The National Wingspread Summit

Pollution, Toxic Chemicals and Mental Retardation

Breakthrough National Summit Explores How Pollutants and Toxic Chemicals Perpetuate Intellectual Disabilities In July 2003, the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD), formerly AAMR, brought together a group of concerned environmental and disability experts and self-advocates to find answers to a crucial question: how do we reduce the unnecessary occurrence of mental retardation and related disabilities caused by environmental toxicants and pollutants?

While a great deal is known about the environment and developmental disabilities, there is much more researchers don't know about how air-, water-, and food-borne chemicals and toxicants contribute to the occurrence of intellectual disabilities.

Environmental toxicants and mental retardation is a serious public concern for several reasons. Scientific evidence shows that learning, developmental, or behavioral disabilities appear to be on the rise in the United States. This rise in disabilities is paralleled by the increase in the number of chemicals being manufactured and used today. Since the petrochemical industry began around World War II, approximately 80,000 new synthetic chemicals have been approved for use and of the 15,000 most commonly found chemicals today, the vast majority have not been tested individually for human health impacts, and none have been tested in combination.

It is a proven fact that environmental factors, including chemicals and nutrition significantly affect brain development. However, while the impacts of lead, mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), alcohol, and smoking on mental retardation and related developmental disabilities have been addressed, there is very little information on most chemicals. Further, most industrial chemicals to which people are regularly exposed from consumer products or as environmental contaminants have not undergone neurodevelopmental testing.

The Wingspread summit was sponsored by The John Merck Fund, The Johnson Foundation, and AAIDD. The summit was also supported by The Arc of the United States Research Fund and the Association of University Centers on Disabilities.

Executive Summary

This Executive Summary addresses key issues and ideas presented at the Wingspread Summit on Pollution, Toxic Chemicals, and Mental Retardation. The Summary focuses on the link between mental retardation and toxic chemicals. The Summary also includes information about the connection between toxic chemicals and health in general, sources of toxic chemicals, and the special vulnerabilities of the DD community to toxic exposures. A limited number of hard copies are available free of charge. Email LAbulafia@aamr.org to request hard copies. Click here to read the report.

Final Report

The Final Report includes the Executive Summary plus excerpts of the papers presented - including an orientation to mental retardation and developmental disabilities, an orientation to environmental contributors, research findings, community and individual implications, and policy realities. Finally, it includes a framework for a National Blueprint for Health Promotion and Disability Prevention. A limited number of hard copies are available, click on contact to request hard copies. Click Here to read the full report.