“Lisa”

Lisa was born with a condition called Arthrogryposis. It is a stiffness of the joints and small under developed muscles in the body and in her case it affected all four limbs. Doctors initially thought she would never walk, but by 3 years old she was walking.  At school her mom had to petition for her to get into the classroom as there were no accommodations for children with special needs.

With the passage of the Rehabilitation act of 1973, which prohibited discrimination against those with disabilities in federally funded programs, Lisa’s school began providing services for the disabled.

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 went further in reach to prohibit discrimination against those with disabilities.

The text is the 1927 U.S. Supreme Court case, Buck v. Bell, which set a legal precedent that states may sterilize inmates of public institutions. The court argued that imbecility, epilepsy, and feeblemindedness are hereditary, and that inmates should be prevented from passing these defects to the next generation.

“Lisa” 60 x 37 Ink on panel

Detail: