I'M SHANTEL DESTRA.

MORE THAN 50 YEARS AGO, A TENACIOUS INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER BY THE NAME OF GERALDO RIVERA SHED LIGHT ON AN ATROCITY THAT WAS HAPPENING FOR DECADES IN NEW YORK STATE.

THAT WAS THE WILLOWBROOK STATE SCHOOL ON STATEN ISLAND.

IT OPENED IN 1947 AND WAS SEEN AS THE ONLY OPTION FOR PARENTS STRUGGLING TO CARE FOR CHILDREN WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES.

THEY WERE TOLD THEIR CHILDREN WOULD HAVE ACCESS TO CARE AND EDUCATION, BUT THEIR REALITY WAS JUST THE OPPOSITE.

MANY OF THE CHILDREN WERE LEFT ALONE IN DARK, DIRTY ROOMS WITHOUT ENOUGH FOOD TO EAT.

THERE WERE REPORTS OF CHILDREN COVERED IN URINE AND FECES AND HEPATITIS WAS COMMON.

IN 1972, RIVERA PRODUCED A SHOCKING EXPOSÉ ABOUT THE CONDITIONS.

"HOW IS IT LIVING ON THE WARD THAT YOU LIVE?"

"DISGUST."

"THE ATTENDANTS ARE TRYING THEIR BEST, BUT THE STAFF IS JUST TOO SMALL TO DO ANYTHING MORE THAN JUST TRY AND KEEP THE PLACE CLEAN.

NO REHABILITATION, NO TRAINING, NOTHING."

AND AFTER A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT, WILLOWBROOK CLOSED IN 1987.

TO MARK MORE THAN 50 YEARS SINCE RIVERA'S EXPOSÉ, A DOCUMENTARY WAS RELEASED.

IT WAS PRODUCED BY THE STATE'S COUNCIL ON DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES AND THE OFFICE OF GENERAL SERVICES.

WE SENT A CREW TO CAPTURE THE PREMIERE IN THE CAPITAL REGION.

[APPLAUSE] THE IDEA FOR A DOCUMENTARY CAME TO US ABOUT A YEAR AGO WHEN WE BEGAN PRODUCING A SERIES OF VIDEOS COMMEMORATING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF GERALDO RIVERA'S EXPOSÉ.

OUR FIRST INTERVIEW IN THIS SERIES WAS WITH GERALDO AND BERNARD CARABELLO, AND WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY WAS SO COMPELLING, WE THOUGHT, THERE iIS MORE OF THIS STORY WE NEED TO TELL.

AT THE PREMIERE OF THE DOCUMENTARY, SURVIVORS, SUPPORTERS, AND LONGTIME ADVOCATES SHARED THEIR RESPECTIVE STORIES ON THE WILLOWBROOK STATE SCHOOL WHILE STRESSING THE IMPORTANCE OF CONTINUING TO REMEMBER THE TRAGEDY THAT WAS WILLOWBROOK.

THANK YOU FOR PUSHING FOR CHANGE, FOR SOUNDING THE ALARM, FOR YOUR TREMENDOUS ADVOCACY.

THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART AND I KNOW THEY FEEL THE SAME [APPLAUSE] DEBORAH WEISS HAD A BROTHER NAMED ROBERT, ROBERT WHO WAS ALSO KNOWN AS ROBBIE TO HIS LOVED ONES.

ROBERT WAS PLACED AT WILLOWBROOK AT JUST SIX YEARS OLD IN 1958.

DEBORAH SPOKE ABOUT THE ANGER SHE FELT ABOUT THE CONDITIONS OF WILLOWBROOK.

IT WAS ABOUT FOUR YEARS AFTER HE DIED.

I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL WHEN THE EXPOSÉ CAME OUT WHICH WAS EXTREMELY OVERWHELMING AND HORRIFYING TO ME.

I SECRETLY WATCHED THE NEWS.

I SECRETLY PEEKED AT THE NEWSPAPER.

WE NEVER EVER DISCUSSED IT AT HOME AND I WAS CONFUSED AND ANGRY AND JUST COULDN'T COMPREHEND WHY IN THE WORLD MY PARENTS WOULD HAVE SENT THEIR SON TO THIS HORRIBLE PLACE AND HAVE PRETTY MUCH DESERTED HIM AND I SPENT YEARS BEING ANGRY.

IT'S JUST IMPORTANT FOR ME THAT MY BROTHER NOT BE FORGOTTEN AND HE MEANT SOMETHING.

HE MEANT SOMETHING TO ME.

