Voices from the past: early institutional experience of children with disabilities—the case of Scotland

Interpretations of the Education (Scotland) Act of 1872

“…The 1872 Act is silent on the subject of provision for children with various forms of disability. However, a number of historians have highlighted earlier philanthropic endeavours in provision for 'sensory impaired', 'physically handicapped' and 'mentally defective children', and the steady move towards greater state involvement and control in the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century (Knox, 1953;Scotland, 1969b;Mackie, 1992;Anderson, 1995;Egan, 2001;Hutchison, 2005). It should be noted that some of the vocabulary in this section was widely used in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries but will appear anachronistic and crudely pejorative to the contemporary reader.…”

“…Disability is a complex term and can refer (broadly) to sensory, mental or physical disability (Hutchison, 2005). There was little school provision for disabled children in Scotland in the 19 th century and the early focus was on children with sensory impairments.…”

“…The 1872 Act prompted recognition of the educational needs of children with physical impairments. This led to the establishment of the Association for Visiting and Aiding Permanently infirm and Imbecile Children (later in 1876 devoting itself to infirm children as The Association for Aiding Infirm children) and the opening of the East Park Cottage Home in 1874 (Hutchison, 2005). Some of the credit for raising awareness of the needs of children with disabilities should go to school inspectors, who in their reports on visits to schools drew attention to those for whom 'mainstream' provision was inadequate.…”

Institutionalization of mentally-impaired children in Scotland, c.1855–1914

“… 16 Donaldson’s institution for deaf children in Edinburgh pursued a similar policy by admitting hearing children and encouraging their intermingling beyond the classroom; see Hutchison, 2005: 69. …”