HIST 3116: History of Disability

Winter 2027

Instructor: Christine Chisholm

 

Dr. Maurice Mongeau with young Bernadette Bainbridge at the Rehabilitation Institute in Montreal. The image was part of an article discussing the ‘flying squad’ approach to helping mother’s cope with the news of having given birth to a child with disabilities.Source:Toronto Daily Star, March 26, 1966. Photographed by Len Sidaway.
 

Course Description:
What does it mean to be “normal”? How have ideas about disability evolved over time? This course explores the rich and complex history of disability, tracing how societies have understood, represented, and treated disabled individuals across different cultural and historical contexts. While drawing on global perspectives, we will focus heavily on Canadian histories, examining key moments of discrimination, exclusion, and resistance.
Through case studies, students will engage with both medical and cultural interpretations of disability, analyzing how these frameworks have shaped policies, public attitudes, and the lived experiences of disabled individuals. We will also explore the material aspects of disability, from assistive technologies to accessibility policies, and consider how historical narratives have influenced contemporary debates.
This course encourages students to think critically about the intersections of disability with race, gender, and class, drawing on multi-disciplinary approaches and Critical Disability Studies. By the end of the course, students will not only gain a deeper understanding of disability history but will also be equipped to ask new and thought-provoking questions about what it means to be human.
Format and Assessment: In-person. Weekly three-hour classes will include lectures, discussions, and other course activities.
Your mark in the course will be based on your attendance and participation (including the submission of thoughtful discussion questions), a midterm, a research essay, and a final examination. The course provides students with multiple opportunities to develop and demonstrate their historical thinking through varied forms of expression, including written, oral, and participatory activities.
Aims and Goals:
Understand and explain historical events, people, institutions, movements, and ideas in the history of disability
Evaluate historical arguments and historical scholarship
Recognize and apply historical methods and historical theories to make historical arguments
Express in writing the results of historical thinking and research
Text: All articles and book chapters assigned will be available via ARES and online. No purchases are required.



Questions? Please email me at: ChristineChisholm@cunet.carleton.ca