Oral history project examines dark history, progress of disability rights in Delaware

Feeble-minded. Idiot. Imbecile. Moron.

Those were words used to describe people with mental disabilities by Delaware medical professionals in the 20th century. People with disabilities, including children as young as 2 years old, were often treated at the Stockley Center, a state mental institution in Georgetown. 

Once they came to Stockley, it was common for these residents to be sterilized, then a standard procedure done at institutions throughout the country. 

These are just some of the harrowing details highlighted in the Delaware Developmental Disabilities Council history project, "Claws and Wings."

The organization has documented the history of disability rights in Delaware in a series of videos, with the hopes it will help avoid the "mistakes past generations have made," said Pat Maichle, senior administrator for the council. 

Much has changed in regards to the treatment of people with disabilities, particularly after the Americans with Disability Act was passed in 1990. This law prohibits the discrimination against a person with physical or mental disabilities. This applies to all aspects of life, particularly employment, education, transportation and places open to the public. 

"For people with disabilities, it has empowered them to speak up for themselves and be contributing viable members of our community," Maichle said of the law. "Prior, they were in the shadows, not addressed and shoved into institutions."

The project consists of 21 videos, all published on YouTube, that describe the experiences faced by people with disabilities and their family members before and after the passing of the legislation. The interviews were recorded in 2017 and cover the history of disability rights in Delaware, spanning from 1917 to present day. 

Maichle said a major aspect of the oral history is highlighting the mistreatment of people with disabilities, specifically in institutions. There are still institutions in Delaware, including the Stockley Center, though the treatment has greatly improved, she said. 

She says she worries the country is heading back to institutionalization.

"It's frightening to those of us... we're hopeful we will educate those people," she said.

Linda Fleetwood, a volunteer for the museum at the Stockley Center, said in her interview she never wants the records of lobotomies in Delaware to disappear. Lobotomies were a surgical operation, done without anesthesia, that involved an incision into the prefrontal lobe of a person's brain.

During the 1950s and 60s, doctors thought lobotomies could treat mental illness but were later proven wrong. Fleetwood said 14 lobotomies were done by doctors in Delaware during the 1960s 

"That was a blot on the history of the state of Delaware," she said in the video. 

While some videos focus on the dark history, others highlight the progress that has been made.

Newark resident Reese Eskridge, who has Asperger's syndrome, spoke about how the passing of the Americans with Disability Act has led to more acceptance and inclusion in society, particularly in the workforce. 

Eskridge, 25, told The News Journal that he wanted to be a part of the history project because he hopes it will help people with disabilities become a part of mainstream culture. 

"I hope that instead of being perceived as this odd-ball guy, that I'm just another part of the community," he said. "The best part would be no more stigma. 

"Just accept me as I am." 

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Contact Meredith Newman at 302-324-2386 or at mnewman@delawareonline.com. Follow her on Twitter at @merenewman.