Nov. 13th OMRDD Event Commemorates Willowbrook Anniversary, Americans with Disabilities Act

ALBANY, NY (11/02/2007)(readMedia)-- To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the closure of the Willowbrook State School in Staten Island, and raise awareness of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the NYS Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities will host The Road to Freedom, a landmark event featuring speakers, historic exhibits and guided tours of the Staten Island DDSO, which is located on the grounds of the former Willowbrook State School.

The event takes place Tuesday, Nov. 13 from 10 a.m. to noon at OMRDD’s Institute for Basic Research. IBR is located at 1050 Forest Hill Road in Staten Island, adjacent to the Staten Island DDSO.

“I am pleased to be part of an event which both respectfully pays tribute to Willowbrook’s important place in disability history, and shows the strides we’ve made to improve the lives of those with developmental disabilities and their families,” said Diana Jones Ritter, OMRDD Commissioner. Ritter, as well as local dignitaries, policymakers and disability advocates, will be on hand for the event.

“I am also excited to showcase some of the groundbreaking research being carried out at the Institute for Basic Research,” continued Ritter.

Exhibit highlights include displays showcasing the ground-breaking developmental disability research carried out at IBR, an illustrated timeline detailing significant events in developmental disability history, from Willowbrook’s closure through today, and posters illustrating the lives of individuals with developmental disabilities and their caregivers.

Also on tap is a touring ADA history exhibit organized by ADA Watch and the National Coalition of Disability Rights, an alliance of disability, civil rights and social justice organizations. Since Nov. 2006, James P.Ward, founder and president of the National Coalition for Disability Rights/ADA Watch, has traveled some 18,000 miles by bus, making more than 49 stops in 38 states, showcasing a collection of displays chronicling disability history. Featured are historic photographs by Tom Olin, whose work has been exhibited at the Smithsonian Institute.

The Willowbrook state school came to public notice in 1972 when a television documentary, written and narrated by journalist Geraldo Rivera, revealed deplorable living conditions.

Today the agency, under the leadership of Commissioner Ritter, is dedicated to enriching the lives of individuals with developmental disabilities and their families.

For more information about the Nov. 13 event, contact Kara Smith, OMRDD Director of Public Information, at (518) 474-6601.

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