Disability in the Middle Ages

Disability is poorly documented in the Middle Ages, though disabled people constituted a large part of Medieval society as part of the peasantry, clergy, and nobility. Very little was written or recorded about a general disabled community at the time, but their existence has been preserved through religious texts and some medical journals.

The disabled community were a definite part of Medieval society. Disability was not considered an extraordinary quality among the medieval people and therefore were not heavily documented. Disability as a category of impairment was not seen in Medieval language, but rather terms such as "blynde", "dumbe", and "lame" were seen to attribute those with physical impairments. The idea of disability being undesirable or unholy stemmed from the later Eugenics movement that began in the early 20th Century. Many scholars, such as Henri-Jacques Stiker, author of A History of Disability, would argue that people living with disabilities "were no less undistinguished at the dawn of the Middle Ages from the economically weak."

Due to the intensive labor that constituted agriculture during this time period, many peasants and serfs have been found with extensive spinal and limb injuries, as well as stunted growth, malnutrition and general deformity.

Disabled people were found among all parts of society. Monarchs across Europe were noted as having those with short stature, hunchbacks, or others with disabilities in their courts where they filled roles such as that of the King's Fool or court jester. This rank gave the disabled person a level of prestige. They were allowed to mock or tell the truth to the ruler, even if it displeased them to hear it.

Christianity, the dominant religion in western Europe, held mixed views on disability. Within the Bible, disability was aligned with sin and punishment, but also with healing and martyrdom.

Some Medieval priests and scholars believed that a body would be corrupted by sin and therefore divine punishment took the form of physical illnesses. However, opposing schools of thought revolved around the concept that those with disabilities showed a higher form of piety than those who did not have physical impairments.

In the Old Testament, God gave people disabilities as a form of divine punishment, with the root of it being a payment for the sins they have committed. [specific examples needed]

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