mentally disabled timeline

By Lillianna Carter
  • 1000 BCE

    1000 B.C.

    1000 B.C.
    seizures were believed to be caused by invisible demons attacking a persons body
  • 400 BCE

    400 B.C

    400 B.C
    The Greeks treated mental illness as an actual disease, whereas Egypt, India, and the Romans treated them as if they were cursed by god.
  • 100 BCE

    Ancient times

    Ancient times
    In ancient times, people believed that the mentally disabled were a result of angering their gods. As "treatment" they would preform an exorcism on the person and if it didn't work, the person was banished
  • 476

    The middle ages (around 476 A.D-)

    The middle ages (around 476 A.D-)
    Mentally ill people were often accused of being witches or cursed
  • 1247

    1247

    1247
    the first ever recorded mental hospital in the Uk. Patients were often strapped to walls and beaten or starved when they misbehaved.
  • 1376

    1376

    1376
    Mentally and physically ill people were put in "idiot cages" in the middle of town. The public would often come bully and harass them in the cages.
  • 1480

    1480

    1480
    The public believed that the mentally disabled children were left by fairies and demons as punishment to parents who didn't worship god. The baby was also demon possessed
  • 1500

    1500

    1500
    Around this time, The public would use mentally disabled people as amusement park jesters. Very few were actually payed for doing this work.

  • 1600

    1600
    Hospitals were made far away from society and any disabled person was placed in one if they were caught. Patients were chained to walls, placed in dungeons, and other inhumane punishments.

  • 1700

    1700
    Europe advanced in it medicines and public attitude was starting to improve

  • 1800

    1800
    Phillippe Pinel instigates a revolution in caring for the disabled in a more humane way.

  • 1837

    1837
    A school for disabled children was created in Paris France

  • Mid 1800s

    Mid 1800s
    The Dorothea Dix campaign was started. This is the time where she alerted the public of what was taking place inside of these hospitals and jails.

  • 1886

    1886
    The "Idiots Act" was passed in England to ensure the care, education. and training of disabled people.

  • 1899

    1899
    A law was passed in Great Britain stating that school must be established for mentally and physically disabled children

  • 1913

    1913
    Intelligence tests were run on disabled kids to see if they must be educated or not.

  • 1920-

    1920-
    in Nazi Germany, epileptics and other mentally disabled people were sterilized and prohibited from being married.

  • 1935

    1935
    In Nazi Germany, abortions were required if one of the parents had any hereditary disease.

  • 1950-60

    1950-60
    Drugs were starting to improve and behavior therapy is used more often to treat mentally ill patients.

  • 1968

    1968
    The first special Olympics was held in Chicago.

  • 1973

    1973
    The rehabilitation act was passed which prohibited the discrimination of disabled people in any way.

  • 1990

    1990
    The Americans with disabilities act offers equality to disabled citizens.