Disability is not a Deformity - press release - text

Hi Everyone

For those who haven't seen or can't access it - here is the text of the
press release entitled . Of course it is more eye catching in full
colour, with the Society's logo & in a proper format!!!

Disability is not a Deformity

Jac


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RICHARD III SOCIETY
Patron HRH The Duke of Gloucester KG GCVO
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 30 October 2012
DISABILITY IS NOT A DEFORMITY

" Greyfriars dig raises questions over Richard III's hunchback'
appearance
" Richard III Society calls for reassessment of lazy hunchback myth'
" What is the difference between scoliocis and kyphosis?

It is time to end the lazy acquiescence with the Tudor and Shakespearean
myths about Richard III. If the body
found at the Greyfriars dig is Richard III, it proves he was no
hunchback and if he suffered from scoliosis that is
no reason to denigrate him. In this Paralympic year, we celebrate the
achievements of all who overcome
disabilities, let's do the same for Richard III&

On 12 September at a press conference in Leicester's Guildhall,
Richard Taylor of the University of Leicester outlined the
evidence that points to the skeleton discovered on the site of the
Greyfriars being that of King Richard III. He also
confirmed that it had a curvature of the spine known as scoliosis.
Scoliosis is a fixed and abnormal sideways curvature of the thoracic and
lumbar regions of the spine. It can result in one
shoulder being slightly higher than the other, in the case of the
Greyfriars skeleton, the right shoulder.
The press conference also made absolutely clear that the skeleton did
not have kyphosis, which can result in a hunchback.
So if this is Richard III, he was not a hunchback, contrary to the myths
about his physical appearance.

Nowadays severe scoliosis can be corrected by surgery, although those
with the condition still face challenges in their lives.
The Scoliosis Society notes that some are inspired by older siblings to
overcome such challenges; Richard may well have
been similarly inspired by his charismatic elder brother Edward IV. As
duke of Gloucester and king Richard led an active
life as an effective administrative and military commander, if he had a
disability he clearly overcame it.

However there is no contemporary evidence that Richard III suffered from
any visible physical problems. The only
surviving description of the king is provided by a Silesian visitor,
Nicholas van Poppelau, who spent time at Richard's court
in 1484. He described the king as lean, with delicate arms and legs and
that he was three fingers taller' than Poppelau
himself.

The legend of Richard's hunchback began in the early days of the new
Tudor dynasty when it was expedient to denigrate the
reputation of the dead king; to contemporaries, a deformed body was
easily associated with an evil mind. This reached its
climax with Sir Thomas More, who described Richard as being little of
stature, ill-featured of limbs, crook backed &'.

Tudor chroniclers repeated the legend and provided the basis for
Shakespeare's portrayal of a king who is determined to
prove a villain'. It was all character assassination and historical
spin'.
-ends-

About the Richard III Society
With a worldwide membership and local branches the Society is actively
engaged in original research through its own
initiatives and through collaboration with other institutions bodies and
scholars. Through the Richard III and Yorkist
History Trust, a charitable body established by the Society, we publish
important academic works and make research grants

The Society publishes an annual journal, The Ricardian, with original
articles on fifteenth century history and a quarterly
members' magazine the Ricardian Bulletin.

Members of the Richard III Society are available for media interview on
any topic concerning the life and times of Richard
III, the Leicester dig or any related matter.
Richard III
--

jacqui wrote:
>
> Hi Everyone
>
> For those who haven't seen or can't access it - here is the text of the press release entitled . Of course it is more eye catching in full colour, with the Society's logo & in a proper format!!!

<snip press release>

Carol responds:

Thanks very much, Jacqui.

Carol