In the final part of his series, Peter White reveals the birth of a modern disabled identity in the 19th century - through the lives of some extraordinary independent blind women. Peter says, 'I'm used to people describing me as disabled. Fair

Brave Poor Things

Jun 6th, 2013 13m 59s

Disabled children are everywhere in popular fiction - Tiny Tim, What Katy Did, The Secret Garden. But what about the real children of the 19th century? What were their lives like, and where can we hear their voices? In this 9th programme in the

Sex and Marriage

Jun 5th, 2013 13m 43s

Peter White explores sex and marriage between disabled people and reveals the shameful history of eugenics in Britain.The programme begins with a document from Buckingham Palace - an order for some glamorous undergarments for a Royal Trousseau.

Wooden Legs and Wheelchairs

Jun 4th, 2013 13m 47s

Peter White has a close encounter with a huge wooden leg, and asks who got access to new technology in the 19th century.Strangely, wooden legs were thought to be sexy in the 19th century. During the 22 years of war with France, tens of thousand

Doing and Being

Jun 3rd, 2013 13m 47s

Work and disability has always been an awkward fit. Peter White says, 'When as a teenager I said I wanted to be a broadcaster, there was a sharp intake of breath. Shouldn't I be considering becoming a piano tuner, or a physiotherapist? That's w

Finding a Voice

May 31st, 2013 13m 50s

Peter White draws on the latest research to reveal the lives of physically disabled people in the 18th and 19th centuries. Today - Finding a Voice: Peter discovers William Hay, an 18th-century MP born with spinal curvature who has left us a rem

Beauty and Deformity

May 30th, 2013 13m 51s

Peter White draws on the latest research to reveal the lives of physically disabled people in the 18th and 19th centuries. Today, he explores ideas of beauty and deformity which had a real impact on the lives of people with disabilities.In the

Freaks and Entrepreneurs

May 29th, 2013 13m 48s

Peter White draws on the latest research to reveal the lives of physically disabled people in the 18th and 19th centuries. In this third episode, he challenges our modern ideas of freaks and freak shows.Many disabled people who exhibited themse

Miracle Cures

May 28th, 2013 13m 53s

Peter White draws on the latest research to reveal the lives of physically disabled people in the 18th and 19th centuries. In this second episode - the search for Miracle Cures.Peter says, 'Every so often in the street someone sees me with my w

The Only Dwarf in Liverpool

May 27th, 2013 13m 45s

Across the country, historians are discovering the voices of disabled people from the past. In this 10-part series, Peter White draws on the latest research to reveal first-hand accounts of what it was like to live with physical disability in t

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