When did the Pennhurst State School for mentally disabled open?
The Pennhurst State School and Hospital started up in a small town of Pennsylvania in 1908. The purpose was to help those people who have mental and physical disabilities. Both adults and children were brought there in its rambling campus. Most of them were sent by the parents, some children stayed there alone after that because parents never came to see them. They had a system to separate the patients according to their mental level. Some were able to do their work by their own, after treatment while some others were not able to even feed and bathe by their own. Patients of extreme conditions were stayed in cribs all day, where they were not able to move or roll over. The patients needed a constant attention and that was a very difficult task for the doctors but the most dreadful scene came to see when the hospital became overcrowded by the patients, in those days, the patients were look in a miserable condition. Some patients learnt to get the attention of the staff with their smeari
Terri Lee HALDERMAN, a retarded citizen, by her mother and guardian, Winifred HALDERMAN, Larry Taylor, a retarded citizen, by his parents and guardians, Elmer and Doris Taylor; Kenny Taylor, a minor, a retarded citizen, by his parents and guardians, Elmer and Doris Taylor; Robert Sobetsky, a minor, a retarded citizen, by his parents and guardians, Frank and Angela Sobetsky; Theresa Sobetsky, a retarded citizen, by her parents and guardians, Frank and Angela Sobetsky; Nancy Beth Bowman, a retarded citizen, by her parents and guardians, Mr. and Ms. Horace Bowman; Linda Taub, a retarded citizen, by her parents and guardians, Mr. and Mrs. Allen Taub; George Sorotos, a minor, a retarded citizen, by his foster parents, William and Marion Caranfa, all of the above individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated; The Parents and Family Association of Pennhurst; Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Citizens; Jo Suzanne Moskowitz, a minor, by her parents and next friends, Leonard an
Pennhurst State School and Hospital, which sits on the border between Chester County and Montgomery County in Pennsylvania, was an institution for both the mentally and physically disabled. Pennhurst opened in 1908 with high hopes of helping disabled youths throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania. However, Pennhurst’s seemingly good intentions came under question starting in the 1970s when rumors of physical and sexual abuse arose. Sources: http://en.wikipedia.
