Disability Discrimination - history

[skb]

Wasn't there something in a WDYTYA about many blind people being trained as piano tuners because it was thought that would be something they could do to earn a living?

Rena: When I told my mother I was getting married (in the 1980s!), she asked me if I would be giving up work. I was most indignant "What would I do at home on my own all day?"

[Rena]

Our school back in the 1940-1950's had a blind piano tuner and once when I visited my grandmother on the other side of the town (2 bus rides away) I found him tuning her piano.  I couldn't believe how independant he was to be able to go about his business catching buses, etc., on his own.   and guess what - when I walked into my grandmother's & greeted her he recognised my voice !!!

lol skb I carried on working too when I married back in the 1960's but like most of my generation I gave up work for a few years to raise children until the youngest one went to school.   On the other hand my mother, her sisters & their friends all gave up work permanently.  I did ask why they didn't carry on working until they had their first child - apparently the new husband's pride didn't want anyone to think he couldn't support a wife. (I think I had my first feminist feeling - who on earth did these men think they were!!)    Now that I'm older and wiser, I think they had enough to do without wearing their fingers to the bone over a extra sheckels which were whittled away before you even took your money home, such as travel, food breaks, not to mention the weekly collections for somebody leaving, marrying, having a baby or a birthday, etc., etc.

[Sloe Gin]

  In the 20th century there were far less available men when the lady reached marriageable age due to deaths in WWI plus the millions of surviving soldiers who caught Spanish flu and died within 48 hours of catching it.

Off topic, but this is a myth.  The statistics don't bear it out.  A large number of war widows managed to remarry; with early death being more common than it is now due to disease, infection, childbirth etc, there were plenty of widowed men around too.  And of course the Spanish flu claimed lives regardless of gender.

[skb]

  In the 20th century there were far less available men when the lady reached marriageable age due to deaths in WWI plus the millions of surviving soldiers who caught Spanish flu and died within 48 hours of catching it.

Off topic, but this is a myth.  The statistics don't bear it out.  A large number of war widows managed to remarry; with early death being more common than it is now due to disease, infection, childbirth etc, there were plenty of widowed men around too.  And of course the Spanish flu claimed lives regardless of gender.

There is a very interesting book called Singled Out by Virginia Nicholson, about the many women who, after WW1, never married. It may be a myth that there was an overall gender imbalance (I don't know enough to say), but the book claims that middle and upper class women were hit hard by the shortage of men after the war. Public school educated men felt it their duty to join up. A high proportion of officers were killed in action. Many working class men were not fit or healthy enough for the army.

[Sloe Gin]

Yes, I'm aware of that book.  You can find some interesting discussions on the topic, and also the book, over on the Great War Forum.

[Plummiegirl]

Sadly in less enlightened times children with disabilities were considered sub-normal.  So many ended up in the Workhouse (if allowed to survive).  They would often then be sent from the workhouse when of an age, to an industrial school where they were taught a trade.

I have 2 in my family 1 was brought up by his family until about 12 then sent of to an Industrial School where he was taught to be a saddle maker.

My own g/grandfather walked wtih a very pronounced limp & was trained as a tailor, he eventually ended up working in Saville Row.

It will be very interesting when the full 1911 original pages can be viewed in 2011 when we can see the hidden column dealing with disabities etc.

[KarenM]

My uncle was born with a disability (mental retardation) in 1930 and he didn't go to school or work.  My grandmother kept him at home to protect him from others.  It's a shame that was the attitude back then as today there would be no reason why he couldn't go to school or have a job.

He's gonna be 80 next month and we are having a big birthday party for him.

Karen

[Plummiegirl]

I had an Uncle, who was in the 1930's considered educationally subnormal, he was just a little slower than others, thats all. 
He worked all his life, never married & in later years looked after his mum, til she got too much for him(alzheimers).  He was a gardener & was very good.
In his spare time he made miniature trees, they were marvellous, so good in fact that when he died, my dad gave them to a miniature railway club where they were used in the many track sets.

One of his earlier jobs was up north working for the 57 variety folk, and he would never eat ketchup, saying if you knew what went in it neither would you!!!