sterilization. Later studies proved that the woman was not feebleminded and her family tree had been concocted. -
As early as 1933, the Cuyahoga County (Ohio) Council for the Retarded Child was established. In 1936, the Children's Benevolent League was organized and later became the Washington Association for Retarded Children. By 1950, a total of 88 such groups with a membership of 19,300 persons had been established in 19 states.
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In the 1940s & 50s, there was a reawakening of hope & possibilities for persons with disabilities. Frustrated over poor living conditions & lack of community services, parents began to organize & demand services for their children. During the 1960s & 70s, the parents' movement worked on improving conditions in institutions; creating community services, educational & employment opportunities; initiating legislation; & challenging the thought that people with disabilities could not be helped.
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President Kennedy appointed a President's Panel on Mental Retardation -
Senator Robert F. Kennedy visited Willowbrook State School and labeled the deplorable conditions a "snake
pit." His visit led to several published articles on the problems at the school in the Staten Island Advance.
Seven years later Geraldo Rivera televised the conditions at the dilapidated school. -
The first International Special Olympics was held in Chicago. -
Last of the ‘Ugly Law” was repealed in Chicago, Illinois. This law allowed police to arrest and jail people with
“apparent” disabilities for no reason other than being disfigured or demonstrating some type of disability. -
The International Year of Disabled Persons began.