disability-history-timeline-2013

Stereotypes, cultural representations and attitudesscabbed.’ (Leviticus 21: 16-20). However,the Bible also contains what might bethe world’s earliest example of antidiscriminationlegislation: ‘Thou shalt notcurse the deaf nor put a stumbling blockbefore the blind, nor maketh the blind towander out of the path.’ (Leviticus 19:14).100 - 200 Common Era (CE)There is an emphasis in the New Testamenton cure and healing, as disabled peoplebecome the focus of Christ’s miracles.500 CEThe Jewish Talmud suggests thatimpairment is a holy state and a means ofgetting to heaven; those that help disabledpeople are similarly blessed. In the JewishTorah, people are forbidden from servingGod if they are disabled or tameh (polluted).1100s-1500sIn Aztec society, the royal zoo includesa display of disabled people who live onscraps of food tossed in their cages.1100sPeople with leprosy are quarantined in‘leprosariums’ throughout Europe, anearly example of the confinement andsegregation of disabled people.The Arabs in Baghdad establish asylums forpeople with mental distress, viewing mentalillness as divinely inspired.1300sThe Renaissance period of art andculture in Europe revives the Greek andRoman obsession with physical beautyand perfection.An English law allows discriminationbetween the ‘deserving’ and ‘undeserving’poor claiming alms. Specific reference ismade to disabled people.5