History of Individuals with Disabilities Lecture: My Take-Away

On Tuesday, Dr. Keisling, the executive director of the Boling Center for Developmental Disabilities gave a lecture on the history of disabilities in the United States. In this lecture, we learned how individuals with disabilities were treated in the past. This lecture was extremely eye-opening and allowed me to see things from a different prospective. In this blog, I will talk about what stuck out to me the most and what I took away from this lecture.

There were two things that were most eye-opening to me, how individuals were treated and viewed in the early 20^th century and what took place in the institutions. In the early 20^th century, individuals with disabilities were viewed as criminals. They were thought to be violent, a threat, and gang members. In 1908, Pennhurst Institution in Pennsylvania opened. This was a place were individuals with mental or physical disabilities, no matter the condition could live. At these institutions, physical and chemical restraints were used, and many individuals were neglected and malnourished. They were so overcrowded that at times, there were 50 patients to 1 care provider. When John F. Kennedy became president in 1960, there began to be positive changes. He was able to pass several acts to benefit and protect individuals with disabilities. Later when George Bush became president, he continued to push for these rights and was able to pass the ADA.

Overall, I took away more than I ever expected from this lecture, and I am thankful Dr. Kiesling was able to share this information today. I never realized how difficult it was to live with disabilities in the past. They were treated in ways that no individual should ever be treated. We all need to continue to advocate for those with disabilities and strive to keep making positive changes. I have been able to see first hand how much these changes can affect someone. My uncle, who has several disabilities, is currently living in a group home with roommates that allow them to live more independently. I look forward to becoming an occupational therapist and continue to help make a difference in people’s lives.