Rethinking Disability

Malformed embryos in formalin, a school desk for wheelchair users at a former institution for intellectually disabled, and artfully staged portraits of people with Down syndrome dressed as kings, divas or superheroes: As diverse as the subject of disability can be, showing it in museums is generally considered a sensitive issue.

Welcome to the blog of the research project Rethinking Disability, based at Leiden University and funded by the European Research Council. In this project we investigate the global impact of the International Year of Disabled Persons (1981) in historical perspective.