HSTM Network Ireland online webinar, 7 March Work-in-progress
Hannah Brown (Ph.D. Candidate, Department of History, University of Ulster, ‘Polio Survivors Experiences of Treatment in Belfast, c. 1947-1982’
Abstract:
A browse through the polio records held at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) tells little of the Belfast polio survivor experience. This lack of information is striking, given that polio continues to be in the headlines as recently as the summer of 2022. Polio is a highly contagious disease. Usually, polio spreads via contaminated food or water. It did not kill like other epidemics but left children with lifelong disabilities. The only protection against polio is through vaccination. This seminar will examine polio survivors’ experiences of treatment in Belfast. Belfast reported its first case of polio in 1923. The last case of polio reported in Belfast was in 1982. The seminar seeks to answer: How were people diagnosed with polio? What was it like to be in a hospital? What kinds of treatments did people receive? How did children transition into a new disabled identity?
Bio:
Hannah Brown is a second year PhD researcher from Ulster University. She also works part-time as a museum guide in the Museum of Free Derry.
Rebecca Brown (Ph.D. Candidate, Department of History, University of Ulster, ‘Jordanstown School: The Experience of Visually Impaired Pupils’
Abstract:
This paper, guided by the social model of disability, explores the educational journey of visually impaired children in the North of Ireland during the 20th century. By the late 19th century, these children faced significant exclusion from mainstream education and received minimal support. The establishment of the Ulster Institute for the Deaf Dumb, and Blind in 1846 marked a turning point, although initial education heavily emphasized crafts over academic subjects.
A crucial shift transpired in 1960 when the school relocated to Jordanstown and was renamed The School for the Deaf and Visually Impaired. This move ushered in a focus on academic rigor, mirroring the education offered to sighted students. Focusing on the period between 1918 and 1990, this paper examines the experiences of visually impaired students and the evolution of accessibility modifications that empowered their participation in the classroom.
Bio: Rebecca Brown is a second-year PhD student at Ulster University, delving into the experiences of visually impaired citizens in Northern Ireland during the 20th century (1918-1998). Beyond her academic pursuits, she actively engages as the social media officer for the Museum of Free Derry/Bloody Sunday Trust.
Via Zoom, register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0kf-irpj8vEtDQMrCEtsonGrobS6Crqc5L
HSTM Network Ireland 