In the 19th century, industrialization had created an obsessive demand for 'able-bodied workers' who could rapidly churn out mountains of goods, and suddenly, people too disabled to produce were seen as problem.
Trying to solve the problem of disability led to an abundance of inventions, hydrotherapy spas, a ban on sign language, and theories of eugenics. People with deformities were gawked at in freak shows but celebrated in Ugly Clubs. Stories about people with disabilities insisted they could compensate and overcome their disabilities themselves, instead of asking the rest of society to create a less ableist world.
(thanks Lisa)
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