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  2. '50 years ago this month, we exposed a state institution. It's finally closing.'

'50 years ago this month, we exposed a state institution. It's finally closing.'

March 4, 2024
Polk State School & Hospital, later renamed Polk State Center, in Polk, Venango County, in an undated photo. (Historic American Buildings Survey/Library of Congress)
“In 1973, Polk State School and Hospital drugged, bound and caged people with intellectual disabilities. We demanded change and helped set the stage for improvements that have endured.”

Robert Nelkin was an integral part of Achieva’s history when known as the Allegheny County Chapter of the Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Children (ACC-PARC). His recent piece in Public Source is a must-read, along with the links within the article, which point to a rich collection of historical documents.
Read Public Source Essay

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