History has not Been Kind to Iowa's Disabled

A fascinating timeline of the history of care for the developmentally disabled in Iowa. It's amazing to see how much things have changed for the better.


Building boom of mental institutions in 1800s
1861: The first patient was admitted to the Iowa Lunatic Asylum in Mount Pleasant.

1867: The Iowa Legislature established the Asylum for Feeble Minded Children in Glenwood. It eventually became the home for thousands of children and adults with developmental disabilities.

1873: A portion of the Iowa Hospital for the Insane in Independence is opened, though it took 10 years for construction of the entire institution to be completed.

1885: The state’s third mental hospital was built in Clarinda to relieve crowding at the first two facilities. It housed only men.

Families Offer Varying Views on Va. Disability Care Options

LYNCHBURG, Va. -- The state's final public hearing on institutions for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities this week brought out impassioned parents, relatives and advocates on both sides of a complex issue.

Some see large institutions, such as Lynchburg's Central Virginia Training Center, the largest and oldest, as needlessly segregating Virginians with disabilities from the rest of society.

They also say institutions' costly care — estimated at several thousand more than equivalent services in the community — are a drain on funding that could be used to move those training center residents into any number of community settings.

And it could help pay for thousands on waiting lists to receive services in their communities.