WILLOWBROOK MATTERS
Laura and Hal read Rotham's book and decided there needed to be more information available about Willowbrook. The history of Willowbrook needed to be learned, shared and remembered. “Right after reading the book in 2000, myself, Hal, and the Staten Island Developmental Disabilities Council approached the College of Staten Island (CSI) to have a conference on Willowbrook," she said. "We raised our own money for the conference after being granted permission and gave it the title 'Social Justice Has Prevailed.'" On May 2, 2000, CSI and the Staten Island Developmental Disabilities Council sponsored an all-day conference at the college. Roughly 400 people attended to recognize the twenty- fifth anniversary of the Willowbrook Consent Judgment. Politicians, former residents, families, and journalists were all in attendance. There were panel discussions on what led to Willowbrook's downfall, its eventual closing, and the opportunities that opened for thousands of New Yorkers with disabilities.
Laura J. Kennedy, Past-President of The Arc New York, and current treasurer and soon to be president-elect of The Arc of the United States, has been a key player in keeping the memory of The Willowbrook State School alive. "Willowbrook matters," Laura said. "Willowbrook was the battleground in the struggle for civil and human rights for people with developmental disabilities." In 1999, while Laura was on the AHRC NYC board of directors, the Chapter hosted a symposium featuring a panel discussion on the Willowbrook Consent Judgment. This is when Laura's interest in preserving and sharing Willowbrook's history began. The panelists included David and Sheila Rotham, authors of "The Willowbrook Wars," a detailed account of the injustices that occurred at the Willowbrook State School. “I was just in awe, and my husband, Hal, who’s a lawyer, said ‘my goodness, we live in Staten Island, we have a daughter with a disability, we should know more about this.'"
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