March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month.  Designated in 1987, this month commemorates progress in improving the lives of people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (I/DD) and stresses the challenges that remain in achieving full inclusion. In the spirit of promoting the voices of people with disabilities, we bring you the following Q & A with Gary, a YAI self advocate who spent more than 15 years inside the walls of the Willowbrook State School, an institution in Staten Island. Investigative Reporter Geraldo Rivera’s 1972 exposé revealed to the world the negligent treatment of residents and deplorable living conditions including overcrowding, unsanitary facilities and physical and sexual abuse. In 1987 Willowbrook was finally closed for its mistreatment of people with developmental disabilities. Today, Gary lives happily at YAI’s Tiffany Place residence and is an active member of his community. This month, Gary reflects on his experiences and on the progress made in the treatment of people with disabilities in the last 20 years.

YAI: How many years did you spend at Willowbrook?  

Gary: I was only three years old when I first went to Willowbrook. My parents put me in a hospital because they could not take care of me. I lived there between 15 and 20 years.

YAI: What do you remember the most about your time living there?

Gary: I remember that it was awful. I was cursed out everyday. I was told I could not go outside and I always had to be in a room with 60 other patients. People had to sit in their own feces. I was beat with a belt and hit with a stick like an animal. I was told I would not amount to anything.

YAI: How do you think people with disabilities are viewed and treated by society today as compared to how they were 20 years ago?

Gary: Willowbrook and other institutions have closed. People don’t look down on me that much anymore the way they used to.

YAI: What does being a self advocate mean to you?

Gary: Being a self advocate means knowing your rights and it means I speak up for myself and for others. It means I let everyone know when they are treating me or people with disabilities wrong.

YAI: As a self advocate, why do you think it is important that people understand the history of Willowbrook?

Gary: Everyone needs to be educated. They need to know what happened there. I tell everyone so that it will teach them and help other people with disabilities.

YAI: What is the biggest challenge in getting others to treat people with disabilities equally?

Gary: I think that me and other self advocates still need to educate people more so that everyone can learn that people with disabilities don’t need help with everything. I can do things on my own.

YAI: What does it mean to you to know that there is any organization like the YAI Network that provides equal opportunities for people of all ages with intellectual, developmental and physical disabilities?

Gary: The staff at YAI are very nice and do not talk down to me. Willowbrook was awful, hateful and a disgrace. It should not have happened and it ruined a lot of lives. There should be more agencies like YAI to give trainings about how people with disabilities should be treated. My dream was to live in a group home instead of live in an institution. YAI got me there.

Become an advocate during National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month! Show your support by lending your voice to help protect services for people with developmental disabilities. Visit yai.org/advocacy to learn more about how you can make a long-lasting impact.