The concept of “handicap” emerges in the 19th century through medical discourse as a way to describe people living with impairments within increasingly industrialized societies. This concept is closely linked to the rise of capitalism: bodies are assessed according to their capacity to work—whether in paid factory labor or unpaid domestic labor. Medical narratives gradually establish norms for what “healthy” bodies and minds should look like, creating a threshold of ability or “functionality.” This threshold is a social construct that is constantly being renegotiated. Deciding who is considered “able” and who is not reflects a set of norms that changes across historical and cultural contexts.