When it comes to journalism, it’s hard to match the accomplishments of Geraldo Rivera, and officials in Long Island wanted to emphasize his achievements by making May 13th ‘Geraldo Rivera Day.’
At a ceremony in Westbury, NY, honoring attorney and philanthropist Howard Fensterman for his charitable donations to healthcare research, it was an opportune time to acknowledge River for his outstanding reporting about the horrendous conditions at the Willowbrook School for the mentally disabled. Rivera became nationally famous when, as a NYC reporter for ABC’s Eyewitness News in 1972, he uncovered these conditions at the Willowbrook State School in Staten Island, NY. Fensterman’s law firm, Abrams Fensterman, LLP, partially sponsored the ceremonial event along with Hudson Regional LTC Pharmacy and car manufacturer Subaru.
As a result of Rivera’s reporting, significant policy changes materialized for the care of mentally ill patients and individuals with disabilities, ultimately leading to the deinstitutionalization movement, which moved patients from large, isolated institutions to community-based care centers. Additionally, legislation such as the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (later known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, IDEA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 were introduced.
At the ceremony, Geraldo stood alongside Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman and Town of Babylon officials as they announced the special day at Life WORC’s 36th annual Geraldo Rivera Golf Classic.
WORC provides residential and community services, employment services, and financial support to patients and families who have developmental disabilities, including autism. It is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that was founded by Vicki Schneps-Yunis in 1971, whose daughter was an attendant at the Willowbrook School.
The facility was shut down due to the advocacy work of Schneps-Yunis and the reporting by Rivera, which brought this issue to the forefront.
The Long Island Press quoted Blakeman stating “Geraldo Rivera is an amazing guy, He’s had an incredible career in journalism and as an advocate. I remember Geraldo when he was a fighting reporter. And he met Vicki [Schneps-Yunis] through his advocacy and his journalistic work at the Willowbrook Center, which was a center that was abusing children. He exposed that and he changed the whole conversation with respect to how we treat people with disabilities and with mental illness. So we’re here to celebrate him, we’re here with Vicki to to raise money and raise the consciousness of people to the plight of these individuals that could use a little extra help.”
As Rivera, who is a West Babylon native, took the podium and said “For all these many, many years, we’ve been on this crusade, we’ve taken this idea, this idea of humanity, this idea of caring for the disabled, treating them with the same constitutional rights as any able-bodied person. It has changed the world with that simple concept, the concept of equality. We have changed the world. No more warehousing of humanity. No more shutting people away. Now it’s embracing, celebrating, and moving forward.”
Donations to Life’s WORC can be made here.