Any topic (writer’s choice)

Your primary task is to make a historical argument about the role and significance of your topic on evolving perspectives of disability over time among: those affected, the medical community, support/advocacy groups, and the broader public. The historical argument you will make should involve an examination of the broader social and historical contexts that have shaped the changes you describe. How do evolving conceptions of the condition/law/organization/person that you are studying reflect broader trends in US history and the history of disability? What role did advocates, lawmakers, and other professionals play in shifting perceptions and gaining support? 

**Your statement of argument should appear in your first paragraph. It should being with, “In this paper, I argue that . . .” Your statement of argument should include historical context and a comparison between time periods or social contexts.

To answer these questions and make your argument, I expect you to draw upon at least eight primary and eight secondary sources. Primary sources may include books, journal and newspaper articles, advocacy group resources, and archival sources. Your secondary sources should be academic books or articles written by historians, anthropologists, and/or sociologists.

Conclusions:

Reflecting on this history, use the last 1-2 pages of your paper to recommend a path forward for advocacy around the issue(s) you have studied. What problems continue in this area today, and how can advocates, and society more broadly, move forward to address these problems better?