The legacy of the former Belchertown State School is “exceptionally complicated,” but preserving its memory is imperative, says the author of a new book, “Belchertown State School.”
“First and foremost is respecting all those who were residents at the state school. It’s also important to remember that, despite the ample news coverage and ‘horror’ stories that came out of the state school, there were far more staff who were caring and worked to make life at the state school as pleasant as possible for the residents,” says author Katherine M. Anderson, of Agawam.
From a historical perspective it’s also important that all sides of the state school’s history be represented and that an appropriate interpretation be provided, she adds.
“While the state school did become a ‘snake pit,’ it was started with the best of intentions and served as a home to many residents who would otherwise have been cast out on their own,” Anderson says. “The key is to recognize the part the historical time period played in the development – and eventual demise – of the entire state school system.”
In the first decade of the 20th century, Massachusetts established itself as a leader in the education of individuals with disabilities. The third state school for the “feebleminded” was built in Belchertown.
Opened in 1915, it eventually encompassed almost 900 acres of land and was the largest employer in town. For nearly 60 years, the state school educated individuals with disabilities who were otherwise excluded from public education, training the residents to become independent members of their families and of society.
The model was a success until reports of abuse and neglect began to surface, culminating in the landmark 1972 federal class-action lawsuit against the state, in the case of Ricci vs. Greenblatt, which led to the state school’s closure.
“Whenever there is a large number of people under the care of others with an obvious imbalance of power, abuse and neglect are nearly impossible to avoid,” Anderson says.
5
“As more residents were committed to Belchertown, the school became overpopulated while being woefully underfunded and improperly staffed,” she says. “The buildings were filthy, crumbling masses with rodent infestations. There was a distinct lack of privacy in all aspects of the residents' lives such as no dividers in the restrooms, no shower stalls. There weren’t even seats on the toilets.”
When advocate, University of Massachusetts professor and parent Benjamin Ricci brought his lawsuit against the state, the complaint was more than 40 pages of human rights violations that resulted in mistreatment, illness and even death, she notes. “Like the state hospitals for the ‘insane,’ the state schools were relying on medications and physical control to maintain daily routine. Education was no longer a priority, nor was returning residents to their homes,” Anderson says.
As an educator, Anderson feels the most important lesson to learn is not to repeat this “dismal” history: “We have come a long way in integrating individuals with disabilities into public education – as well as the workforce – but we still have a long way to go. Isolating and warehousing individuals with disabilities is absolutely never the answer.”
Anderson sees that great strides have been made in preserving the dignity of individuals with disabilities. “Public education has brought special education classrooms out of the basement and has worked hard to mainstream students with their typically developing peers,” she says. “Independent living opportunities as well as employment opportunities are far more readily available, and there are a number of agencies who work tirelessly to assist individuals in navigating housing, employment, higher education, etc.”
Anderson, special education coordinator at Springfield Honors Academy, is a 20-year veteran in special education, who began her career in residential treatment facilities where a number of her coworkers worked at Belchertown. She also has an interest in abandoned buildings and had the opportunity to explore and extensively photograph the state school over a number of years.
“The history of the state school is the history of special education,” she says. “The growth and eventual downfall of Belchertown informs everything we do today as special educators, and it’s a very important part of human history in general.”
The school closed in 1992 when Anderson was 12.
She did research for “Belchertown State School” by reading other books about it and speaking with people who were associated with it. The book is the product of nearly 13 years of interviews, document collection and digging through archives that began when she wrote her first nonfiction book, “Behind the Walls,” in 2006, a collected history of asylums and state schools in New England.
The majority of the photos in the book were collected by the late Don LaBrecque, a regional trainer for the state Department of Developmental Services. “He was passionate about the history of state schools and collected everything he could from photos and video to oral histories and as much documentation on the history as possible,” says Anderson. The book is dedicated to him.
Some of the images are from the Stone House Museum in Belchertown and the University of Massachusetts archives.
This is Anderson’s third book in the Images of America series published by Arcadia Publishing. A fourth focuses on the history of Worcester State Hospital and is due out next year. She also has written a history of state schools in Massachusetts for Fonthill Media and has a book on the history of reform schools in Massachusetts due out with them next year.
The president of the Belchertown State School Friends Association, she has written two historic novels, one set at Northampton State Hospital that was the winner of the 2017 Reader Views Regional Fiction Award.
“Belchertown State School” retails for $21.99. It has 128 pages and is a paperback. It is available in area book stores and on Amazon as well as from the Arcadia website, arcadiapublishing.com. For more information on Belchertown State School Friends Association, go to bssfriends.org.
"book" - Google News
September 27, 2020 at 05:00PM
https://ift.tt/2EHPU5q
Book documents ‘dismal’ history, demise of Belchertown State School - masslive.com
"book" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2Yv0xQn
https://ift.tt/2zJxCxA
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Book documents ‘dismal’ history, demise of Belchertown State School - masslive.com"
Post a Comment