Disabled people - Airbrushed out?

[zetlander]

Why do disabled people not appear in people's family trees.

Are disabled people deliberately excluded from some people's family history?

I have never seen a thread on this site which has a reference to a disabled person.

Moderator Comment:Search for yourself, there are lots on RootsChat:  https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=disability+site%3Awww.rootschat.com

[iluleah]

Off the top of my head I know of two disabled people in my tree and I know one of them I have asked  a question about on rootschat.

However it is not so clear if someones ancestors are disabled or not unless it states 'blind' on the census or unless you come across an accident report or record, or they are placed in an asylum

[ThrelfallYorky]

I quite agree with iluleah, I've come upon a few blind, some disabled in mine accidents, and a "feeble minded" in my researches - and in they go, with a relevant comment.
I'm also sure I've seen several references / queries on rootschat about similar cases, too.

[Top-of-the-hill]

   As we usually can't tell whether ancestors were disabled, they do appear in our trees!

[Kiltpin]

Why do disabled people not appear in people's family trees.

Are disabled people deliberately excluded from some people's family history?

I have never seen a thread on this site which has a reference to a disabled person.

Maybe your family tree, but not mine. I have a suicide, a rapist, a child abductor, two labelled as imbeciles (or feeble minded), two deaf, one half blind, umpteen who died of cancer and the list goes on. I might not trumpet their condition from the roof tops, but I don't remove them from my tree either.

regards

Chas

[Treetotal]

As far as I am aware, the only census that includes disability is in 1911. In my OH's line there is a relative who was listed as blind and this in noted in his family tree. Unless there is oral history of disability in the family or any paperwork then how can we know? Absence of proof doesn't mean absence of disability.
I can't see why anyone would knowingly leave out such an important piece of information.
Carol

[CaroleW]

Why do disabled people not appear in people's family trees

Are you referring to trees you have a personal knowledge of and know that some of the people were disabled?

If not - are you just basing your question on the fact that you haven't seen anything on this site?  I myself have seen posts with references to census entries like those mentioned above by iluleah

Census records are hardly comprehensive when it comes to disabilities so unless the tree owner had personal knowledge of a disability it's unlikely it would be included.

[Viktoria]

How would it be recorded?
A birth certificate just gives date , place,father`s surname and (this was not given in early Birth certs)the mother`s maiden name.
Nowhere to declare if a baby was in any way born with an obvious physical handicap.
It would be recorded in hospital records no doubt if a baby say was born anencephalic,ie without all or part of the brain.
Marriage certificates also have no section to record such things but death certs ask for cause of death and if the deceased died from anything to do with a condition which would have symptoms which could lead to ill health or eventually death it would be recorded .
  I am not sure how otherwise such conditions would be recorded  for posterity.
Census returns may include such information ,perhaps for example when someone was unemployed due to a severe physical or mental condition as the reason for being unemployed it would probably be mentioned whereas   just not having a job would be just recorded simply as unemployed.
Census returns taken in institutions would record inmates and perhaps the reason for their being there(-I don`t like the word inmates,perhaps patients or residents).
I am sure some RootsChatter can give more specific information, it is an interesting query.
                                                           Viktoria.

[Viktoria]

Sorry folks, whilst I was typing my reply you were quicker off the mark.
Viktoria.