Victoria Schneps, after experiencing the deplorable conditions of Willowbrook State School where her daughter received care, engaged in advocacy that aided significant reforms in group home care. Partnering with journalist Geraldo Rivera, her efforts underscored local journalism's power to effectuate public policy changes for the betterment of the developmentally disabled. Despite advancements since the closure of Willowbrook, the fight for dignified care continues, demonstrating the ongoing need for vigilance and awareness to prevent past mistakes from recurring.
Without question, we are in a far better place than we were 50 years ago when parents like me were desperate to move their children out of Willowbrook, a house of horrors where people who could not take care of themselves were left to wallow in neglect and filth.
Yet here we are, 50 years later, and while Willowbrook is long gone, we are doomed to repeat its sordid history if we do not remember the road that got us to this point.
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