To the Editor:
Much has been made lately of the 99 percent. They are the ones who have not realized the American dream of prosperity. But within the 99 percent is a group for which this dream is particularly elusive. Of the more than nearly 50 million people who live with disabilities in the United States, many have jobs, go to school, and live fulfilling lives. But many — far too many — still live in institutions or institution-like group homes, and many more live in poverty, without access to adequate support, education or employment.
Today is the International Day of the Disabled. This day was designated by the United Nations to provide the entire world an opportunity to think about how we as countries, societies, communities and individuals can and must do better to include and support the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities.
The U.N. took another bold step in 2006 when it adopted the Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities, which the United States has signed, but not yet ratified. Once ratified, the Convention would become U.S. law. Its purpose is to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity.
Many laws in the United States protect the rights of people with disabilities. The Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act guarantees all children the right to a "free, appropriate public education." The Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in employment, access to public life and services and other areas. The Fair Housing Act also prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in housing. And the Help America Vote Act guarantees all Americans with disabilities the right to accessible voting.
Despite these legal advances, people with disabilities in the United States and elsewhere continue to face discrimination and exclusion. For those who are from minority communities or have a history of psychiatric treatment or HIV, the situation is often even worse.
Many students with disabilities are not receiving the education they need to succeed. Few students with disabilities attend universities and colleges. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, unemployment among people with disabilities is nearly twice that of people without disabilities.
New buildings are not fully accessible and many buses and trains are inaccessible. Offices of doctors, lawyers and even many stores and workplaces are still not accessible.
Far too few people with developmental disabilities are allowed to live in their own homes, with the support they may need. And abuse of people with disabilities living in state-run group homes continues, as it has for decades.
In Syracuse, as elsewhere throughout the world, people with disabilities face discrimination at most every turn. Yes, life can be challenging for many people with disabilities — but not because they are sick, helpless or waiting for handouts. Just the opposite — people with disabilities want to go to school and to work, to have friends and fall in love, and to live in their own homes and become part of their communities.
At Syracuse University, we are working hard to recruit, support and retain students, faculty and staff with an array of disabilities; to create academic programs that explore the intersection of disability with other disciplines; to emphasize the vitality of disability culture and pride within ongoing programming about diversity and identity; and to create a community of inclusion, free of physical and attitudinal barriers, for all students, faculty, staff and members of the greater Syracuse community, with and without disabilities. But more needs to be done, with the input and leadership of people with disabilities.
People with disabilities are here to stay and growing in numbers. They are not only among us, they are us — if not now, as we grow old. We need to work together to do better at accepting and including people with disabilities in our communities and in our lives. We need to value people with disabilities for their individual skills, talents and contributions. Only then will children and adults with disabilities share in the bounty of the U.S. as a land of opportunity. It is not just a dream; it is a matter of justice. That is what the International Day of the Disabled requires.
Arlene Kanter is the Laura J. and L. Douglas Meredith Professor of Teaching Excellence at Syracuse University, where she directs the College of Law's Disability Law and Policy Program and co-directs the Syracuse University Center on Human Policy, Law and Disability Studies.
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