A Message from CEO Erik Geizer (Continued)
The Willowbrook State School opened in Staten Island in 1948. Willowbrook was the largest institution in the world for the treatment of people with developmental disabilities, separating them from mainstream society. From its opening, the Willowbrook State School was presented to the public as an ideal place for residents. In reality, Willowbrook was an overcrowded, understaffed institution that provided little interaction or stimulation. Conditions only grew worse over time, becoming crowded far beyond its capacity, unsanitary and abusive. Willowbrook became an inhumane warehouse for people with disabilities. In the early 1970s, Jane Kurtin, a journalist for Staten Island Advance, published a series of articles revealing the appalling conditions at Willowbrook. Kurtin’s ground-breaking journalism, along with parent protests, shed some light on what was happening inside the walls of Willowbrook. In 1972, Doctors William Bronston and Michael Wilkins, who were on staff at Willowbrook brought ABC reporter Geraldo Rivera onto the grounds to film the conditions. Rivera’s televised exposé brought national attention to the institution. In 1975, a Consent Judgement in the lawsuit required Willowbrook residents to receive humane treatment and adequate clinical and educational services. Advocates celebrated the anniversary with a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Willowbrook Mile at the College of Staten Island, the former grounds of Willowbrook. The walking trail guides visitors through 12 stations that explore the painful history of Willowbrook and the power of advocates to drive change. Benches at each station offer space for reflection.
This judgment helped set in motion the eventual closure of Willowbrook in 1987, the ensuing closure of all of New York's State Schools, and laid the foundation for the system of integrated community supports we know today. The news coverage gave residents and their families the platform they needed to be heard and set in motion a class-action lawsuit establishing that Willowbrook residents had a constitutional right to be protected from harm. The Arc New York, then known as NYSARC, was a key plaintiff in that groundbreaking case.
State office staff and volunteers were honored to celebrate this historic moment. We are proud to be part of the fight that led to a compassionate system of integrated supports for people with I/DD. We are inspired by our past and committed to sustaining our advocacy for the future. And we will continue to learn from the wrongs of history to advance the rights of people with disabilities.
3
Made with FlippingBook. PDF to flipbook with ease