Syracuse Developmental Center Team B Self Governing Group Subject and Correspondence Files

Team B was a self-advocacy group for the developmentally disabled and member of the Self-Advocacy Association of New York State (SANYS). The group derived its unusual name from the Syracuse Developmental Center's organization of residents in the facility, breaking down residents into various teams based on what sections of the facility they resided in.

This series documents the historically significant "normalization movement." One of its stated goals was to "conduct and advocate for public education about the developmental needs of handicapped persons consistent with the normalization principle." The records provide information on the team's activities and evidence of how the team functioned and governed itself. This series includes memoranda, correspondence, speeches, testimony to commissions and legislative committees, and monthly reports in the form of newsletters. Topics covered include better living conditions, fair pay, AIDS policies, and voting rights. Also included are the group's by-laws, constitution, goals, mission, and the incorporation charter as a 501 (3)(c) not-for-profit corporation.

Restricted in accordance with Mental Hygiene Law, Section 33.13, relating to confidentiality of clinical records. Access is permitted under certain conditions upon approval by the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities.