An international authority on disability issues, Bengt Nirje of Sweden visited Minnesota state hospitals in 1967 before meeting with Governor Harold LeVander.
Nirje preached the "normalization principle," already successful in Scandinavia. This principle urged that people with developmental disabilities receive the same level of housing, schooling, and medical care provided for all other people.
Calling some Minnesota hospital conditions "horrible," "inhumane," and "impersonal," Nirje observed that he had witnessed "new means of degrading people" during his visits.
Swedish expert Bengt Nirje found Minnesota institutions "horrible" and "inhumane."
Arc continued to act as advocate for people with developmental disabilities, testifying before the Legislature that it was time to resolve the future of Minnesota's state hospitals once and for all.
At the hearings, witnesses outlined the need to reduce overcrowding. They also noted that current proposals to regionalize services neglected to discuss what happens to the residents currently living in Minnesota's state hospitals.
For decades, Arc was one of the state's
most vocal and effective advocates for people
with developmental disabilities.
In 1968, attorney Mel Heckt led a group of 11 judges, lawyers and law enforcement officials in drafting statutes protecting rights for people with developmental disabilities.
The Arc identified a legislative agenda that emphasized rights for people with developmental disabilities. The organization felt this emphasis was necessary before community services could be expanded.
Mel Heckt