We Are Stuck in Sympathy
By Gary Karp
People with disabilities (PWD) are more able than ever, yet unemployment rates for PWDs are still astronomically high. They have barely improved, in fact, since passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990!
What’s the problem here?
Well the problem is that we are big-hearted, well-meaning, compassionate beings. We’re wired for generosity. Compassion and sympathy are good things, of course. In their place. But when it comes to viewing people with disabilities, who they are, and what they truly, objectively have to offer, the compassionate lens is blinding, not enlightening.