The Inspiration

In 1966, Dr. Burton Blatt published the photographic expose’ Christmas in Purgatory, a searing portrait of life in a mental institution that brought national attention to the abuse of people with mental retardation in America’s institutions.
This event eventually led to the closing of institutions like Willowbrook State School and pioneered an inclusive system of treatment for people with disabilities. Dr. Blatt helped initiate community living programs and family support services. And, as a national leader in special education, he called for programs to integrate students with disabilities into public schools and worked to promote a more open society for them.