Today on Live Happy Now, we go inside the story of one of the most notorious institutions that played a key role in changing the way we look at physical and mental disabilities.

My big hope here is that when people read the story, first of all, they'll have a sense of kindness that would be a natural outgrowth of witnessing these stories so that

the next time they encounter someone with a disability that instead of a type of inhibition,

they might respond with kindness.

Hello, this is Jeff Sanders, and welcome back to another episode of the Live Happy Now podcast.

This week we're talking to Dan Tomasulo, a core faculty member who teaches positive psychology

at the Spirituality Mind, Body Institute at Columbia University.

His new book, American Snake Pit, Hope, Grit, and Resilience in the wake of Willowbrook

tells the story of the fallout

after the closing of New York's most controversial state hospital for the mentally disabled.

After a groundbreaking 1972 exposé from Geraldo Rivera about the horrendous living conditions

at Willowbrook State School, including overcrowding, patient abuse, and questionable

treatment methods.

Plans were made to close its doors.

Dan, then a young postgraduate student, was hired to relocate and treat its most seriously

disabled residents.

This week he talks with Live Happy Now's Chris Libby about how he found hope and resilience in this most unlikely setting.

Hello, Dan. How are you today?

I'm doing fine, Chris. Thanks so much for having me on the podcast.

So for those who don't know about Willowbrook, and what happened after that is really what your book talks about,

which is great. Can you briefly explain what happened after those explosive reports and how

that really changed the course of your life? Sure, sure. Willowbrook was a state school,

...