50 years after Willowbrook lawsuit, disabled people are still at risk, advocates say | amNewYork

"Willowbrook State School shuttered in 1987, but the legacy of the troubled institution lives on today in the fight for funding to support people with disabilities, panelists said at an event hosted by the New York Appellate Division, First Department. Situated on Staten Island, Willowbrook purported to offer medical and rehabilitative care for some 6,000 children and adults with intellectual disabilities. By the late 1960s, it was plagued by overcrowding, facing public outcry over neglect and lack of care for its residents."

"Victoria Schneps and her son Josh Schneps, the co-publishers of amNY Law, were among them. Their family played a central role in the push: Victoria Schneps' late husband Murray Schneps led the class action lawsuit in which her daughter Lara Schneps, a former Willowbrook resident, was a plaintiff. In the Willowbrook Consent Judgment of 1975, United States District Judge Orrin G. Judd mandated adequate care for the institution's residents and ultimately forced its closure."

"Decades later, the work isn't done, Victoria Schneps said. We are still in a war, she said, referring to underfunding that leaves facilities understaffed and contributes to the same resident neglect that racked Willowbrook. Victoria Schneps organized parents to march and picket in protest of budget cuts for facilities that treat those with disabilities. She founded the advocacy nonprofit Life's WORC, which provides comprehensive services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities."

Willowbrook State School operated on Staten Island and purported to offer medical and rehabilitative care for about 6,000 children and adults with intellectual disabilities. By the late 1960s the institution was plagued by overcrowding, neglect, and lack of adequate care. The Willowbrook Consent Judgment of 1975, issued by United States District Judge Orrin G. Judd, mandated adequate care for residents and ultimately led to the institution's closure in 1987. Murray Schneps led the class action lawsuit with Lara Schneps as a plaintiff. Persistent underfunding leaves facilities understaffed and contributes to recurring resident neglect. Victoria Schneps founded Life's WORC and organized protests against budget cuts.

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