[Disabilities]. [John F. Kennedy]

John F. Kennedy Helped 5 1/2 Million Mentally Retarded Americans. Have You Helped Even One of Them? [caption title]

[Washington, D.C. ca. 1966]. Pictorial broadside, 12 x 9 inches. Central crease, some light chipping and wear. Several small pinholes from hanging at top. Small pencil notation below text. About very good. Item #6525

Scarce broadside advertising the President's Committee on Mental Retardation, established by President Johnson in 1966 based on work begun during the Kennedy administration. Prior to Kennedy's initiative, persons with disabilities were often institutionalized and stigmatized. Kennedy's sister, Rosemary, was born with intellectual disabilities, giving him a personal link to the issue. Several months after his inauguration he convened a panel of experts to study the subject and make recommendations to improve the lives and treatment of persons with disabilities. Initially begun as the President's Panel on Mental Retardation, the group made recommendations which resulted in the 1963 Maternal and Child Health and Mental Retardation Planning Amendment to the Social Security Act, a major step forward in disability rights. Scarce and ephemeral, and an important piece of history on the subject.

Price: $750.00