Authors

Agnese Zviedre¹;  ¹ Art Academy of Latvia, Latvia

Discussion

Although the Soviet ideology claimed to promote equality among citizens, scholars researching the history of disability in Eastern Europe, and analysing representation, employment, and civil rights, have pointed out that throughout the Soviet Union, people with disabilities were stigmatised, hidden from the public, and thus made invisible. As the Soviet Union was not a homogenous unity, and each region had its own unique way of implementing laws and ideology, analysing each area as a distinct case study is crucial to broaden our understanding of history. 

In 1952, the Latvian Society of the Blind established a Training and Manufacturing Enterprise in Cēsis, employing people with visual impairments. As the enterprise was one of the most prosperous in the region, they built apartment houses for employees and sponsored cultural, sports, and travelling activities. It was mandated that the company employ at least 50% of people with visual disability. Thus, this paper delves into the analyses of the history of the Society of the Blind in Cēsis and the Training and Manufacturing Enterprise in Cēsis, comparing theories, periodical materials, and interviews of people who lived and worked in Cēsis during Soviet times. The objective of this paper is to offer greater insight into the history of disability and organisations representing rights of people with disabilities in Latvia during Soviet times.

Keywords: disability studies, employment, history, lived experiences, Soviet Latvia