Our celebrations of UK Disability History Month started with an entertaining and informative talk by Professor Jaipreet Virdi, an award-winning activist, writer and historian. Professor Virdi presented compelling arguments about ideas of disability and views of deafness in 20th-century America and explored the evolution of hearing aids.

Dr. Jaipreet Virdi (University of Delaware) is an award-winning historian who explores how medicine and technology affect the lives of disabled people and recently published Hearing Happiness:  Deafness Cures in History  (2020)

In this talk she examines the cures for deafness and the development of hearing aids in 20th-century America.   She also discusses her own experience of hearing loss and deaf education.

Jaipreet Virdi’s talk launched Cultures of Disability’s celebration of UKDHM 2021, was a joint project with Manchester City Council , Manchester Met University and Manchester Libraries and is also available on Archives+.   It is available here with BSL interpretation and captions.

Cover of a book which is bright yellow, and title is in large red print. Black and white photograph of white woman wearing an old fashioned bonnet, and listening to a hearing tube. Writing reads: Hearing Happiness: Deafness Cures in History by Jaipreet Virdi

If you missed the event, for a limited period you can watch the pre-recorded lecture here. This includes BSL interpretation and captions.

You can also find out more in Professor Verdi’s book, Hearing Happiness. Why not see what other events we are running to celebrate UKDHM?

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