Working in long term care I've had the privilege of taking care of alot of people. The elderly and disabled are societies most vulnerable citizens besides children as they can be abused or neglected. Down Syndrome has interested me since caring for older adults who were locked up most of their lives because of a disability like Down Syndrome. The fact is 30-40 years ago it was almost unheard of to keep children with Down Syndrome. Sure some families did but most went to state run institutions or special needs group homes. And although we easily condemn EE countries for hiding away the disabled and the living conditions of the facilities, until reform our facilities weren't that great.
In 1972 a young attorney and reporter by the name of Geraldo Rivera investigated the Staten Island Willowbrook State School for abuse and neglect of mentally retarded people. He won the Peabody Award for this investigation but more important than that it prompted reform on the state and national level.
And yes he's the same Geraldo from television. Early in his career he did serious reporting. The residents of Willowbrook
Lived in deplorable conditions , was subjected to abuse (sexual and physical) by the school's staff. Some of the residents was subjected to medical experimentation. Geraldo Rivera's Investigation report was a contributing factor in the passage of the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Person's Act of 1980. The expose was titled Willowbrook: the last disgrace.
Public outcry prompted the closure of Willowbrook in 1987.
We now know some children with disabilities CAN learn, walk, talk and work. They will do things at their own pace, reaching milestones later than a typical child. Rarely is a disabled child locked away from the rest of society , in an institution in the US.
Thank Goodness for little Wonders.
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