Message from the Executive Director - July 2010
More Than the Way We Were
We have come a long way in the last 50 years in the way we view and treat individuals with disabilities.
I remember when I was a child that a girl in my neighborhood was bussed to “Percy Hughes” school. The name of the school became a phrase for teasing others. I also remember that a young woman across the street left home from time to time for prolonged stays at “Marcy” for her mental health needs. That name too became a term used to deride others.
When my grandmother had both of her legs amputated as a result of severe diabetes, she could no longer live in a second floor flat. My grandparents built a “visitable” ranch house in Liverpool, though it would be decades before the term for basic accessible features was coined. It was unique at the time.
Organizations like ARISE grew out of the Independent Living movement in the 1970’s and challenged common perceptions about people with disabilities. Advocates won legislative support when the Americans with Disabilities Act passed 20 years ago. We no longer accept that (1) providing accommodations is the responsibility of the family solely, (2) segregating people with disabilities is the norm, or (3) name calling is anything other than demeaning.
We still have a long way to go. Too few people with disabilities are employed despite strong evidence of their talent. Contributions from people of all abilities have led to more than 30 successful years of ARISE activities. Please join us as we celebrate the great progress we have made, and continue to advocate for the rights and benefits we have yet to achieve.
Tom McKeown