2003: Bengt Nirje Visits Minnesota

The Father of Normalization in Sweden

The concept of "normalizing" routines in the lives of people with developmental disabilities was not new. But when Swede Bengt Nirje translated the concept and published it in the 1969 President's Committee Report on MR, it had a transformative effect on American professionals.

Nirje advocated for creating the same good conditions and patterns of life for people with disabilities as those experienced by the rest of society, which was a pioneering concept in the days of institutionalization. Dr. Nirje visited Minnesota and spoke about the principle of Normalization itself, its ethics and human rights implications, and its application to all aspects of life. Bengt was a frequent visitor to Minnesota and 2003 was his last trip.

https://mn.gov/mnddc/bengtNirje/index.html