Covering the period from 500 to 1800, this volume serves as a comprehensive guide into the growing field of dis/ability history. Its contributions by 80 international scholars present groundbreaking research in various historical disciplines, often unearthing hitherto unknown material and highlighting premodern societies from unfamiliar perspectives. The wide range of approaches and subjects comprises theoretical and methodological frameworks, general questions of gender, life-cycle and social status, daily life experiences, work and sustenance, legal norms and practices, strategies of coping and of self-help, medical therapies, organisation of care, emotions and religious interpretations. Compact information, vivid case studies and rich visual material grant an enjoyable and instructive reading for audiences who wish to explore premodern culture on innovative paths.