Project description
Recovering the material history of disability in the medieval world
Medieval historical narratives contain little evidence of disability-related objects, such as crutches, canes, adapted shoes and carts, leading to incomplete understandings of non-normative bodies in the past. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the MATDIS project will investigate how disability was experienced and materially supported in late medieval northern France (13th–15th century). Combining historical analysis, art history, material culture studies and participatory research with disabled co-researchers, the project examines miracle narratives, visual sources and surviving artefacts to reconstruct lost objects as well as analyse how disability has been represented or erased over time. Through a digital exhibition and methodological toolkit, MATDIS will help museums and cultural institutions develop more inclusive interpretations of marginalised histories.
Objective
In the late Middle Ages, the lives of disabled people were shaped by material objects – crutches, canes, adapted shoes, carts – most of which have since disappeared. Their absence from collections and narratives continues to influence how we imagine the medieval past. Material Culture of Disability in Northern France (13th–15th Century) (MATDIS) addresses this gap by recovering, reconstructing, and reinterpreting disability-related artefacts. It examines miracle narratives, visual sources, and surviving heritage items to understand how non-normative bodies interacted with and adapted their environments, and how these material traces have been preserved, misclassified, or erased over time.
To achieve this, MATDIS combines historical analysis, art history, and material culture studies with participatory research involving disabled co-researchers. The project develops a typology of medieval mobility aids, reconstructs lost objects through experimental archaeology, and analyses how disability has been represented – or omitted – in both medieval sources and present-day heritage practices. It also recontextualises rare surviving examples such as ex-votos, revealing their social, functional, and symbolic roles.
By linking detailed case studies to broader debates on representation, inclusion, and heritage-making, MATDIS directly contributes to the University of Turku’s priorities on cultural diversity, inclusive societies, and citizen participation in heritage. Its outputs – including a digital exhibition and methodological toolkit – will benefit historians, museum professionals, and the wider public, providing concrete strategies to integrate disability into curatorial narratives. MATDIS aims not only to expand the historical record but also to transform how cultural institutions engage with marginalised histories, offering a replicable model for more inclusive heritage interpretation across Europe and beyond.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- humanities history and archaeology history
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- humanities history and archaeology archaeology
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Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
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Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
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(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF
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20014 Turku
Finland
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