U.S. History of Neurodevelopmental Disabilites

During Dr. Keisling’s presentation, I found myself surprised about how little Americans are taught about the history of disability in our country. I believe it is important for our country to remember and learn about the past in order for us to understand the impact it has today and so that we can learn from our mistakes. It was shocking to hear about how people with disabilities were viewed in the past–as criminals and as people who couldn’t be helped. It was horrifying to hear about people being placed in institutions where they were given very little, had no say in their lives, and lived in conditions similar to prisons. It wasn’t until the Deutsch’s publication of “The Shame of the States” that Americans started to understand the harsh conditions people were living in. While it seemed like a simple choice for families to not send their loved ones to these institutions, it wasn’t that simple. The medical costs of keeping their loved ones at home and getting them the therapy they needed was enough to put them in debt. Even if money wasn’t a problem, health care professionals were telling the public that lobotomies would help their child be in a more calm state. This was the story of John F. Kennedy’s daughter, Rosemary. Without her consent, Rosemary had a lobotomy operation. While Rosemary’s circumstances were tragic, her story helped spark a fire that changed laws and legislations in America. Once people with disabilities were deinstitutionalized, they started to thrive in society. People were beginning to understand how much they underestimated their capabilities and how much they could learn from them. 

Throughout listening to this lecture, I realized I understood the context of the information better because of what we learned throughout our Era Presentations. Knowing that JFK had a daughter with a disability helps me understand  why he enforced deinstitutionalization and the Community Mental Health Act. Also, knowing that that Medicare and Medicaid took place in the 1960s, helps me understand how things started to change for people with disabilities. I believe it is important to learn about the past as a future health care profession because there are still echos of discrimination today and it helps me understand the importance of advocating for change.