I KNOW NOW THAT HE MATTERED DEEPLY.

LIKE DEBORAH, JOSE RIVERA ALSO HAD A BROTHER AT THE WILLOWBROOK STATE SCHOOL.

JOSE HAS CONTINUED TO SHED LIGHT ON THE PAIN, TRAUMA AND REGRET HIS FAMILY HAS ENDURED AFTER PUTTING HIS BROTHER LOUIE IN THE STATE SCHOOL WITH EGREGIOUS CONDITIONS THAT THEY HAD NO IDEA ABOUT.

AS PER THE PROFESSIONALS AT THE TIME, WILLOWBROOK WAS THE ONLY OPTION.

UNFORTUNATELY WHAT THAT DID IS CAUSED SIGNIFICANT TRAUMA, EMOTIONAL DAMAGE TO MY PARENTS AND I THINK TO THE FAMILY.

AND I THINK MY PARENTS STRUGGLED WITH WHAT THEY SUDDENLY REALIZED HAD HAPPENED WHEN THEY TOOK THE LEAD OF THE PROFESSIONALS AND RECOGNIZED THAT LOUIS WAS NOT GETTING WHAT THEY WOULD LED TO BELIEVE LOUIS WAS GONNA GET AND LOUIS REGRESSED.

SO THIS DOCUMENTARY ITS INTENT HOPEFULLY IS TO REMIND PEOPLE OF WHAT CAN OCCUR WHEN WE DISREGARD HUMAN LIFE, HUMAN BEINGS AND WHAT A HUMAN BEING IS ABLE TO ACHIEVE WHEN GIVEN THE NECESSARY SUPPORTS, ASSISTANCE AND AN OPPORTUNITY TO THRIVE.

PEOPLE LIKE MY BROTHER WERE ISOLATED AND HIDDEN AWAY FROM SOCIETY WHEN THEY WERE INSTITUTIONALIZED AND THERE ARE FAMILIES TODAY WHO STILL BEAR THAT STRUGGLE, THAT SUFFERING FOR HAVING PLACED THEIR CHILD IN A STATE INSTITUTION AND MISLED BY WHAT THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE GONNA GET FOR THEIR CHILD.

SO I HOPE THAT MESSAGE COMES OUT LOUD AND CLEAR FROM THIS DOCUMENTARY AND IT'S REMEMBERED FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS TO COME.

WHILE THE GROUNDBREAKING WILLOWBROOK EXPOSÉ WAS OVER 50 YEARS AGO, ADVOCATES SAY MORE STILL NEEDS TO BE DONE TO FURTHER ADVANCE THE WAY IN WHICH PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES ARE CARED FOR AND LOOKED AFTER.

ONE OF THOSE ADVOCATES IS WILLIE MAE GOODMAN.

AFTER HER DAUGHTER MARGARET FACED WILLOWBROOK, WILLIE MAE BECAME A FEARLESS DISABILITY RIGHTS ADVOCATE AND CO-CHAIR OF THE WILLOWBROOK COMMITTEE.

SHE UNDERSCORED CONCERNS MANY ADVOCATES HAD ABOUT WILLOWBROOK AND ABOUT HOW PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES ARE CARED FOR TODAY.

THE SYSTEM IS DEALING MORE WITH PAPER THAN JUST WITH PEOPLE.

I KNOW THEY GOT A SAYING, PUTTING PEOPLE FIRST.

THEY ARE NOT PUTTING PEOPLE FIRST.

THEY'RE PUTTING PAPER FIRST.

AND I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT.

I'M HOPING THAT WITH THIS, THAT PEOPLE GET TO UNDERSTAND PEOPLE WHO HAVE A DISABILITY, WHO CAN'T SPEAK.

I'M HOPING THEY WILL UNDERSTAND, THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO LIVE IN A DECENT ENVIRONMENT.

THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO LIVE IN A COMMUNITY.

AND THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN ANYTHING EVERYBODY ELSE IS PARTICIPATING IN.

THE DOCUMENTARY TITLED, "THE PATH FORWARD, REMEMBERING WILLOWBROOK," WILL BE AIRING ON PBS MEMBER STATIONS ACROSS THIS STATE THIS MONTH.

CHECK YOUR LOCAL LISTINGS.

YOU CAN ALSO WATCH IT ONLINE OR ON YOUTUBE.

WE'LL LINK TO IT ON OUR WEBSITE.

THAT'S AT NYNOW.ORG.

AND TO LEARN MORE, WE SAT DOWN