Annie's Coming Out

Disabled by cerebral palsy from birth, Anne McDonald was institutionalized at the age of three, thought to be hopelessly mentally retarded because of her severe physical handicap. Until she was sixteen it was believed Anne would never be able to communicate. At eighteen she left the institution, but only after Supreme Court judgments had found her able to communicate and manage her own affairs. The story of Anne's remarkable development was possible only because somebody—Rosemary Crossley, a hospital staff member—was prepared to look for and believe in Anne's potential, and to battle, along with Anne, to convince the authorities of it. Challenging deeply held prejudices, it is a story that must be told. It raises vital questions, and demands a radical re-evaluation of the potential capacities and the basic rights of the handicapped.