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Turning now to the third of the general areas of needs I have mentioned, the question of a proper domicile for the retarded, the problems confronting us are a direct result of the longer life span. With increasing frequency the mentally retarded adult will outlive his parents, and hence will find himself without a home.

There are, of course, those cases where only a parent's devoted care makes it possible for a severely retarded, physically disabled person to remain in the family home. Naturally such a person will need to be placed in an institution when the parents are no longer able to care for him.

But there are many others where the situation is quite different, where the retarded person is attached in many meaningful ways to the community, to relatives, or to a particular job or activity. For him we must be ready with a different solution, but who is to do the job? Who shall be the innkeeper? Mr. Ravin made it clear tonight that it is not realistic to expect brothers or sisters or other relatives of the adult retarded to be able to make room available in their own homes.

Certainly no one should have to leave his home town just for want of a bed! Many answers have been suggested, but unless the family has means to make its own arrangements, we have only plans at present -- no specific facilities. Halfway houses, hostels, small State institutions near population centers, all these and other ideas as yet lack a sound basis for planning. Here remains a major challenge, an area urgently calling for action.

During the past six years tremendous progress has been made in the field of Mental Retardation -- progress at a rate that was quite unprecedented in the history of health and welfare in this country. However, we must be mindful that what the public contributed so generously in funds; what volunteers were ready to do with such enthusiasm; and what legislatures have planned, enacted and appropriated with such outstanding diligence and foresight, was done on behalf of retarded CHILDREN. In pursuing the objectives I have discussed with you tonight, we are facing a far more difficult problem, because it remains to be seen whether education of the public will create as favorable a climate for the young adult and the adult retardate, as now exists for the retarded child.

There is, of course, a group of people who have consistently supported the cause of Mental Retardation, and on whose continued support we can count, without doubt. But there are others -- legislators, government officials, and civic leaders, who would be neglectful were they not to ask us "Is it worth it?" and "Can we justify the expense?"

Herein lies a challenge to all of us. It is our job to be sure that we are ready with sound, clear cost accounting; that step by step we can show it pays to give a mentally retarded adult vocational training; that better prepared, better paid institutional personnel will save dollars; that a patient who with corrective surgery and physiotherapy can be enabled to walk, is a patient who requires far less care in the hospital -- to mention a few of these particulars. I have no doubt that we can supply these figures, and our cause will be the stronger for it.

In 1957 Mary E. Switzer, the distinguished Director of the U.S. Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, had the following to say in an article she aptly titled "The Forward Look in Sound Planning:"

"We are in the midst of a period of great progress in rehabilitation -- progress on a scale unmatched anywhere in human history. As the interest, the support, the participation of more people and more communities flow into the stream of rehabilitation efforts, you and other leaders in this field are acquiring more and more responsibility to these same communities. For all of us, progress means not alone success in the work we do today, but mounting responsibility for the kind of thought and foresighted planning so urgently needed for sound rehabilitation operations in the coming years."

Under the leadership of Edward L. Johnstone, the Woods Schools have persistently demonstrated a readiness to shoulder such broad community responsibility, and this meeting with its significant agenda again bears testimony to this.

CHAIRMAN JOHNSTONE: Thank you, Gunnar, and again our thanks to you, Mr. Ravin, for your keynote address.

Before adjourning this stimulating meeting, there are two things which I desire to do. First, on behalf of the Joint Planning Committee, I extend thanks to the press, radio, and television of Boston and elsewhere in the Commonwealth, for advance and current coverage of this Conference. It is through these media that better understanding of the needs, the problems and the potential of the mentally retarded are made widely known.

Secondly, we have a number of very distinguished guests here this evening. It is with real reluctance that I forego the pleasure of introducing each of them. However, I cannot deny myself the pleasure of asking the President of the National Association for Retarded Children to stand and I might say be acclaimed -- Dr. Elizabeth Boggs.