Serving the Maine Communities of Franklin County, Livermore & Livermore Falls

Attorney General Janet T. Mills
LEAP 35th Anniversary, Calzalaio’s, Wilton, Maine
Thursday, October 22, 2015

Nearly 40 years ago, Hubert H. Humphrey said:

“The moral test of government is how it treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the aged; and those in the shadows of life, the sick, the needy and the handicapped.”

With the growing epidemic of autism, and the continuing challenge of those born with developmental disabilities, families of all economic strata and all demographics all over our state are faced with the perpetual care of loved ones who cannot care for themselves to some degree or another.

With this growing need, and with this celebratory anniversary, it’s important to visit history for a moment and perhaps to learn from it.

On July 3d, 1975, a group of concerned individuals filed a lawsuit in the federal court in Portland alleging a violation of federal civil rights of the individuals then housed in the Pineland Center, a state institution for the mentally retarded, to use the term of the day.

Pineland was not a ‘home,’ not a hospital, not a dormitory. It was an ‘institution’ in the worst sense of the word, a warehouse for human souls. It was where families deposited individuals who were labeled “mentally retarded,” whether they were in fact disabled or not, because the families could not take care of them. It was where people became invisible, living in the shadows, residing in some of the worst conditions, where people were uncared for, left to fend for themselves without families, friends or true caregivers. They were the forgotten, the unknown, the unloved members of our society.

In 1978 the parties to the lawsuit entered into a consent decree to vindicate the violations of civil rights described in the 1975 lawsuit.

In 1991 the “Consumer Advisory Board” and a group of Pineland Center residents, outpatients and guardians sought to enforce the rights created under that 1978 decree. The parties agreed to negotiate a new consent decree, this one more reflective of current standards of support for the developmentally disabled.

The result was the “Community Consent Decree of 1994.”

In 1996 the last residents were successfully moved out of Pineland Center and into the community. The institution that was the focus of the 1975 lawsuit was officially closed.

Now, “Pineland” is a sprawling and beautiful campus where meetings and conferences take place, a place with gardens, arboretums and expansive views. There is no trace of the institution that once housed hundreds of abandoned and needy citizens, some of whom live among us now.

In the years that followed the 1994 Decree, Maine became a national leader in providing services to the developmentally disabled in the community.

As of 2007, Maine was one of only 10 jurisdictions with no state operated institutional facilities for the developmentally disabled.

At the same time, the Maine legislature enacted a series of statutory reforms that include advocacy; grievance procedures; restrictions on restraints; appeals; nutrition and medical care and humane treatment; the right to work, vote, own property and practice religion; minimum levels of services; respite care; and personal plans of care.

The State also obtained a federal waiver to pay for residential programs with Medicaid funds.

The litigation that started in July 1975 over time resulted in two decrees, three motions to dismiss, the oversight of four different federal judges, three court masters, ten DHHS Commissioners and five different Governors through seventeen legislative sessions.

And the attorneys racked up hundreds of thousands of dollars in fees year after year.

Five years ago, convinced that the State of Maine had finally fulfilled its commitment, with a continuing obligation to care for its most vulnerable citizens without oversight by a federal court, Judge George Singal dismissed the lawsuit.

Maine was and is ahead of the curve, not simply because of the lawsuit that closed Pineland but because of a caring and energetic group of advocates, because of conscientious lawmakers and policy makers and because of communities like ours which take seriously the responsibility to care for our neediest citizens.

Our community has taken special care to integrate citizens with special needs into our activities. They live downtown; they exercise along the bike paths and trails we use. They shop in the stores. They eat at local restaurants. They watch the same parades and enjoy the same festivals, the same change of seasons. They are truly part of our community and our neighborhoods, the climate of our town. “They” are us.

In my own home, Iky, Margaret, Pam, Willy, Arthur and Irving are household names. They were and are dearly beloved, many of them now missed.

That’s because of the time my stepdaughter Tammy spent as a caregiver in LEAP’s group homes. For seventeen years these clients were family. Her young son, my grandson, learned to sign in order to communicate with them and to treat these wonderful people as his friends, his brothers and sisters, joining them on outings and visiting with them regularly.


Six years ago, former President George H.W. Bush, in commemorating the 19th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, said:

"There is no place in our society for prejudice of any kind, yet it was not that long ago when Americans with disabilities were often not given equal rights and opportunities. Whether the cause was ignorance or indifference, it was not acceptable. We can all take pride in how much the ADA has accomplished, which is evident every time you attend a sporting event, ride the subway, or go to work. Yet, there is always more to be done, which is why it's good not only to celebrate our successes [and our anniversaries], but to look forward at what still must be done. As long as we never forget that every life is a miracle and each person has something to contribute, we will finish the job."

Someone else said, "The only disability in life is a bad attitude." (- Scott Hamilton).

Well, this community has a great attitude. And I hope we never lose sight of the history, the changes, the perpetual needs, and the eternal vigilance we need to make sure the clock never turns back.


A few weeks ago I heard journalist Katherine Boo speak at the Lovejoy Convocation at Colby College. One thing she said was: “Empathy is a muscle—the more you sense it, the more you can do.”

Empathy is what this community demonstrates every day.

It is not just money, not just three meals a day and a room to call your own that each LEAP client enjoys. It is the love and care of a decent community. A family of broad and deep humanity.

Thank you for what all of you do to support LEAP, and congratulations on this remarkable anniversary—thirty-five years of successful service—and, we hope, many more years of such significant contributions to our community.

Thank you.

----------

© Copyright 2024 United Way of the Tri Valley All rights reserved.
Designed by Aptuitiv, Inc Powered by branchCMS