The Struggle for Self-Definition

Resistance takes many forms. Isolated individuals seeking a measure of control are also part of the rights movement. These homemade keys were confiscated from patients at the Winnebago, Wisconsin, Mental Health Institute.

Starting in the late 1840s, most children and adults with developmental or psychiatric disabilities were placed in institutions. Involuntary commitment, forced treatment, and poor living conditions compounded the loss of control they experienced. Since the 1970s, residential group homes have replaced most of the large institutions.