​​​​SL15 was buried beneath the chancel arch at Leonard’s church, North Shields – a medieval hospital. Burial inside a church, especially near the altar, was reserved for those of significant standing: clergy, donors, or community leaders. The floor tiles above his grave were carefully lifted and replaced. A man of standing in his community – perhaps a major patron or donor to the hospital – he was buried with great respect.

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SL15’s story challenges two deficit assumptions at once: that mobility impairment and reliance on assistive technology inevitably diminished social standing, and that a person requiring significant ongoing support was necessarily seen as a burden. The evidence suggests the opposite. SL15 was a person of high regard, buried in a position of honour.​

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