Items related to Constructing Disability after the Great War: Blind...

Constructing Disability after the Great War: Blind Veterans in the Progressive Era (Disability Histories) - Softcover

Sullivan, Evan P.

 
9780252088247: Constructing Disability after the Great War: Blind Veterans in the Progressive Era (Disability Histories)
Softcover
ISBN 10: 0252088247 ISBN 13: 9780252088247
Publisher: University of Illinois Press, 2024

Synopsis

As Americans--both civilians and veterans--worked to determine the meanings of identity for blind veterans of World War I, they bound cultural constructs of blindness to all the emotions and contingencies of mobilizing and fighting the war, and healing from its traumas. Sighted Americans’ wartime rehabilitation culture centered blind soldiers and veterans in a mix of inspirational stories. Veterans worked to become productive members of society even as ableism confined their unique life experiences to a collection of cultural tropes that suggested they were either downcast wrecks of their former selves or were morally superior and relatively flawless as they overcame their disabilities and triumphantly journeyed toward successful citizenship. Sullivan investigates the rich lives of blind soldiers and veterans and their families to reveal how they confronted barriers, gained an education, earned a living, and managed their self-image while continually exposed to the public’s scrutiny of their success and failures.

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About the Author

Evan P. Sullivan is an assistant professor of history at SUNY Adirondack.

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Publisher
University of Illinois Press
Publication date
2024
Language
English
ISBN 10 
0252088247
ISBN 13 
9780252088247
Binding
Paperback
Edition number
1
Number of pages
192