What was your biggest takeaway from the Willowbrook documentary? What is one thing that stuck out to you? by

Willowbrook Documentary

2025-08-21 13:37:13 UTC

The way they used Willowbrook as a place to drop off these kids with disabilities so the parents could "move on" and essentially live a better life. Also, they kept the kids hidden away as if they were an embarrassment and not fit to live in the outside world.

Hannah Bentley

2025-08-21 13:38:05 UTC

My biggest takeaway is the fight for disability right is ongoing. Awareness and Advocacy still matter. One thing that stuck out to me was that this place was “meant to provide care” but became infamous for abuse and neglect. That made me really angry and upset. They didn’t even have basic hygiene or medical care.

2025-08-21 13:38:31 UTC

My biggest takeaway from the Willowbrook documentary was without the doctors speaking out and exposing what was really happening, no one would have known. They hide the patients and their treatment not only from the public but their parents too. One thing that stuck out to me was the videos of the patients naked, crawling around, abandoned, and stuck.

Macy Malone

2025-08-21 13:38:31 UTC

My biggest takeaway from this documentary was the fact that everything was almost hidden from society and most importantly, the parents of these kids. I think that this small part of this school shows so much more than just surface level. I believe that it shows how the workers knew that something was not okay, and they did not have any care to change it. The fact that parents had no idea how students were being treated showcases that the workers viewed the place as a way to hide the children from society instead of making adjustments that better fits their needs.

Emily Jones

2025-08-21 13:38:47 UTC

My biggest takeaway from the Willowbrook documentary is that it is important to advocate for those who may not have the opportunity to advocate for themselves. If the doctors hadn't spoken up, then Willowbrook could've continued on in that manner. The photos of the unsanitary living conditions stuck out to me the most.

Aleia Kate Harper

2025-08-21 13:39:29 UTC

Something that stuck with me was that there was no amount of cleanup Willowbrook could do to change the court's mind. The severity of the living conditions could not be swept under the rug. This just shows just how badly they were treating the kids who lived there.

Annie Coultas

2025-08-21 13:39:33 UTC

Something that stuck out to me while watching the documentary was how intense the living conditions were. It was more like jail than anything and it was horrible to watch and see how the parents didn’t even know how their children were being treated.

Katie Murphy

2025-08-21 13:39:38 UTC

One thing that stuck to me was the sister who told the story of her baby brother that was a patient at Willowbrook and unfortunately passed away because of the horrible conditions he had to endure while there. So many kids were overlooked and stripped of basic needs such as privacy, clothes, food, etc.

Kaylee Baker

2025-08-21 13:39:41 UTC

My biggest takeaways are:

A lot has changed in the people with disabilities are viewed since Willowbrook. It was very disheartening to see that children especially were not cared for in the way that they should have been
It is also hard to believe that the social norm for parents was to drop kids off with disabilities and not talk about them.

Willowbrook Documentary

2025-08-21 13:39:43 UTC

My biggest takeaway from this documentary was how these children with disabilities were denied their basic human rights at Willowbrook and they were very understaffed which caused neglect towards these children.

2025-08-21 13:39:45 UTC

My biggest take away from this video is that not everyone was always treated the same in the education world and they had to fight really hard and still are to be treated like a person should be. Something that really stuck out to me was the fact that they treated them so badly. As someone watching the video it seemed like they treated them like prisoners which is terrible. They would have multiple steel doors just to get in the place which is crazy to me, these kids aren't dangerous and don't need steel doors. They truly should have been treated like anyone else.

2025-08-21 13:39:46 UTC

Something that shocked me was how they were treated. It was honestly so sad. When he was talking about how they threw the cookie on the ground is one of the things that really upset me because of how they were treated. After watching this I realized how they all were treated and it was so unfair. It was almost like they treated them like this and hid them because they were embarrassed of them.

I also found it so sad that some of them weren’t clothed and that they were covered in their own feces.

Alexis Patterson

alexispatterson958 — 2025-08-21 13:39:52 UTC

That they used Willowbrook as an escape, so the parents didn't have to deal with them, but in the place, they were neglected when it was supposed to help, and they would let their hair get knotted and would have to save their head at times.

