"So I Heard You Liked Definitions..." - Attempting to Define (Dis)ability (Again)

To be honest, I was tempted to simply research the etymology of the word “(dis)ability,” as I originally did with “normal.” During this process, detailed in a previous blog post, I was surprised to learn of the “normal”'s infancy in terms of language use, but this newfound realization does nothing to inspire me, as it does not relate to the issue I am concerned with. This aforementioned discovery only gives me knowledge, and I am looking for something more…

To truly achieve this goal, I decide to explore the history of (dis)ability in the United States using Kim Nielsen's A Disability History of the United States (2012). In her volume, Nielsen traces the history of (dis)ability starting with the indigenous communities that first resided in North America. She states that Native Americans paradoxically don't seem to have a history of (di)sability at all. They believe that the spirit chooses the body, every aspect of a person is intertwined and inseparable, and “every person and thing has a gift (a skill, ability, purpose)” (Nielsen, p. 2). I find their culture and belief system to be beautiful. I wish many others would think as they do, and their philosophy should have a place in every classroom. Nielsen then dissects the Colonial Period, when it seems the stigmatization in question first began to occur. Those with (dis)abilities were originally labeled as “poor,” “infirm,” and even “vicious” (Nielsen, p. 12). Nielsen then explains that until 1776 these individuals were either not allowed to board a ship traveling to the Colonies or were later exiled after their arrival.  Additionally, reports are included that narrate a truly heinous act, the throwing overboard of (dis)abled individuals who could not make the long journey across the Atlantic Ocean. After the birth of our nation, the (dis)abled were no longer banished but still seen as “deviant,” a belief I am sure still exists to this day (Nielsen, p. 49). The formation of institutions to house those who could not work due to a mental or physical (dis)ability of some sort were founded in the late 1800's, and there seems to be no change in public opinion until approximately 1927. I would like to share that this odd gap in history was filled with unspeakable cruelty towards the (dis)abled by those in power that is rarely discussed in public forums. These acts of malice include the “forced sterilization of more than sixty five thousand 'unfit' Americans by the 1960s” and increasingly restrictive immigration laws, particularly towards individuals who possessed “physical defects” (Nielsen, p. 100). 

I’m sure you’re wondering if and when things starting to get better for those with (dis)abilities. I, too, was disheartened while reading Nielsen’s text, but she eventually responds to my query and includes, “The activism of people with disabilities and the federal policy changes generated in response to the Great Depression created new opportunities for people with disabilities” (p. 131). I find it interesting that a great economic downfall was the impetus for change, but this is not hard to believe. To explain, I hypothesize that everyone during the Great Depression was made more or less equal by the infamous stock market crash. There was a small amount of uneven wealth distribution, and almost everyone in the country was struggling. A majority of the citizens of the United States found themselves on equal, financial footing, despite their previous lifestyles. To generalize, many were disabled financially. With this newfound equality, those with disabilities were finally able to speak up, as they were no longer seen to be below others.

After reading Kim Nielsen's A Disability History of the United States, I have certainly learned new things about my country's controversial past. However, I have also gained something far greater, but I feel as though the author says it best herself on the very first page of her work when she writes, “I've learned that disability pushes us to examine ourselves and the difficult questions about the American past” (p. xi). 

Now that I know where I am coming from, in the historical sense, I need to learn how to navigate through the intricacies of spoken language in order to move forward. I must learn the discourse of the postmodern term of (dis)ability (Hint: It’s the most recent use of the word featured with parenthesizes).

Work Cited

Nielson, K. E. (2012). A disability history of the united states. Boston, MA: Beacon Press.