MAY 1, 2009
Pennhurst Memorial and Preservation Alliance
The Arc of Philadelphia’s Director, Donna Bouclier has agreed to serve on the advisory board of directors of the newly formed Pennhurst Memorial and Preservation Alliance. The mission is to preserve the memory of the tragedies that occurred there by creating a place of conscience and a center for research and advocacy on its site. It is not just to preserve the physical structures.
The doors to Pennhurst closed in 1987 following the successful efforts of the Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia. In Halderman v. Pennhurst the Law Center succeeded in closing Pennhurst, the state-run institution where individuals with disabilities were incarcerated in subhuman conditions. A system of community based services was then created!
Visit www.preservepennhurst.com to learn more and to sign the petition.
The Arc of Philadelphia/PDDC • 2350 W Westmoreland St • Philadelphia, PA 19140 • 215-229-4550