Her efforts on behalf of the mentally ill and prisoners helped create dozens of new institutions across the United States and in Europe and changed people’s perceptions of these populations.
Charged during the American Civil War with the administration of military hospitals, Dix also established a reputation as an advocate for the work of female nurses.
Her own troubled family background and impoverished youth served as a galvanizing force throughout her career, although she remained silent on her own biographical details for most of her long, productive life.
Social issues that need to be addressed today:
• Disabilities – There are 38,430,187 people 16 years of age and older with disabilities in the U.S.*
• Poverty – The poverty rate for people 16 years of age and older in the U.S. is 11.8 percent as compared to 21.0 percent for people with disabilities.*
• Special Education – Nearly 2.9 million students are currently receiving special education services for learning disabilities in the U.S.**
• Education – 41 percent of fourth-grade boys and 35 percent of fourth-grade girls read below the basic level – in low-income neighborhoods it is near 70 percent – lack of books affects literacy.***
Thank you Dorothea
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