“I Go Home” is a documentary that was premiered last week in the United States and is a fantastic, open and honest expression of the history of institutional care. Although it refers to institutions (state schools) in the United States of America it really is the story of people with disabilities in Australia and the United Kingdom and anywhere that institutions have been closed. It tells the story from all points of view and enters into the darker parts of this history. People with disabilities should tell their own story and in this documentary we see that occurring. There are some podcasts that accompany this documentary.
The documentary is available to see after it was screened yesterday on PBS. 56 minutes. This is free and has closed captions. If you are curious about the history of People with Intellectual Disabilities, I recommend this film too you.
“For years, children with intellectual disability were not allowed in public schools. Parents were told to send their children with intellectual disability away to institutions. It was not until the late 1960s that a television expose shed light on what was happening inside the walls of institutions. It was that knowledge that fueled parents and the public to ignite change.”
2 Comments
Hi – I work in mental health in Hobart Tasmania and I feel this is a great video. I will be sending it out to our head office and they then can send it on to each site – It says exactly what I have been saying for years knowing the history of how people with mental (I like to call it distress and not illness) have had their control taken away from the first episode put on heavy drugs to make them more manageable and even though they are out of the institution here at New Norfolk, we still have them in group homes and enjoy their company a lot but as you say most have trouble making friends and medical staff and us are about it for a lot. I have felt passionately about this for quite some years and I do know that people do the best they can with the tools they have so that there is no use in the blame game but we can just accept the simple truth that we are all the same in what we want – we are just all unique. Oh I could go on but yes this video is wonderful. Thank you so much. And thank you to the people who made this change and that court case as it has changed so many lives.
Hi Jill, It is a wonderful documentary which show the problems with institutions more so than people. It is all in the context of time and it is great to see people with lived experience telling their own story. To me that means that people are taking the rightful place in community.