Publication Date
2025
Subject Area
Section 4: War and More ...
Abstract
The post-war disability rights movement's momentum was largely driven by the influx of disabled veterans and the sudden need for a larger post-war workforce. Recent scholarship suggests that the origins of the movement extend beyond the societal upheavals of the 1960s and 1970s, reaching back to the early 1940s and even the 1930s.; In Out of the Horrors of War: Disability Politics in World War II America, Audra Jennings argues that World War II was pivotal in transforming societal attitudes toward disability, with demand for wartime labor and the visibility of disabled veterans catalyzing these changes. Jennings highlights the significance of the American Federation of the Physically Handicapped (AFPH), an organization that played a crucial role but remains under-researched due to the inaccessibility of its documents and archival materials, including congressional records and presidential correspondence.
While Jennings identifies the early 1940s as the roots of the disability rights movement, Paul K. Longmore and David Goldberger argue that it began during the Great Depression. Their research in The Journal of American History emphasizes the pioneering struggles of the League of the Physically Handicapped in the 1930s, illustrating how these early activists laid the groundwork for future progress. First-hand accounts from this era describe the challenges of finding employment and the lack of federal support. Although the 1930s provided a foundation, World War II remains the true catalyst for change. Perspectives from psychologists and business owners in publications like The Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology and The Harvard Business Review reveal shifting attitudes toward disabled workers. Articles from The New York Times and Kenosha News, along with government propaganda, further highlight evolving societal views, supporting the argument that World War II created crucial opportunities for Americans with disabilities.
