Day 32 - Establishment of the President's Panel on Mental Retardation

President John F. Kennedy meets with Kammy and Sheila McGrath, National Retarded Children’s Week poster children for 1961.

In 1961 President John F. Kennedy created a panel on Mental Retardation. The panel members spent a year gathering and analyzing information on intellectual disabilities and the intellectually disabled. Recommendations by the panel resulted in JFK’s plans for new programs for maternity and prenatal care, a move away from institutions and towards community centered agencies, as well as plans for the construction of research centers. Additionally, JFK emphasized the importance of special education, training, and rehabilitation.

Reference:

John F. Kennedy: Presidential Library and Museum. (n.d.). John F. Kennedy and People with Intellectual Disabilities. JFK Library. Retrieved October 1, 2021, from https://www.jfklibrary.org/learn/about-jfk/jfk-in-history/john-f-kennedy-and-people-with-intellectual-disabilities.