DiscoverThe English Heritage PodcastDisability and care in medieval England
Disability and care in medieval England

Disability and care in medieval England

Update: 2025-11-06
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In medieval England, community and religion played an important role in how people cared for each other. Ideas about charity and care helped lay the foundations for some of our most important public services today. 


This time on The English Heritage Podcast, Amy Matthews chats with Simon Jarrett, author of A History of Disability in England and Collections Curator Susan Harrison to uncover lesser-known histories of care and support that connect us to people from the past. 


From monastic hospitals to healing pilgrimages and even early mobility aids, find out how people with physical or learning disabilities lived as part of their communities long before the rise of modern healthcare institutions. 


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Disability and care in medieval England

Disability and care in medieval England

English Heritage