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Dudley Advocacy
Supporting independent decision making...
Silent Minority - History of Learning Disabilities
Everyone involved within learning disabilities should have a basic understanding of the history of people with a learning disability. One of the most powerful documentries to capture this was 'Silent Minority', aired on British television in June 1981. The documentary spotlights alledgedly appalling conditions at Borocourt Hospital, Reading, Berks and St Lawrences Hospital Caterham, Surrey. This is part one of six episodes below.
Out of Sight
This collection of videos takes in Storthes Hall, Stanley Royd, Meanwood Park Colony, New Church Hospital, Carstairs and former service user experiences. The documentary is about the introduction of the Community Care Act in April 1993 and the closure of many of Britain's older mental hospitals. This report reveals how thousands of people, who were locked away in such institutions for long periods of their lives, were never mentally ill in the first place. They were incarcerated for being deaf or pregnant or simply unwanted, but, once committed they were automatically deemed insane, and had no way of escaping. Includes the personal testimonies of a number of victims of this cruel and outdated system.
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