Leslie Harris

2025-08-21 13:39:56 UTC

What stuck out to me was that the parents could not do much for their child once they were enrolled in this school. There was a lack of attention or care for these kids. Kids were naked, beaten, not bathed, and starved. Luckily there were people willing to speak out and help these kids, so they were able to shut them down and get them help they needed.

Ella Helminski

2025-08-21 13:40:08 UTC

My biggest takeaway from the willowbrook documentary was the fact that the parents of the patients were left in the dark and had no idea what their children were going through. Parents dropped their kids off and thought that Willowbrook would be a place for their kids to be taken care of, but they were neglected and abused

Martha Koppi

marthakop89 — 2025-08-21 13:40:15 UTC

When I watched the Willow brook video, I was speechless. I honestly felt upset and shocked. Because as you know the place was so crowded and dirty, and the people living there weren’t being treated with kindness or respect. What really stuck out to me was how the staff they just ignored the kids like they weren’t even people and I feel like they treat them like an animal. Also it's made me realize how important it is to use respectful words because everyone deserves to be seen as a person first. Watching it made me feel sad but also made me want to treat others with more kindness and respect.

Abbey Hall

2025-08-21 13:40:34 UTC

My biggest takeaway from the Willowbrook documentary is that there is still so much more that we can do as a society to uplift and supoort those with disabilities. One thing that stuck out to me was the videos and pictures of the patients.

Maci Masters

2025-08-21 13:41:00 UTC

One thing that stood out to me in the Willowbrook documentary was how truly overcrowded it was. It was heartbreaking to see all of the children crammed together and being neglected. The horrible conditions and lack of hygiene was so sad to see. Also how they kept this from parents and the public for so long is devastating.

Cin Dim

dimsarah25 — 2025-08-21 13:41:00 UTC

It's crazy how they have them locked behind 3 steel doors as if they are meant to be away from society. One thing that stuck out to me is how powerful advocacy from parents, families, and media who refused to stay silent can bring changes and force the government to take action.

Ainsley

ainssiek — 2025-08-21 13:41:15 UTC

My biggest takeaway was how locked up they were. Even the little kids were locked behind three steel doors. I also think it was insane how no directors went to visit the buildings or check on what was going on. Lastly, I was extremely surprised that people would drop off their kids there permanently and then move on with their lives.

2025-08-21 13:41:24 UTC

My biggest takeaway was the fact that the parents had no idea what was going on in Willowbrook. It was very sad to watch and learn that some of them didn't have clothes, and they all had horrible living conditions. I did think it was really nice that in the end they opened a memorial walking trail.

2025-08-21 13:41:46 UTC

My biggest takeaway from the documentary was the shock of how unprotected people with disabilities were prior to the TV report. It was appalling to see the unsanitary conditions residents were left in, the medical negligence, and dehumanization.

Kate main- willowbrook documentary

2025-08-21 13:41:52 UTC

when i first started watching it I was already about to cry. Knowing that it was 50 years ago is what really shocked me. I had to take break to watch it.

Willowbrook Documentary

2025-08-21 13:42:12 UTC

One of the most alarming things about Willowbrook is that it didn't happen that long ago at all, especially because parents dropped their kids off at the facility so they could get cared for and they could move on with their lives. This is so so scary that this mindset was not that long ago! Another thing that stood out to me was the quote that Willowbrook had "living coffins for devalued people." It is absolutely devastating that this happened not so long ago.

Olivia Feger

2025-08-21 13:50:10 UTC

My biggest takeaway while watching the documentary was that the staff tried to keep these people hidden and would not allow anyone inside. Willowbrook first started out as a school of education for the "mentally defective". The staff at Willowbrook tried to make the institution look as normal as possible to keep people from wondering what was truly happening inside. The living conditions were very extreme and the treatment of each patient was very harsh.

Greta Arakaza

2025-08-21 14:15:19 UTC

My biggest takeaways are how the kids were separated from other kids, locked in dirty rooms. It was so sad how they were treated badly with no help for a long time. I felt like they were left alone and none of people wanted to be around then, they were abandoned.

One thing that stuck to me is that people with disabilities are still people and they deserve love and respect.