https://padlet.com/mtevans5/kzbm1kytnom5 Presented by Michelle Evans and Brad Robertson for SPE 506 en-us 2017-11-20 00:07:58 UTC 2026-02-12 01:37:29 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/icons/Folder.png mtevans5 https://padlet.com/mtevans5/kzbm1kytnom5/wish/208548491 Who came up with this definition?]]> 2017-11-20 00:13:58 UTC https://padlet.com/mtevans5/kzbm1kytnom5/wish/208548491 mtevans5 https://padlet.com/mtevans5/kzbm1kytnom5/wish/208549788 The indigenous people of America had plenty of people living among them that would, these days, be termed as "disabled". Before Europeans started coming to America, Native Americans had no concept of the idea all bodies should look the same. If a person was born blind or with deformed limbs, they just assumed that was the way that they were intended to be formed. They were still seen as a valued member of the community and encouraged to develop their talents. Some people with mental or cognitive disabilities were even held in high regard as spiritual leaders. Their tribe members assumed they had a greater connection to the divine. The only way Native American's thought there was something "wrong" or different about someone is if a person's Spirit, Body, and Mind were no longer in harmony with each other. Mother's whose children were born differently abled were assumed to have been "out of alignment" during their pregnancy. 

As a matter of fact, it has been noted that the Native Americans found it hard to look at Europeans for a while. They couldn't understand why they had so much hair on their faces and admitted it had take some time for them to get used to seeing such a "grotesque form". ]]> 2017-11-20 00:25:01 UTC https://padlet.com/mtevans5/kzbm1kytnom5/wish/208549788 mtevans5 https://padlet.com/mtevans5/kzbm1kytnom5/wish/208552253 Native American's interaction with Europeans is much longer that the traditional "American History Narrative" we are all taught in elementary school. Europeans from different countries saw their relationship with Native Americans from different perspectives. French and Spanish Europeans saw America as a kind of trading post. Therefore the culture and location of its inhabitants did not matter much to them. However, the British came to America to start a new nation free from religious persecution. They intended on staying here after their voyage and wanted their new neighbors to conform to their ideology and "sense of order". The colonists made it clear that they had no intention of leaving which lead to conflict among them and the Native Americans. There were also a lot of cultural misunderstandings, as explained in this video about the way Thanksgiving actually happened. ]]> 2017-11-20 00:49:24 UTC https://padlet.com/mtevans5/kzbm1kytnom5/wish/208552253 mtevans5 https://padlet.com/mtevans5/kzbm1kytnom5/wish/208556341 Differences in life experiences and perceptions is eventually what lead to the invention of the idea of being "disabled". In European societies, being "able-bodied" came into importance when people started to sail on these long expeditions to "The New World". Even healthy men did not always survive them so captains were only willing to take strong, healthy men along with them. Women had to stay behind to care for children and people who had any impairments were not seen as "able" to come along for the voyage. This is where the distinction of people who were able to contribute and people who were thought of as an "inconvenience" was conceived amongst the Europeans. This way of thinking traveled across the oceans with them. When they interacted with the indigenous people, they were amazed that no one thought differently of people who looked different from other people. The indigenous people were amazed that they looked at what was wrong with someone first instead of helping them discover their strengths and talents.]]> 2017-11-20 01:23:47 UTC https://padlet.com/mtevans5/kzbm1kytnom5/wish/208556341 mtevans5 https://padlet.com/mtevans5/kzbm1kytnom5/wish/208557585 In addition to their new viewpoint of the world, Europeans brought virulent diseases with them. When the men would debark from their ships, they were in terrible health. Anyone who got near them who had never been exposed to European germs probably got sick immediately. European diseases spread like wildfires through Native American communities, at times killing every member of a tribe. This unfortunately changed the dynamic between the colonist and settlers and the Native Americans. So many Native Americans were wiped out, they were suddenly dependant on these new comers to their land. Not only did they have to change the way they lived out their everyday life, they would have to look at people in their communities that had impairments in a new light as well.]]