The groundswell of support for reform continued to grow. In 1950, Geri Joseph published a follow-up series, noting improvements in the state institution system.
Among the improvements: A shared diet for both employees and residents, the nation's first "Patient Bill of Rights," and establishment of the nation's first volunteer services office.
By the 1950s, some improvements were seen.
Despite these advances, the "medical model" for treatment continued to prevail. Infants with developmental disabilities were removed from their families shortly after birth and placed in institutions. Some parents even turned their babies over in their strollers to prevent anyone from seeing their children's disabilities.
Unfortunately, the medical model continued to be the standard for decades.
Infants with developmental disabilities were removed from their families shortly after birth and placed in institutions.
In 1951, Governor Youngdahl left office and the campaign for improved treatment of people with development disabilities lost one of its greatest champions. Fortunately, his successor, Governor C. Elmer Andersen, shared Youngdahl's passion for improving conditions at state-run hospitals.
In 1954, several years into his four-year term, Governor Andersen requested a report detailing the current condition of state hospitals. Unfortunately, the report wasn't completed until 1956 and was delivered to Andersen's successor, Governor Orville Freeman.
Governor C. Elmer Anderson:
Sharing the Vision
The report on hospital conditions showed that Faribault, one of the largest state hospitals, was more than 60 percent over capacity. The Cambridge facility was grappling with a similar problem, housing twice as many residents as allowed.
By 1954, the waiting list – which had alarmed Governor Hubbard in 1883 when it had 59 children on it – had exploded to include 884 children. Projections indicated that another 400 would be added over the next three years.
Some facilities routinely operated
at 60% over capacity.
Drastic change was needed. Simply expanding the current system was unacceptable.
Two visionaries – John Holahan and Jerry Walsh – came forward with a plan to redesign the way the state cared for people with developmental disabilities. They created a blueprint for a new service system and how it should work.
In May of 1957, the state office of Minnesota Arc opened with Jerry Walsh as its first executive director.
Visionaries Holahan (top middle) and Walsh (bottom) created a blueprint for a new system.
Initiating an aggressive information campaign, Miriam Karlins and others at the Department of Public Welfare published a series of booklets for parents describing its services, guardianship and individual planning options available through county welfare departments.
Miriam Karlins initiated an aggressive parent information campaign.
In 1957, Dr. Eunice Davis headed an in-depth study of 244 children in four Minnesota counties to determine their needs and better estimate the number of people requiring institutionalization.
Of the nearly 250 children originally identified, about half were evaluated and found to have cognitive disabilities, suggesting that misdiagnosis was a potential problem.
An in-depth study by Dr. Eunice Davis found that almost 50% of children with developmental disabilities could have been misdiagnosed.
Action-oriented parents continued pushing for change, often contacting the state Commissioner of Education demanding to know why their children with IQs of 48-49 weren't allowed to attend school.
The Commissioner called upon University of Minnesota Professor Maynard Reynolds for help. Dr. Reynolds knew that special education teachers were in short supply but, unfortunately, state funds were not available for training.
Dr. Maynard Reynolds