A Disability History of the United States

Content Warning: This section discusses ableism, racism, enslavement, and mental illness. The source text’s use of outdated and offensive terms is replicated only in quotations.

In the Introduction to A Disability History of the United States, author Kim E. Nielsen suggests that her work will place “the experiences of people with disabilities at the center of the American story” (xi). The book will not only tell the history of people with disabilities but will also tell the history of the concept of disability. Throughout history, argues Nielsen, disability has often been equated to deficiency and dependency, but those characterizations are in direct contrast to the American ideal of independence. They are stigmatizing and lead to a belief that citizens with disabilities are inferior citizens. Although the assumption has been that disability is a clearly defined category, Nielsen claims that it has been an elusive and changing one over time. Nielsen argues that “not only do people with disabilities have a history, but the concept of disability has a history as well” (xiv).

Because the concept and meaning of disability has changed over time, and because the definition is no longer limited to the categorization of bodies as disabled, disability can be contextual, unseen, and even temporary.