Today, in most places, left-handers aren’t treated as “handicapped.” What’s changed is the attitude and the environment. Overt punishment or forced “re-training” is now rare in the U.S. and much of Europe; the remaining friction is mostly about design (desks, tools, instruments) that still default to right-handed use.

When the shift happened

• Early 1900s: Left-hand writing was actively discouraged. Among people born ~1880–1900, only ~3–4% reported writing left-handed—suppression was the norm. 

• 1950s–1970s: Acceptance rose quickly. By the mid-1970s, a big U.S. school survey found 9.6% of 1st–6th graders were left-handed (close to today’s level), showing the old practice was fading in the teen/young-adult years.

• Today: Across huge datasets, the best estimate is about 10–11% of the population is left-handed—consistent with broad social acceptance and less suppression.

Why it changed

• Less social pressure in schools and teacher-training: big cohort studies show handedness varies with year and place of birth, which tracks changing cultural norms more than biology.

• Evidence of harm from “conversion”: research on adults forced to switch hands shows lasting differences in how the brain handles handwriting—another reason the practice fell out of favor.

What still lingers

• Design bias: Lots of things—from school desks to machine controls—were built for right-handers, and that can still disadvantage lefties at work and school

  My guitar lesson story is a classic example of “fit the person to the tool” Find that story in the MY Lefty Life page . . . once I get it back up. I accidentally deleted it . . .