"A society is best judged by the way it treats its most vulnerable members."
(Multiple Attributions)
Best Judgment: The Complex Legacy of the Joseph H. Ladd Center
Advocates in Action and PAL are involved in making a documentary movie about Ladd School with independent film producer Jim Wolpaw. In January, 2010, we received a grant from the RI Council on the Humanities to support our work. We are currently meeting with people who lived at Ladd School, along with others who may have worked there, had family members there, or were otherwise connected to the institution.
This documentary will look at the history of Ladd School and the "systems of care" that developed in Rhode Island for individuals who have a developmental disability after the institution was closed. It is not an expose about the abuse that took place at Ladd! It also isn't an editorial about the current system of care in our state.
Our goal is to produce a film in which the complex history of Ladd School is told simply by the people who used to live there. As a statewide self-advocacy organization, Advocates in Action has connections with former Ladd residents. We are committed to helping them speak up about the things that are important to them.
Before we began working on this project, we asked former Ladd residents what they thought about it. Their overall response was loud and clear: people want to make this documentary. They have a life story to share! The thoughts and recollections of former Ladd Center residents will drive this film.
We have begun filming for the project, but are in need of financial support as we move forward. CLICK HERE to learn about sponsorship opportunities.
There are a lot of words on this page, but as the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand of them.
Click here to watch the movie trailer and see the work in progess.
This is just the beginning of our journey to capture the complex legacy of the Joseph H. Ladd Center!
If you or someone you know is a former Ladd resident, or has a connection with the instituion, we'd love to hear from you!
Send an email with your comments to: info -at- laddfilm.com
Please include some brief information about your connection to Ladd School, along with your full name, email address and a phone number where we can reach you. We will be in touch!
(c) 2010, www.advocatesinaction.org
This page was upated on
May 4, 2010