Thread by @Rewire_News

The United States has had a shameful history of treating people with disabilities.

And now, Helen Keller is very literally being erased from the history books.

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During the eugenics movement in the 20th century, for example, more than 65,000 people, many of whom had disabilities, were forcibly sterilized in government-sanctioned procedures.

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At their peaks, there were nearly 560,000 people with psychiatric disabilities and 195,000 people with intellectual disabilities living in state institutions.

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Shedding light on the history of people with disabilities, including this segregation, can help to ensure this inhumane treatment never occurs again.

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Despite many successes in disability rights, discrimination against people with disabilities remains a significant issue. In 2017, only 19 percent of people with disabilities were employed, compared with 66 percent of people without disabilities.

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Additionally, a recent study found that half of people killed by police have a disability. Moreover, three in ten people in state and federal prisons and nearly four in ten people in local jails have a disability.

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The disparities people with disabilities experience is largely driven by ignorance and bias.

Now, more than ever, it is crucial that schools teach about people with disabilities and their rich history.

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The Texas State Board of Education will vote in November to decide if Keller will be officially removed from the curriculum.

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