According to Edward Shorter, just forty years ago the institutions
housing people with mental retardation (MR) had become a national
scandal. The mentally retarded who lived at home were largely
isolated and a source of family shame. Although some social stigma
still attaches to the people with developmental disabilities (a
range of conditions including what until recently was called mental
retardation), they now actively participate in our society and are
entitled by law to educational, social, and medical services. The
immense improvement in their daily lives and life chances came
about in no small part because affected families mobilized for
change but also because the Kennedy family made mental retardation
its single great cause.
Long a generous benefactor of MR-related organizations, Joseph
P. Kennedy made MR the special charitable interest of the family
foundation he set up in the 1950s. Although he gave all of his
children official roles, he involved his daughter Eunice in
performing its actual work -- identifying appropriate recipients of
awards and organizing the foundation's activities. With unique
access to family and foundation papers, Shorter brings to light the
Kennedy family's strong commitment to public service, showing that
Rose and Joe taught their children by precept and example that
their wealth and status obligated them to perform good works. Their
parents expected each of them to apply their considerable energies
to making a difference.
Eunice Kennedy Shriver took up that charge and focused her
organizational and rhetorical talents on putting MR on the federal
policy agenda. As a sister of the President of the United States,
she had access to the most powerfulpeople in the country and drew
their attention to the desperate situation of families affected by
mental retardation. Her efforts made an enormous difference,
resulting in unprecedented public attention to MR and new
approaches to coordinating medical and social services. Along with
her husband, R. Sargent Shriver, she made the Special Olympics a
international, annual event in order to encourage people with
mental retardation to develop their skills and discover the joy of
achievement. She emerges from these pages as a remarkable and
dedicated advocate for people with developmental disabilities.
Shorter's account of mental retardation presents an unfamiliar
view of the Kennedy family and adds a significant chapter to the
history of disability in this country.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
