Cultural Histories of Disability

Abstract

The study of cultural histories of disability examines the past to gain insights into the present. This entry uses the specific example of learning disability to illustrate the contribution cultural histories can make to disability studies. True to the origins of disability studies in the disability rights movement, much of this research is undertaken by activist researchers, including researchers with learning disabilities, often in collaboration with university academics. Also true to the political origins of disability studies, this kind of research has a goal of precipitating positive change for people living with learning disabilities now and in the future. This entry begins by positioning the cultural histories of disability within the broader academic sphere. The specific characteristics of cultural histories of learning disabilities are discussed, and an overview of the origins and development of the field is provided. Methods for researching cultural histories of learning dis- abilities are then outlined. Key issues and themes in the field are summarized. The necessary relationship between conceptualizations of the human and conceptualizations of learning disability is highlighted. The entry concludes by offering some observations on the modest but important progress made so far in promoting positive change and signals a direction for future work.