Colette Acheson Photography:Baron PhotoGraphics

One belief, common around the time of the Second World War, was that individuals with developmental disabilities such as Down syndrome were a flaw against the vision of an idealized, “perfect” race of humans. As awful as that sounds, at different points in time around the world, accepted practices have allowed cultures to hide away, withdraw care, terminate, or institutionalize people with developmental disabilities.

 For the most part, our perspective in 2007 North American society is that we espouse the idea of inclusive communities where all people are valued. The challenge for many of us baby boomers who grew up in a time when the majority of children and adults with developmental disabilities were hidden in institutional settings is that, while we can accept the concepts of inclusion, we still might not know how that plays out in the real world.

“I have great hope for the future because of the people and relationships that have been touched by knowing Maggie. The kids she goes to school with now will grow up to be politicians, bankers, lawyers and teachers, and together they will create a new kind of world…” –Maggie’s dad and LACL Board President, Bruce MacKay.

The Lethbridge Association for Community Living, since its beginning 50 years ago, has seen several cycles of forward and backward movement towards the inclusive environment we strive for in Canada today. 

In 1952, a group of Southern Alberta families came together with a shared vision for their children to grow up, learn, play, live and contribute in the local community. Many of those families had been told by medical and educational professionals, social workers, church leaders and family that the best option, for themselves and their families, would be to assign their children to the provincial institution and “forget about them.”

At that time, these children were seen as an accident of nature. Phrases such as sending their children to “be with their own kind” helped parents to rationalize and accept the sometimes heartbreaking dilemma that they found themselves in. With that sort of thinking as the backdrop, it must have seemed quite radical for those Southern Alberta families to stand up against the expert opinions of the day in advocating for their children’s right to be cared for in the community. Here are the roots of inclusion as these parents fought to break down the barriers that kept their children in institutional care.

For the full story pick up the current issue of Lethbridge living Magazine