-
1000 BCE
1000 B.C.
seizures were believed to be caused by invisible demons attacking a persons body -
400 BCE
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
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-)
Mentally ill people were often accused of being witches or cursed -
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
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
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
Around this time, The public would use mentally disabled people as amusement park jesters. Very few were actually payed for doing this work. -
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
Europe advanced in it medicines and public attitude was starting to improve -
1800
Phillippe Pinel instigates a revolution in caring for the disabled in a more humane way. -
1837
A school for disabled children was created in Paris France -
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
The "Idiots Act" was passed in England to ensure the care, education. and training of disabled people. -
1899
A law was passed in Great Britain stating that school must be established for mentally and physically disabled children -
1913
Intelligence tests were run on disabled kids to see if they must be educated or not. -
1920-
in Nazi Germany, epileptics and other mentally disabled people were sterilized and prohibited from being married. -
1935
In Nazi Germany, abortions were required if one of the parents had any hereditary disease. -
1950-60
Drugs were starting to improve and behavior therapy is used more often to treat mentally ill patients. -
1968
The first special Olympics was held in Chicago. -
1973
The rehabilitation act was passed which prohibited the discrimination of disabled people in any way. -
1990
The Americans with disabilities act offers equality to disabled citizens.