Karl Koenig, Stanley Segal, and Herbert Gunzburg: pioneers in the field of intellectual disability in Britain

摘要

This paper seeks to examine the contribution of three pioneers - Karl Koenig, Stanley Segal, and Herbert Gunzburg - to the development of services for people with an intellectual disability in Britain. Their respective contributions are set within an historical context which examines events which took place in Europe before and during the Second World War. It also looks at the consequences of the eugenics legacy which coloured professional and popular perceptions of people with an intellectual disability in Britain. What sets these pioneers apart is the fact that they were all practitioners and had first-hand experience of creating and delivering innovative programmes and services. In identifying and celebrating their achievements, it is acknowledged that there is currently an absence of comparable figures providing leadership, inspiration, and direction at a time when the economic recession threatens the future of services for people with an intellectual disability.