Indiana Disability History

Title

They Told Parents 'Stick Them in an Institution'

Subject

Family

Institutions

Muscatatuck State Developmental Center

New Castle State Developmental Center

Description

"Our society told parents at that time, they’re retarded, you don’t want them at home, stick them in an institution, forget that they were born." Three interviewees who worked as staff at Muscatatuck and New Castle State Hospitals in the 1960s and 70s describe the admission of adults and children whose families had few options at the time. Medical advice was to institutionalize those labeled with an intellectual disability. Families lacked community supports and the financial means required to pay for care of their son or daughter at home. Public schools were not an option for children with intellectual disabilities. This video is a compilation of excerpts from interviews with Patty Cook, Sue Beecher, and Sarah Poole.