From Idiocy to Mental Deficiency: Historical Perspectives on People with Learning Disabilities

From Idiocy to Mental Deficiencyis the first book devoted to the social history of people with learning disabilities in Britain. Over the last decade, approaches to learning disabilities have changed dramatically in most Western countries; it has become one of the most fascinating and controversial areas in social policy today. This collection brings together nine original essays, spanning the Medieval period to the establishment of the Nationa Health Service. While contributing to a neglected field of social and medical history, this book also illuminates and informs current debates. It will have a profound impact on how professionals working in the field of mental health, psychiatric nursing, social work and disabled rights understand the evolution of what constituted learning disability and how society's responses to it have changed over the course of history.