The History of Individuals with Disabilities Reflection

After hearing Dr. Kiesling's presentation on the history of individuals with disabilities I was shocked at how much I did not know. I had the understanding that people with a disability were treated unfairly in the past but I didn't realize just how bad it had been. The institutions that people were urged to admit their loved ones to just because of a disability reminded me something of a prison. The pictures in Dr. Kiesling's presentation depicted very lonely and dark places, beds in rows across large rooms, and people left to fend for them selves. I was especially shocked to hear about Rose Mary Kennedy's story. The lengths that were gone to keep her condition from the public really made me understand what a stigma disability was seen as then.
This presentation has really made me become more aware of my views on how I perceive disability. I have never thought that anyone with a disability should be exiled or thought of the same as a criminal. However I also have never given my full attention to the different boundaries and how the mentalities of people who have a disability have evolved. The idea I'm referring to is how Dr. Kiesling mentioned that the younger generation of people who have a disability are the ones taking a stance and advocating for themselves vs how mothers and families advocated for them in the past. There were many take aways from this presentation and I think all of which will help me continue to grow in my education and also help prepare me for becoming a well informed OT.