History Workshop
The University of Delaware Department of History
“IN ORDER TO ACQUIRE A PROPER HABIT OF WALKING”: DISABILITY AND MATERIAL CULTURE ON THE STREET IN EARLY AMERICA
Nicole Belolan
University of Delaware
Wooden legs are, perhaps, the class of objects we most commonly associate with pre-industrial disability. But where and how did eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century Americans acquire artificial legs? What can the circumstances of their production and use tell us about how Americans interpreted disability? Using one New England amputee’s story as a case study, University of Delaware Department of History PhD candidate Nicole Belolan will explore what it was like to be disabled with a mobility impairment before the era of orthopedic accessory manufacturers, curb cuts, and accessible restrooms.
Tuesday, Nov. 17th, 12:30-1:45pm
203 John Munroe Hall, Newark, DE 19716
First and second year History graduate students are required to attend so plan to make the History Workshop a regular part of your Tuesday activities.