I really wouldn’t be downplaying how the Nazis treated disabled people. They were literally experimented on, tortured while still alive in some of the most horrific ways until they died. Disabled children were taken from their parents (sometimes willing, sometimes not) and abused until they died. Some of the parents would realize that the situation was not what they thought it was and try to get their child back but couldn’t. There are letters from teenagers writing to their parents - “I am going to die here” (in the institution) because the parents weren’t able to get them out. Those kids did die. And we don’t even have the full scope of numbers because documentation was destroyed and deaths were simply labelled as pneumonia when there were clearly other things at play.
I don’t think comparison is helpful here. Disabled people have ALWAYS been treated like shit by a large amount of society and people in power. Some of it has changed over time, going back way further than the 1930/40s, some of it has improved but not as much as people would like to think sadly.
There’s still a lot of deep seated ableism that permeates through society which is why any progress in the way disabled people are spoken to, about and how we’re treated in general, is so incredibly painstakingly slow and often feels like one half step forward, whoaaa that’s a bit too much, shuffle back 3 steps!
Yeah disability history should actually be taught. I’m disabled and I work in the industry too. It’s sad how little the average person knows about the history of disability…yet they sure know a lot about over-diagnoses and all kinds of other headline crap 🤔🙄
I’m not in the US but absolutely, we had de-institutionalisation in the 90s here (Australia). There are plenty of adults who lived during that time and still flinch at certain actions (a harmless high 5 for example) because they’re conditioned to being hit. There are still plenty of adults who are institutionalised in their mindset and will never overcome that sadly (incredibly strict routines they can’t deviate from even though the routines themselves are damaging, no body autonomy or discretion, no ability to voice their opinion, needs and so on). It’s really sad to watch because their routine that can involve going to a day service program every day is obviously causing them distress but any suggestion of change to that schedule is also incredibly distressing. For a lot of people, that part of institutionalisation is irreversible and it affects their entire quality of life.
Scarily there are still staff in the industry that worked in those places too. I remember really not liking a coworker - I didn’t work with her directly but on the few occasions I’d seen her interact with clients I just thought she was disrespectful and old school. Then I had a client who used to say some things about her that I actually reported to management. Eventually someone mentioned in passing that this worker had worked at one of the biggest institutions in my state - the one that they teach us about in the disability certificate because of how abusive and horrific it was.
It is current history and the history of disability treatment and institutionalisation, abuse, neglect, murder, abandonment - all of this history has a trickle down affect - disabled people who haven’t necessarily faced all of those things often still know the history and carry the anxiety and fear around it - especially in the midst of these big public discussions that are happening in various countries. It’s essentially inter-generational trauma being handed down.
It also affects how non disabled people view disabled people - even without knowing it. Disabled people are often told they should “be grateful” for what we have now - even when we’re making a point about having our rights violated. The idea that disabled people are “lesser” is deeply ingrained in society. It’s not even conscious so it’s not always malicious but it’s just deep seated due to history.
( It IS malicious and wilfully ignorant if it’s pointed out to you and you double down on your ableist rhetoric. Recognizing and challenging our own prejudices is a skill worth having!)