The 1960s: The Growth of a Highly Segregated System.
A Valuing Focus on Work, At Least For Some.

Three major developments dominated the 1960s

• The President’s Panel on Mental Retardation called for major attention to the employment of adults and the preparation of young people for employment.
• Major growth in the numbers of day activity centers and sheltered workshops across the country, and federal funding to aid in that expansion.
• Widespread experience with people with developmental disabilities working in real jobs for minimum wage or better, thus bolstering an analysis of the positive economic impact of employment.

Photo courtesy Ann Marsden