Deaf and disabled? (Un)Employment of deaf people in Belgium: a comparison of eighteenth-century and nineteenth-century cohorts

Abstract

In this article, the employment characteristics of pre-industrial and industrial cohorts of deaf men and women are compared with each other, as well as with a cohort of non-disabled siblings. The aim is to determine the extent to which the employment patterns of deaf persons lined up with those of non-disabled people and to see how nineteenth-century industrialization processes influenced their employment opportunities. This article challenges the widely held assumption that the nineteenth century constituted a definitive break by arguing that the professional lives of deaf people were not necessarily better before industrialization. Moreover, I demonstrate that the development of deaf schools in the course of the nineteenth century opened a new range of career opportunities for deaf individuals.

A Demographic Analysis of Hearing Impairments among People of Uyghur and Han Ethnicity in Xinjiang, China

“…This study found that participants largely experienced severe hearing impairment, and their overall economic situation was concerning, which was consistent with relevant research carried out both at home and abroad ( 38 ). The proportion of deaf people who could earn their own living was less than 50%, and more than half of the participants with hearing impairments were unable to afford to live independently (i.e., including with support from family members, social assistance, and social welfare), which contributed to the burden experienced by their families and society.…”

Introduction

“…Sofie De Veirman's recent work, using census and other records to explore the changing work experiences of deaf people in eighteenth-and nineteenth-century Belgium, David M. Turner and Daniel Blackie -9781526125774 Downloaded from manchesterhive.com at 08/01/2020 01:36:45PM via free access offers one fruitful way forward. 27 By focusing on disability within a particular sector of the economy, rather than tracing the experiences of a single impairment group, we present another. Such an approach enables a more nuanced analysis of workers' experiences of impairment within the context of changing working practices, employer attitudes and industrial politics.…”

Deaf and unwanted? Marriage characteristics of deaf people in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Belgium: a comparative and cross-regional approach

“…On the other hand, the higher urban representation may also be related to a higher likelihood of injury in an urban working environment. Although deaf-muteness can hardly be considered a work accident, a higher representation of people with different types of disabilities in the cities may have led [23] to a higher acceptance of deaf people as well, and accordingly better chances on the marriage market. We find little evidence of this urban advantage in the Swedish research group.…”

“…23 Individuals with uncertain resources can be assumed to be less attractive partners and therefore less successful on the marriage market. This was especially true for men, who were expected to assume the role of the main breadwinner within the family.…”