Let the shameful wall of exclusion [between the disabled and those without disability] finally come tumbling down," said former President George H.W. Bush upon signing the Americans with Disabilities Act into law in 1990. While progress has been made on various fronts, there is still a lack of opportunity for the intellectually and developmentally disabled. Surface niceties aside, today's America largely neglects the needs of this 7.2 million member community.
For a person with developmental disabilities, securing a job is essential — employment prevents boredom, inspires pride and self-confidence and makes for a full, contributing member of society. Yet the unemployment rate among members of this community is 69 percent, according to the National Down Syndrome Society, compared with 5.1 percent for the general workforce. There are agencies whose purpose is to find jobs for the disabled, but this statistic suggests that either they are not doing enough or that some employees simply do not want to hire cognitively disabled workers. An article by Ann Bauer that appeared in the Oct. 30 Washington Post, which describes her quest to find a job for her 18-year-old autistic son, supports the latter hypothesis. He is repeatedly turned down from jobs for which he is qualified — one potential employer refers to him as "a potential liability." Unfortunately, the Americans with Disabilities Act cannot legislate against this sort of backwards attitude.
In truth, the businesses that exclusively hire adults with no apparent disabilities may be at a loss. Developmentally disabled workers have proven to be exceedingly loyal and enthusiastic. Companies like Wal-Mart and Target have recognized that these employees are valuable and now often feature visibly disabled greeters. But this is only the beginning. Since developmentally different individuals sometimes possess traits that are unusual among the disability-free population, there are tasks for which they are better suited. For example, many cognitively disabled people are extremely meticulous. This trait makes them a logical fit for any job that involves extensive processing or careful organization. An individual who finds a job in which his unique traits could flourish would be remarkably productive and would be anything but a "liability."
A person with a developmental disability also faces difficulty when merely trying to find a way to enjoy himself. A typical adult has many recreational options open to him. If he so chooses, he can join a gym, take classes at a local university or take part in any other activity meant to provide an outlet from the daily routine. Such activities are rarely closed to members of the developmentally disabled population, but in many cases it is impossible for them to participate. When discussing this issue, the mother of a developmentally disabled child described how the lack of basic knowledge prevents people like her daughter from participating in activities meant for those without disability. For example, the inability to distinguish left and right prevents many of these individuals from taking a typical dance class.
Thankfully, there are government programs and nonprofit organizations that specialize in finding activities that are both appropriate and enjoyable for people with a wide range of developmental differences. Special Olympics, for example, provides athletic recreation for the special needs population in over 150 countries. But this system is not perfect — such organizations tend to be more prominent and numerous in more affluent areas, and they are sometimes not publicized enough to caretakers of individuals with developmental disabilities. The existing programs and organizations must expand, and many new ones must be formed before the cognitively disabled population will have anywhere near the number of recreational options that the fully functioning population has.
Last week, the University took an important step in the right direction by creating a position for director of disability services. Eve Tominey, the newly christened director, will work to assure that the University is welcoming of people with a wide range of special needs. Hopefully, this trend will continue until every organization and company is disability-friendly. It is even more important, however, that all who are without disability learn to regard the intellectually and developmentally disabled as true members of society who are capable of contributing to it. Any de facto prejudice, like that of the employer in Bauer's article, must be eradicated before the "bright new era of equality, independence, and freedom" that Bush foresaw 16 years ago can truly begin. Michael Medeiros is a freshman from Bethesda, Md. He may be reached at mmedeiro@princeton.edu.
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