Teaching Medieval Disability

• The Accessible Medievalist

• Medieval Disability Glossary

• Medieval Disability Sourcebook: Western Europe

• Heritages of Change: Curatorial Activism and First-Year Writing - Chapter 3: Disability Heritage

• "Bibliography: Future of Medieval Disability Studies"

Medieval Disability Glossary: Call for Entries from University Courses

The Digital Medieval Disability Glossary invites graduate and undergraduate course projects exploring specific disability-related terms for potential inclusion in the glossary. Participants in courses on the history of the English language and in medieval languages and cultures are particularly encouraged to submit contributions to this collaborative project, although any course is welcome.

The glossary seeks to tell the story of medieval terms used for embodied difference, illness, and impairment. Building on existing resources such as the Dictionary of Old English, the Middle English Dictionary, and the Oxford English Dictionary, the Glossary functions as an open-access reference that demonstrates the complexity of medieval attitudes towards bodies, minds, and communities.

The Glossary contains entries developed by faculty and students at Southeastern University (guided by Dr. Cameron Hunt McNabb), Miami University at Hamilton (Dr. Tory. V. Pearman), and Fitchburg State University (Dr. Kisha G. Tracy). In each instance, entries provide straightforward definitions of the terms under consideration, broader insights into each word’s use and evolution, and a list of works cited and resources for future study.

The project, therefore, offers students and faculty the opportunity to participate in the creation of a vital new resource in the digital humanities. Entries should focus on how a particular term functions within a particular medieval context (ca. 700-1500 CE). Analysis of terms from a wide variety of medieval languages are welcome, but, at this point, we ask that the entries be written in English. Sample assignments that have been used to generate existing entries are available on request.

For the format of entries, please see our How to Contribute. Also, for an example of a course assignment, see Cameron Hunt McNabb’s in Teaching the Middle Ages in Higher Ed.

The Glossary editors will conduct open peer review of all entries, and all faculty and students will be credited by name and institution on the site. Proposed entries may be sent on a rolling basis. Ideally, though, material from Fall  courses would be sent by 31 January, and from Spring  courses by 30 June.

To learn more about this project or contribute an entry, please contact the current editor Kisha Tracy at ktracy3@fitchburgstate.edu.

Medieval Disability Zine

"Zines can touch on a variety of topics from music and art, to politics, sexuality, humor and personal memoir. Their content may be written, drawn, photographed, collaged, or any other form of combining words and imagery. A zine’s structure may be narrative, journalistic, comic-like, or completely abstract!...Culturally and historically, zines have served as a powerful outlet for content considered to be too niche, risqué, or outside of the mainstream, in terms of more traditional/commercial forms of publication. A zine can be produced with the simplest of tools, and easily distributed low-to-the ground, outside capitalistic or potentially oppressive systems: amongst friends; in local gathering places or homes; at fests designed to celebrate them!" - “The Bindery: What Is a Zine?”

Here is our opportunity to get creative! We have encountered various topics and ideas related to medieval disability. Now you will identify something you want to share with an audience outside of our class and create a zine around that topic. We will workshop in class what this genre of writing is, brainstorm topics, and help each other design our zines. 

Your zine should include:

• At least six pages, plus a front and a back. We will use this Zine Template for a starting point. You will download a copy of the template and then edit your own.

• A title

• A thesis/controlling idea - a topic you are trying to convey to your audience about some aspect of medieval literature

• Content (style of your choice) that provides explanations, context, reasoning, etc., for thesis

• An organization that is deliberate and carefully thought out with the audience in mind

• A combination of words and imagery (see definition of zines above)

• References (quotations strongly encouraged) from at least one primary source and two secondary sources

• Works Cited (may be creatively formatted given zine style)

Resources:

• “The Bindery: What Is a Zine?”

• “The Creative Independent: How to make a zine”

• “Monstrous Zines” 

• “BGSU Disabilities in Fanzines” 

Tips for Zines (revised from Creating at Cline Library)

1. If your zine assignment requires you to write, we recommend writing your text or essay(s) in Microsoft Word or Google Docs and then transferring them to your preferred zine format, just to be sure that you’re fulfilling the writing requirement for your assignment.

2. Zines often include both visuals and text. You can incorporate art, collage, photos, poetry, links to digital content, etc. but make sure you know what aspects of your zine you will primarily be graded on.

3. Zines come in a variety of formats. Some are web-based, some are digitally designed on a computer, some are cut, pasted, and photocopied by hand. The format you choose is up to you, just use it well. Be as creative as possible!

4. You have likely been asked to include appropriate citations and bibliography for all ideas that aren’t your own. This is a creative assignment, but it’s also a scholarly one. You will need to cite and create bibliographies accordingly.

5. Do not wait until the last minute to create your zine! Take advantage of any zine workshops in class and set aside time to work on your zine or you will not have time to produce a quality zine.

Heritages of Change: Curatorial Activism and First-Year Writing - Chapter 3: Disability Heritage, Exhibition Review (adapted)

• Explore a museum exhibition related to medieval disability.

• Think about what you find interesting or useful, especially in light of previous readings and what you have learned up to this point.

• Write a review of the exhibition.

Heritages of Change: Curatorial Activism and First-Year Writing - Chapter 3: Disability Heritage, Museum of Medieval Disability Proposal (adapted)

Problem: As of now, there is no museum dedicated to medieval disability. 

Solution: After learning about medieval disability, you will propose such a museum.

Questions to consider:

• Why do we need a museum dedicated to medieval disability?

• What might the mission statement be for such a museum?

• What would be the suggested organization of such a museum?

• What are some suggested examples of artifacts?