Just over fifty years ago, Geraldo Rivera shocked the nation with his groundbreaking exposé on the abuse taking place at Willowbrook State School, at the time the largest institution in the world for people living with disabilities. Geraldo’s reporting, which featured interviews with patients and images of the deplorable conditions at the facility, led to the eventual closing of Willowbrook and the passage of civil rights protections for people with developmental disabilities. A new documentary, created by the New York State Developmental Disabilities Planning Council, titled, “The Path Forward: Remembering Willowbrook,” looks back on this historic event, 50 years later.