> 2017-11-20 01:32:30 UTC https://padlet.com/mtevans5/kzbm1kytnom5/wish/208557585 mtevans5 https://padlet.com/mtevans5/kzbm1kytnom5/wish/208559249 People with disabilities amongst colonists were generally allowed to continue to be members of society. They would make any adaptations necessary and would work along their able-bodies neighbors. At first, people with mental or cognitive disabilities were accepted along with everyone else as well. But as the populations of colonies grew, so did the issue of controlling people deemed to be insane or idiots. In order to give families and communities some relief, Almshouses were created. These were the first government funded institutions were family members deposited loved ones they could no longer care for.]]> 2017-11-20 01:43:13 UTC https://padlet.com/mtevans5/kzbm1kytnom5/wish/208559249 mtevans5 https://padlet.com/mtevans5/kzbm1kytnom5/wish/208560334 Prior to the Revolutionary War, people with impairments usually were born with them, or were the remnants of some disease they had survived. After the Revolutionary War, people with disabilities also consisted of injured War Veterans. Their injuries were not looked down upon and men who were able to go back to work did so. However, men who were no longer able to work due to their injuries were given money from the government know as an invalid pension. Unfortunately not all veterans were treated equally. Black men who had been freed from slavery to fight in the war often found it difficult to qualify for their pensions.]]> 2017-11-20 01:51:14 UTC https://padlet.com/mtevans5/kzbm1kytnom5/wish/208560334 mtevans5 https://padlet.com/mtevans5/kzbm1kytnom5/wish/208561393 Veterans of the Civil War were not as well received as their brothers who fought in the Revolutionary War. The North was becoming more industrialized which meant laborers had to be able to perform the duties that the jobs called for. In many instances, these jobs did not lend themselves to the disabled. The Invalid Corps was formed but instead of being honored, people looked down on its members. Society was now beginning to be suspicious of people with disabilities and in some instances saw them as a burden upon society. The pension system became more stringent and was used to determine what counted as a "valid" disability and what did not.]]> 2017-11-20 01:58:53 UTC https://padlet.com/mtevans5/kzbm1kytnom5/wish/208561393 mtevans5 https://padlet.com/mtevans5/kzbm1kytnom5/wish/208562116 With the development of science and scientific theories, society became obsessed with personal appearance and mental capabilities. It was decided that factors such as criminality, feeble-mindedness, sexual perversion, immorality, leadership, responsibility, and proper gender expression were all "genetic traits" that could be inherited and passed down. A popular pastime was to go to "Freak Shows" and stare in amazement of individuals who had be born deformed as a result of some "past sin of their parents". As a result, America began to tighten down on their immigration policies and started instituting the sterilization of citizens deemed "unfit". ]]> 2017-11-20 02:04:41 UTC https://padlet.com/mtevans5/kzbm1kytnom5/wish/208562116 mtevans5 https://padlet.com/mtevans5/kzbm1kytnom5/wish/208563519 Much of the changes that have come about with America's views and treatment of people with disabilities came about by the Polio Epidemic. For a large portion of the beginning of the 20th century in America children were plagued by the virus. For many years people did not know how their children were contracting the virus or what they could do to stop it. Many children survived but were left with numerous disabilities. The parents of these children and the people affected by polio demanded that they be treated like everyone else and given the same opportunities as able bodied people. ]]> 2017-11-20 02:17:19 UTC https://padlet.com/mtevans5/kzbm1kytnom5/wish/208563519 mtevans5 https://padlet.com/mtevans5/kzbm1kytnom5/wish/208564770 The most popular demonstration for equality of people with a disability came about in the 1960s during the Disability Rights Movement. Inspired by all of the other movements of women, blacks, latinos, and the LGBTQ, people with disabilities wanted their voice to be heard too. During this time, through various protests and sit-ins, some legislation was passed. The Architectural Barriers Act was passed in 1968, and the Rehabilitation Act was passed in 1973. Up until this point, schools had the ability to turn away students due to their disabilities.]]> 2017-11-20 02:26:45 UTC https://padlet.com/mtevans5/kzbm1kytnom5/wish/208564770 mtevans5 https://padlet.com/mtevans5/kzbm1kytnom5/wish/208566093 In 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed, making it illegal to turn down an applicant due to their disability. Although many milestones have been crossed for people with disabilities, their fight will never be over. With every new administration comes the risk of these hard fought freedom being taken away or no longer enforced. People within disability culture and community must remain vigilant to ensure they are given the same rights and liberties as everyone else in American Society.]]> 2017-11-20 02:37:36 UTC https://padlet.com/mtevans5/kzbm1kytnom5/wish/208566093