Disability History Snapshots

The Covid Disability Archive

Submit to the Covid Disability Archive and become part of disability history.

Daisy Holder

Feb 22, 20222 min read

A Intro to Disability History

Many people have asked me over the last few months for a good place to start learning about disability history, but arguably, there isn't...

Daisy Holder

Oct 30, 20205 min read

The Covid Disability Archive

EVEN NEWER AND MORE IMPROVED: Go to www.coviddisabilityarchive.com for this same information but with a more logical domain! There is a...

The Law According to Disabled People (in the UK)

Daisy Holder

Sep 17, 20206 min read

The Law According to Disabled People (in the UK)

I've decided to write a few quick primers to disability history, as I haven't written anything here for a while since I've been working...

Lockdown History: Now That Everything Is Suddenly Accessible

Daisy Holder

Jun 20, 20206 min read

Lockdown History: Now That Everything Is Suddenly Accessible

While this pandemic has put a spanner in the works of a lot of academic historical projects, mine included, it has vastly increased the...

The Disability History Glossary, or The History of Disability Words.

Daisy Holder

May 27, 20209 min read

The Disability History Glossary, or The History of Disability Words.

EVEN MORE OF A CONTENT WARNING THAN ABOVE. This post is made up of historical terms for disability of which many are considered extremely...

Mesmerism: When Leeches in the Eyes Doesn't Work

Daisy Holder

Apr 27, 20206 min read

Mesmerism: When Leeches in the Eyes Doesn't Work

Ever wondered where the terms "mesmerising" and "animal magnetism" come from? No? Well you're about to find out anyway so shut up.

Before All Else, An Ugly Face: Ye Ugly Face Clubb of Liverpool

Daisy Holder

Mar 19, 20205 min read

Before All Else, An Ugly Face: Ye Ugly Face Clubb of Liverpool

Hey look, this isn't about the Coronavirus! Ugly Clubs were an invention of the long 18th Century (generally covering the time between...

"Polio Between the Ears" Cartoons of the Polio Chronicle

Daisy Holder

Feb 25, 20203 min read

"Polio Between the Ears" Cartoons of the Polio Chronicle

This post has been a long time coming (it's actually not even technically the one you're waiting for, it's an interim one) but what do...

Daisy Holder

Jan 3, 20202 min read

The 8 Days of DisHist-mas!

This was originally written for Twitter in the 8 days leading up to Christmas (it was originally going to be the traditional 12 days but...

Disability History Month: Why "You've Never Had It So Good" is Actually Bullshit

Daisy Holder

Dec 6, 20197 min read

Disability History Month: Why "You've Never Had It So Good" is Actually Bullshit

While the theme for this year's Disability History Month is Leadership, Resistance and Culture, for this post I'm going a slightly...

The Deaf Men Responsible for Space Travel: The Gallaudet 11.

Daisy Holder

Sep 1, 20196 min read

The Deaf Men Responsible for Space Travel: The Gallaudet 11.

If I was more prepared and organised, I would have researched and written this in time for the 50th anniversary of lthe Apollo moon...

The Disabled, Quaker Oats and a Bastard: The Story of the Measles Vaccine.

Daisy Holder

Aug 19, 20194 min read

The Disabled, Quaker Oats and a Bastard: The Story of the Measles Vaccine.

This post comes to you on the day that it has been announced that here in the UK, we have lost our "measles free" status. This is a very...

Baby John Bollinger and The Black Stork: One of the Worst Films I've Ever Seen

Daisy Holder

May 17, 20199 min read

Baby John Bollinger and The Black Stork: One of the Worst Films I've Ever Seen

Unfortunately there was no way I felt I could put off talking about eugenics any longer. As much as I would love to stick to the stories...

The Chatham Chest (not someone's nickname)

Daisy Holder

Mar 21, 20197 min read

The Chatham Chest (not someone's nickname)

This post is a little earlier than usual, it didn't require as much digging as usual! I might try and add something else in before the...

An Extremely Selective History of Pain Relief (Volume 1)

Daisy Holder

Feb 28, 201910 min read

An Extremely Selective History of Pain Relief (Volume 1)

Pain relief and the availability of them is very 'in’ right now, with all the talk of the opioid crisis and the very real problems that...

The Lute, the Hurdy Gurdy and the Magic Harmonica: The blind minstrels of Ukraine

Daisy Holder

Dec 20, 20185 min read

The Lute, the Hurdy Gurdy and the Magic Harmonica: The blind minstrels of Ukraine

This is my first post here on disability history. Of course I feel like I'm not at all experienced enough for this but I don't think...