The Activism of Elizabeth Lee and Lillian Hall and the Closing of Willowbrook State School
Elizabeth Lee was a Willowbrook social worker in the early 1970s and was fired, along with Willowbrook doctor Michael Wilkins, for her whistleblowing and parent-organizing that revealed the abuses there. Staten Island Advance reporter Jane Kurtin and ABC telejournalist Geraldo Rivera covered the story. Elizabeth Lee’s mother, Lillian Hall, joined the activism by advocating for group residences for people with Down Syndrome on Staten Island. Their activism spurred deinstitutionalization in the United States and the inclusion of people with disabilities in public school education.
Jennifer’s visually rich presentation shares a personal story of what she witnessed during this tumultuous time in our history and gives a fuller picture of the fight for rights for developmentally disabled people. Shaped by family experience with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, the powerful activism of these two women helped bring about key change at Willowbrook and beyond.
