A Grim Reminder, and a Must-Read
| March 2014NY Times Publishes Groundbreaking Story about the Mistreatment of Adults with Intellectual Disabilities
It’s been over forty years since Willowbrook, and we’ve come a long way in how we regard and treat people with disabilities. But we still have far to go, as we were reminded by an outstanding piece of long-form journalism that appeared on Sunday in the New York Times. “The ‘Boys’ in the Bunkhouse” by Dan Barry tells the story of 32 men who suffered involuntary servitude in plain sight in the American heartland for over 30 years and whose plight was only exposed a few years ago. Read, break your heart, and pledge with all of us who are concerned about our society and disabilities that there will be no more turkey plants to uncover.
But read also about exceptional social workers whose courage and advocacy provided healing and love, a lawyer who would not let the wrongs remain unpaid, and most of all about men who remained dignified and compassionate in spite of the abuse they endured.
