Shriver helped bring Down syndrome out of society's shadows

From the St. Petersburg [FL] Times:
Parents who raised their children with Down syndrome at home at a time when doctors recommended institutionalization offer praise for Eunice Kennedy Shriver. They say she brought people with intellectual disabilities out of the shadows and helped society see new possibilities.

When some parents began to reject the notion of institutionalization in the 1950s and ’60s, they were largely left to fend for themselves.

“I’ve thought about this so often. Who were these families who made these decisions initially?” said Madeleine Will, vice president of public policy for the National Down Syndrome Society. “They were choosing not to institutionalize their children at a time when there was no support and even confronting rejection and hostility.”

In 1968, the Special Olympics ignited a new commitment to diversity and acceptance. Soon, people with intellectual disabilities began to benefit from increased funding and legislation that helped them push past boundaries, but advocates say the fight for justice continues for people with disabilities.

Society still has a long way to go, said Dr. Brian Skotko, a fellow in genetics at Children’s Hospital Boston. Many families endure long waits for help from the government and community organizations; disabled people are still housed in institutions; popular movies still disparagingly use what Skotko called “the R word.”

“Not all of the ghosts have left the banquet table,” he said.