Judgment from the 1972 Willowbrook lawsuit ordered that Willowbrook residents receive humane treatment and adequate clinical and educational services. This led to Willowbrooks closure in 1987 and made revolutionary changes. College of Staten Island states, “They can be linked to the placement of people with developmental disabilities in community residences, the growth of voluntary agencies, the expansion of special special education programs and day programs, and the training of direct-care worker, therapists, teachers, and administrators”.
Impact and Legacy
(Image: Courtsey Hal and Laura Kennedy)
(Image: Courtesy The George H.W Bush Presidential Library and Museum)
“Along with the 1975 Education for All Handicapped Children Act, the Willowbrook Consent Judgement helped lead to later key legal protections, including the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the U.S Supreme Court’s Olmstead decision (1999)” (College of Staten Island).
“On May 2nd, 2000, the College of State Island/CUNY and the Staten Island Developmental Disabilities Council sponsored an all-day conference at the College attended by over four hundred people recognizing the 25ht anniversary of of the Willowbrook Consent Judgement” (The College of Staten Island).
(Image: Courtsey Archives and Special Collections, The College of Staten Island/CUNY)
(Image: Courtsey of the Staten Island Developmental Disabilities Council)
In the determination to prevent any event of an institution of Willowsbrook existing in the future, the Staten Island Developmental Disabilities council was created. The councils primary focus is to advocate for people with disabilities and their families. Formed in 2005, the Committee works of collecting and preserving history of the Willowbrook State School to increase visibility of the stories of victims.
In 2012, the Council partnered with the College of Staten Island/CUNY, the NYS Institute for Basic Research (IBR), and the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD), established a memorial walking trial of the Willowbrook State School Site. This is now used for the “Willowbrook Mile” which is a charity event aimed to “...preserve the site’s history and create a visionary presence that commemorates the continuing struggle for social justice for all people of all abilities” (The College of Staten Island).
(Images: copyright College of Staten Island)