Dr. Wolfensberger, RIP

Unless you work in the field of mental retardation/disabilities, you've probably never heard of Wolf Wolfensberger.

From the NDIS Good for People With Disablities blog:

Dr Wolfensberger had a strong commitment to people made vulnerable in a society where individualism, utilitarianism and hedonism reign. He made a huge contribution to people with disabilities…In 1999, seven major developmental disability organizations in the US proclaimed Dr Wolfensberger one of the 35 parties that had been the most impactful on “mental retardation” worldwide in the 20th century. Dr Wolfensberger’s work was also recognised by the US magazine ‘Exceptional Parent’ as one of the great 7 contributions to the lives of people with disabilities, along with Salk and the polio vaccine, braille, Americans with Disabilities Act and the wheelchair.

His work was called "Social Role Valorization", but essentially stressed individuals must personally care for the vulnerable (and by "care for" he means with loving care).

from the SocialRoleValorization website:

In today's world the concept that ALL people should have the same rights and civil liberties and the same access to everyday living conditions and circumstances as everyone else, regardless of disabilities either physical or cognitive, seems a forgone conclusion. Of course, they should. But when the young Dr. Wolf Wolfensberger...was first advancing and expanding the principle of Normalization, first devised by Scandinavian Bengt Nirje in the 1960s, and formulating the concept of Social Role Valorization (SRV) in the 1970s and 80s, it was far from a forgone conclusion...

"The normalization principle means making available to all people with disabilities patterns of life and conditions of everyday living which are as close as possible to the regular circumstances and ways of life or society." (Bengt Nirje, The basis and logic of the normalisation principle, Sixth International Congress of IASSMD, Toronto, 1982.)"

Many years ago, I attended one of his "deathmaking" conferences. It not only pointed out how devaluation, money, and lies lead to deathmaking, not only with the vulnerable/retarded/mentally ill/street people/minorities but how it led to war, the military industrial complex, and pollution. I don't agree with everything he said, but it did make one think and be skeptical of propaganda of the right the left and the middle of politics and corporations.

Some of lectures on the subject are linked on this page....more HERE.

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