The Willowbrook Wars: Bringing the Mentally Disabled into the Community

by Sheila M. Rothman and David J. Rothman

Book Overview

The Willowbrook Wars is a dramatic and illuminating account of the effort to close down a scandal-ridden institution and return its 5,400 handicapped residents to communities in New York. The wars began in 1972 with Geraldo Rivera's televised raid on the Willowbrook State School. They continued for three years in a federal courtroom, with civil libertarian lawyers persuading a conservative and conscience-stricken judge to expand the rights of the...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0202307573
• ISBN13: 9780202307572
• Release Date: August 2004
• Publisher: Routledge
• Length: 427 Pages
• Weight: 1.42 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.5" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

A "Must Read"

You would think that helping those with special developmental needs is a no-brainer. Often though, it takes intuition, persistence and a passionate resolve to cut through institutional red tape and push through the social barriers that stand in the way of bringing resources to those in need. "The Willowbrook Wars" is an extraordinary, historical account of people in the vanguard of reform. It is their story and it is compelling. Throughout "The Willowbrook Wars," we are reminded that everyone has a right to respect and inclusion in his or her own community. This belief is as important today as it was thirty years ago. Today, costs of care are rising and fiscal resources are being diverted from social healthcare programs, so there is a natural, bureaucratic tendency to do the `cost effective' thing. But `entitlement' is not a dirty word; it's a hard-won right. "The Willowbrook Wars" shares the struggles and joys of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, their families and advocates. For anyone in the field, this is a must-read.