Perceptions of Disability Throughout the History of Art: Integrating the Humanities into Rehabilitation (856459)

Rehabilitation training is primarily focused on the medical assessment/treatment of disabilities (i.e., conditions, diagnoses, procedures), with a need for increased understanding of the personal experience of disability and related societal misperceptions. The presentation will demonstrate how the humanities can better inform rehabilitation professionals, patients, and society about the personal experience of disability, and how persons with disabilities can be realistically and positively perceived. Artistic representations of individuals with physical, sensory, and psychological disabilities from ancient to modern times will be presented, with a review of concurrent laws/policies, emphasizing personal and societal biases towards individuals with disabilities throughout history. Past artistic representations (e.g., Bosch, Brueghel, Davinci, Degas, Kahlo) will demonstrate how disabilities have been misunderstood in terms of demonic possession, character flaws, divine punishment, etc., leading to mistreatment, as well as how the disabled are now portrayed more realistically and as “normal” in modern arts/literature. Interventions and training guidelines are offered.