The Willowbrook State Developmental Center in New York is an example of horrific treatment of people with disabilities. The inhumane conditions present at the state facility were addressed in a class action lawsuit filed on March 17, 1972. The lawsuit sought immediate action to improve the conditions at Willowbrook including hiring more staff, providing adequate medical care, providing appropriate clothing and physical conditions for residents, and prohibiting the use of improper physical and chemical restraints. In April of 1973, U.S. District Court Judge Orrin G. Judd ruled that the conditions at Willowbrook violated the constitutional rights of people living in state custodial institutions to be protected from harm. Much of the relief requested was granted. The Willowbrook Consent Judgement was thus signed and put into effect to establish new standards of care at the institution.
The closing of Willowbrook. (n.d.). Disability Justice. Retrieved December 2, 2021 from https://disabilityjustice.org/the-closing-of-willowbrook/.
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