The Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities
mn.gov/disability-mn
Providing information, education, and training to build knowledge, develop skills, and change attitudes that will lead to increased independence, productivity, self determination, integration and inclusion (IPSII) for people with developmental disabilities and their families.

Moments in Disability History 1

"The Birth of the Parent Movement"

Beginning in the late 1940s and through the 1970s, there was a reawakening of hope and possibilities for persons with disabilities. In the fall of 1950, ninety persons from across the country came together in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to participate in the first national parent conference. Minnesota Governor Luther Youngdahl was the featured speaker.

Governor Youngdahl, a pioneer of the humane concept of care, was one of the first public officials to speak about the rights of people with disabilities and nondiscrimination. Parent organizations went on and filed lawsuits to force states to recognize the civil and legal rights of their children.

Laws were passed to enforce these rights, services were established and delivery systems were required to provide appropriate services to children and adults with disabilities. The disability rights and nondiscrimination movement was given birth.

Audio: Governor Youngdahl
https://mn.gov/mnddc/parallels/five/5a/4.html
(NOTE: The voice here is not the voice of Governor Youngdahl, but an actor hired to record the Governor's speech.)

The full text of Governor Youngdahl's 1950 speech on "The Retarded Child" and other related speeches.
https://mn.gov/mnddc/past/1940-50/1940s-13.html

Gov. Youngdahl
Gov. Youngdahl

Article: "Parents of Retarded Held Not to Blame" by Geri Hoffner
Minneapolis Tribune Staff Writer, September 30, 1950
NOTE: This newspaper article was found in a scrapbook and uses language that is now outdated and considered offensive. The language is retained here because it is historical.

"Pioneering Parents": Gunnar and Rosemary Dybwad speak about the origins of the parent movement and early leaders.

Sources:

Parallels In Time: V. The Reawakening: 1950-1980: A. 1947-1980 The Parents' Movement: The Parent Groups and Professional Organizations

With An Eye to the Past: 1940s to 50s: Lighting the Fire: Slide 13

Parallels in Time 2: Drs. Gunnar And Rosemary Dybwad on Pioneering Parents

January 1, 2013

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The GCDD is funded under the provisions of P.L. 106-402. The federal law also provides funding to the Minnesota Disability Law Center, the state Protection and Advocacy System, and to the Institute on Community Integration, the state University Center for Excellence. The Minnesota network of programs works to increase the IPSII of people with developmental disabilities and families into community life.

This project was supported, in part by grant number 2401MNSCDD, from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects with government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official ACL policy.

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