Disability politics in the United States has deep historical roots, tracing back to the American Revolution. This period introduced ideas that offered some disabled white Americans greater inclusion, while also establishing racialized perceptions of disability that have persisted. In her book "Before Disability," Sari Altschuler, a professor at Northeastern University, examines how disability has influenced U.S. citizenship and vice versa, particularly leading up to the Civil War and the subsequent recognition of formerly enslaved Black individuals as citizens under the 14th Amendment.
Altschuler discusses the complex history of disability advocacy, highlighting figures like John Jacob Flournoy, who sought to create a white-only Deaf state, and the exclusion of Indigenous and Black disabled individuals from early disability rights movements. She notes that the 1840 federal census inaccurately portrayed Black Americans as having higher rates of disability, which was used to argue against their rights to freedom and citizenship.
The interview also addresses the long-term consequences of systemic racism on the health and disability rates of Indigenous and Black communities today. Altschuler emphasizes that historical understandings of disability were not fixed and that the relationship between race and disability has evolved, shaped by various social and legal frameworks.
Additionally, she discusses the unique status of disabled veterans in U.S. history, who received specific support that was not extended to other disabled groups. The conversation concludes with reflections on the lessons that can be drawn from the 18th and 19th centuries regarding the integration of disability into the concept of citizenship, advocating for a more inclusive understanding of disability rights today.