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Parallels In Time
A History of Developmental Disabilities

Parallels in Time Part One
Parallels in Time Part Two
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Parallels in Time

A History of Developmental Disabilities

Part One: The Ancient Era to the 1950s

The Ancient Era 1500 B.C - 475 A.D.

The Ancient Era 1500 B.C - 475 A.D.

The Middle Ages, Renaissance, and Reformation

The Middle Ages, Renaissance, and Reformation 476 AD - 1500 A.D.

17th and 18th Centuries

17th and 18th Centuries

The Rise of the Institutions

The Rise of the Institutions 1800 - 1950

The Reawakening 1950 - 1980

The Reawakening 1950 - 1980

The Independent Living Movement

The Independent Living Movement 1970 -

The Self-Advocacy Movement

The Self-Advocacy Movement 1980 -

Part Two: 1950 to Today

Prologue

A Place to Call Home

A Place to Call Home

Definitions and Perspectives

Definitions and Perspectives

A Place to Learn

A Place to Learn

Real Work

Epilogue: Forging a New Reality

Epilogue: Resources

Partners In Policymaking Program
Partners Online Courses (5 Free Courses)
With an Eye to the Future (Minnesota History from the 2000 to Present)
With an Eye to the Past (Minnesota History from the 1800s to 2000)
A History of Human Services (Wolf Wolfensberger – 36 Hours of Lecture)
Disability Justice Resource Center (A Resource Center for Students, Lawyers and Advocates)
The DD Act (A History of the Developmental Disabilities Act from 1970 to Present)
The Learning Center (Historical Documents of the Council)

©2025 The Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities
Administration Building 50 Sherburne Avenue Room G10
St. Paul, Minnesota 55155
Phone: 651-296-4018 Toll-free number: 877-348-0505 MN Relay Service: 800-627-3529 OR 711
Email: admin.dd.info@state.mn.us View Privacy Policy An Equal Opportunity Employer

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.

This website is supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $1,152,808.00 funded by ACL/HHS and $222,000.00 funded by non-federal-government source(s). The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ACL/HHS, or the U.S. Government.