We Need Another Martin Luther King Jr.

This week, we’ve been celebrating Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday.  He was a committed advocate and leader and his work greatly advanced the Civil Rights Movement.  In my never-to-be-considered-humble opinion, his greatest strength was the ability to mobilize so many to peacefully support the rights of all to live as fully integrated citizens of this country. 

I would love to see such a leader support the rights of persons with disabilities.  We are so very far behind when it comes to civil rights.

Persons with disabilities are black, white, brown, male, female, transgendered, gay, straight, rich, poor, young, old, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, atheist, and speak every language that exists on this planet.  We are part of every segment of society.  There are even some who refer to those without disabilities as temporarily able, since we have an open enrollment all year long.  While some are born with a disability, membership in this society is not closed at birth.  An illness or accident can open the door to anyone at any time.  All told, persons with disabilities, both visible and not visible, comprise approximately 20% of the population.

We have the federal Americans with Disabilities Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008, but we don’t have the strong leader needed to support our taking our rightful place in society. 

I can hear some of the arguments against our achieving this goal now: 

·      It’s too expensive.

·         What do those people want now?  They’re out of institutions and nursing homes.  What more could they want?
·         We support (or help) the handicapped.  (How many insults can you see in such a short sentence?)
·         And more.

Perceptions and expectations are big barriers to full inclusion into society.  We are acceptable if we are a charitable cause.  But, there are many who do not imagine we can be customers, employees, employers, colleagues, etc.  One question that was posed to me during a training has stuck with me as an example of this:  We are a healthcare facility, what could we hire people with disabilities to do here?  While this was a healthcare facility, this question shows the doubt that we face every single day.

We need a national leader of the caliber of Martin Luther King Jr. to change this perception, show our abilities in as strong a light as our disabilities, and lead us to the place that we have a right to be as fully integrated members of society.

Any volunteers?