Willowbrook
Community Integration, Disability Justice, Willowbrook
The landmark Willowbrook class action vindicated the civil rights of individuals with disabilities to live in the community, after a series of investigations in the 1970s unearthed deplorable conditions at the Willowbrook State School. Filed in 1972 (as New York State Assoc. for Retarded Children v. Rockefeller), the case resulted in a consent decree and later a permanent injunction. It predates major federal disability rights laws, and the concepts and rights won in this case shaped much of the deinstitutionalization movement of the 1970’s and beyond. NYLPI and co-counsel New York Civil Liberties Union represent the class and enforce the court order related to health, safety, and placements in the community.
Co-counsel: New York Civil Liberties Union
RESOURCES
Transit Advocates’ Letter Regarding MTA Congestion Pricing to Congress Members Gottheimer and Lawler
NYLPI Written Testimony to City Council Committee on Transportation Regarding Fiscal Year 2024 Preliminary Budget
Advocates for Children of New York (AFC) Guidance on Testifying at City Council Hearing on Education Budget
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