The Ugly History of Disability Eugenics in the US

The eugenics movement emerged in the late 19th century in both the United States and Europe, and aimed to improve the genetic quality of the human population by promoting selective breeding and limiting the reproduction of those deemed "unfit" or "undesirable." The eugenics movement was strongly influenced by social Darwinism, a belief that human society should be structured based on principles of natural selection and survival of the fittest.

The first state to pass eugenic sterilization laws in the United States was Indiana in 1907, and by 1931, over 30 states had passed similar laws. These laws authorized the forced sterilization of individuals deemed "unfit" to reproduce, including people with disabilities, mental illness, and other conditions considered hereditary.

The procedures involved in eugenic sterilization varied, but commonly included surgical sterilization of women (tubal ligation) and men (vasectomy), as well as the use of X-rays or radiation to sterilize women. These procedures were often performed without the informed consent of the individual, and many people with disabilities were sterilized against their will.

In addition to sterilization, the eugenics movement also promoted the institutionalization and segregation of the disabled and other "undesirable" groups, as well as the promotion of restrictive immigration policies to limit the number of people considered "unfit" entering the country.

The eugenics movement in the United States began to decline in popularity after World War II, due in part to the association of eugenics of the Holocaust. In the 1960s and 1970s, disability advocacy groups began to challenge eugenic practices and call for greater rights and inclusions.

Forced sterilization of people with disabilities continued in some states in the United States until as recently as the 1980s, and many people with disabilities still live with the long-term effects of eugenic policies, including forced institutionalization and exclusion from mainstream society. Today, the legacy of eugenics continues to shape the way that people with disabilities are perceived and treated in society.

Also see posts on [Feeble-Minded] [Imbecile] 

References

• Lombardo, Paul A. Three Generations, No Imbeciles: Eugenics, the Supreme Court, and Buck v. Bell. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2008.
• Paul, Diane B. "Controlling Human Heredity: 1865 to the Present." Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology, vol. 7, no. 7, 2015.
• Kevles, Daniel J. In the Name of Eugenics: Genetics and the Uses of Human Heredity. Harvard University Press, 1998.
• "The Eugenics Crusade." American Experience, PBS, 2018. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/eugenics-crusade/
• "Compulsory Sterilization of the Mentally Ill: An Issue Whose Time Has Not Come." National Council on Disability, 2002. https://ncd.gov/publications/2002/Sept272002
• "Eugenics in the United States." Disability Rights and Resources Center, 2018. https://www.disabilityrightscenter.org/eugenics-in-the-united-states