Burton Blatt

By Sunlight Pertab

Burton Blatt, born in 1927, was a revolutionary who changed the landscape of disability care by advocating for more humanizing practices in institutional settings. He is most famous for doing this through pointed speeches, clinical research on disabled populations, and his many published works. 

One of Blatt’s early and most famous works is his 1966 book, Christmas in Purgatory. This groundbreaking book showcased the horrors of institutions for developmentally disabled people. Blatt and his friend, photographer Fred Kaplan, “gained access to five state institutions for the developmentally disabled in four eastern states [1].” They were able to sneak in a camera via Kaplan’s belt buckle, which gave them the opportunity to document the conditions of patients. Horrified by what they saw, they took it upon themselves to publish Christmas in Purgatory without additional help. They felt so strongly that the public should be aware of the abhorrent conditions of these state-run institutions that they gave copies of the book away for free. They distributed the book to legislators, professors, advocacy groups, and other individuals they felt could enact change for the patients in the institutions [1]”. Interestingly, Blatt and Kaplan never disclosed the names of the institutions, citing that if they did then they would be closed immediately [3]. They understood systemic change was needed more than simply shutting down a few facilities. Both men also knew that there was a necessity to inform the public of what was happening, and for many Americans, Christmas in Purgatory served as their first look into the horrors of institutional life. The popularity of the book not only brought needed attention to institutions for disabled people, but received critical acclaim. Christmas in Purgatory propelled Blatt to the forefront of disability advocacy and clinical research as it related to disabled people. Following Christmas in Purgatory’s success, in 1969 Blatt was appointed director of the Division of Special Education and Rehabilitation at Syracuse University’s Education Department. During his time there, Blatt went on to publish clinical studies and academic articles that showcased the brutal conditions of institutionalized living. He pushed for institutional reform in both his work and teachings, which went on to inspire a new generation of disability advocates and clinicians. 

In fact, Blatt and his students made national news when they authored a monograph regarding the conditions of institutions for disabled people. Blatt and his graduate students visited facilities for people with disabilities and documented their observations. By the end of the six-week class, the class had compiled over 10,000 pages of notes. They created a monograph, which is a piece of non-fiction work that focuses on one topic, and presented it to the government in Washington, DC. The monograph was eye-opening, and the testimony of the students solidified how important it was to continue studying this field in order to find a solution to the horrific conditions. As a result, Blatt was given a grant large enough to create the Center on Human Policy at Syracuse University [2].

Blatt was incredibly influential during his time at Syracuse University and served as a forefather of Disability Studies at the university. By the 1970s he would become dean of Syracuse University’s Department of Education [5]. Blatt became a mentor to multiple generations, and he himself became an academic titan in his own right. He published over 100 academic articles during his time and regularly received acclaim for his writings. His work in understanding how the intersectionality between political and socioeconomic factors affects disability care was groundbreaking for the 1970s, and serves as foundational work for so much modern reform [4]. This work propelled him to great heights, becoming a consultant in both the private and public sector in regard to disability reform. He also wrote a sequel to Christmas in Purgatory in 1979 which was titled, The Family Papers: A Return to Purgatory.

Blatt’s passion for reform in disabled care would follow him through to the end of his life. One of his most famous speeches was in 1984, just a year before his passing. Blatt spoke for over an hour and a half to a group in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. During this speech he highlighted possible areas of reform, governmental involvement in these processes, and how severe the issues in institutionalized life are. He spoke fervently and pushed for the audience to understand that disabled or not, we are all the same, and everyone deserves access to their necessities [5].

Blatt passed away in 1985 at the age of 58. His passing left a hole in so many he mentored and supported. His past students reminisce on how much of a positive influence he was to them. Many cite that he was fearless in his fight toward disability reform. In 2005, Syracuse University created the Burton Blatt Institute (BBI), which is an organization that aims to bring together researchers and advocates to further rights for disabled people [6]. BBI has done groundbreaking work since its inception and helped so many globally. While he has been gone for some time, it is clear that BBI is working to make Blatt’s dream a reality. Syracuse University and the BBI are keeping Blatt’s fighting spirit alive and ensuring his legacy of disability advocacy remains strong. 

References 

[1] Christmas in purgatory. PMPA. (n.d.). http://www.preservepennhurst.org/default.aspx?pg=1643

[2] Syracuse University. Who Was Burton Blatt? - Burton Blatt Institute – Syracuse University. (n.d.). https://bbi.syr.edu/about/who-was-burton-blatt/

[3] Blatt, B. (n.d.). Christmas in purgatory. Christmas in Purgatory. https://www.mn.gov/mnddc/parallels2/pdf/undated/Xmas-Purgatory.pdf

[4] Craft, A. (1982). In and Out of Mental ***********: Essays on Educability, Disability and Human Policy. By Burton Blatt. Lancaster, Lancs: MTP Press. 1981. Pp 369. British Journal of Psychiatry, 140(5), 545–546. doi:10.1017/S0007125000136712

[5] Wikimedia Foundation. (2026, June 5). Burton Blatt Institute. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burton_Blatt_Institute

[6] YouTube. (2021). Dr. Burton Blatt, Syracuse University, March 1984 Speech at Holiday Inn Airport, Pittsburgh, PA. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wdr5PQstcco