Trapped in our past: the price we have to pay for our cultural disability inheritance

The importance of culture in understanding cross‐cultural phenomena is now widely acknowledged. This paper seeks to explore the impact of the Greek‐Cypriot culture on constructing notions of disability which dominate popular culture and education. Since culture cannot be understood without the study of history, this analysis takes a historical character. The findings presented in this paper are part of a larger research project regarding the personal and political experience of disability in Cyprus during the period 1966–2004. This paper focuses on how the concept of disability was constructed in Cyprus through political, social, religious, and educational responses to disabled children and adults mainly during the period 1970–90. The relationship between culture and segregation, medicalisation and charity is analysed. The current turn towards inclusive rhetoric is also explained. The paper ends with a critical consideration of our cultural inheritance regarding disability and it draws the connection with non‐inclusive practice currently taking place.