Looking Back
By Rev. Dr. Daryl C. Greene

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
The Declaration of Independence

March is Disabilities Awareness month. But what is it that we should be aware of? For one thing, we should be aware of how disabled people have been treated in the past. In Old Testament times it was largely assumed that sickness and disease were sent by God as a punishment. Those who were sick, disabled, or disfigured were treated like odious sinners. They were despised by the community and seen as an embarrassment by their families. Some progress was made when Jesus touched the untouchable sick and disabled and healed them. Early Christians were the first to establish hospitals where the sick and suffering could be nursed back to health. Still, these age old prejudices continue to hang on even today.

By the turn of the 20th century families could send their mentally ill away to state "hospitals". Parents were often counseled to commit their retarded, disabled or disfigured children to the care of these same mental institutions. Special state schools had been established so that deaf or blind children could be sent away to receive an education and vocational training.

Families could always choose to keep their handicapped at home. Sometimes enlightened parents home schooled such children; but in many cases they were kept in a back room, hidden, uncivilized and uneducated. Then, in the mid-70's many Americans began to realize that the words of the Declaration of Independence applied to all people, including the handicapped. Thousands of people who had been warehoused in mental institutions were released. Schools were required to "mainstream" disabled children in their regular classes. But such institutional changes are not enough.

As a disabled person, let me suggest that an attitude adjustment is still necessary. All people need assistance. Children need help. Elderly parents need help. Even the multi-millionaire boss needs the assistance of his secretaries and all his employees. So likewise, the disabled need assistance to be all they can be.



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Dr. Greene, an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, is a resident of Richmond, IN, and author of the books "Feeling Better: The Wisdom of the Doc", "You Can Feel Better: How to Cope With and Overcome Chronic Pain and Progressive Disabilities from a Holistic Christian Perspective", and "Walking Free: The Nellie Zimmerman Story."