Who Are Our Enemies?

The articles in this issue may

seem to have a certain sameness: bad winter weather, building accessibility, and one officer after another all writing about employment for and of the physically handicapped.

We must write and read about these problems until all NAPHers understand the NAPH philosophy and policy on employment of qualified physically handicapped persons. We must read until we can all speak articularly on this subject so we can explain it to ourselves and fellow members and speak up to defend it against our enemies. Who are our enemies?

THE ENEMY WITHIN

First, the enemy within each of us individually: a) the lack of self confidence that we can achieve, or b) the laziness that prevents us from qualifying ourselves sufficiently, or ec) the self pity or resentment that with all these handicaps we should be expected to earn a living, and/or be self sufficient.

Second, our envy or jealousy that we can accomplish but our fellow members aren't qualified to achieve the goals we have.

THE ENEMY WITHOUT

Third, the enemy without

1 our

fellow members who have achieved themselves, but don't think we have what it takes to make the grade.

Fourth, our welfare conscious fellow members who feel we can never get a job, or hold a job if we get one, and that the government should support us for life so that we aren't a burden on our families.

Fifth, the formal welfare authorities who think we should be given "busy work" to occupy our time or sheltered workshop employment because we "can't compete in industry."

Sixth, the employer who does not think we can do a day's work for a day's wages.

Seventh, any NAPHer who can not state our stand on employment of qualified physically handicapped

Before we can educate the public we must educate ourselves so that we realize when we are being victimized even by our fellow members, we can not afford to "let Tom, Dick or Harry answer that for us. To be educated, we must know what we are talking about.

This editor's concept of the NAPH philosophy and policy on employment is that we don't claim every physically handicapped person is capable of employment, but that those who are qualified can and should be employed.

NAPH seeks more education, more rehabilitation, more acceptance on the part of the public, and more maturity on the part of the physically handicapped, so that we can qualify for available jobs.

There is no guarantee in any civilization that there will be a job for every person, but properly qualified, all persons can compete for employment.

This publication will do its part to make answers and arguments available to you will you do your part and learn so you can answer our enemies?

SPEAK FOR YOURSELF

There may be those of us who

would include those successful physically handicapped persons who haven't associated with us in the above list of our enemies - personally, I would not.

If we can't answer our enemies ourselves, if we can't correct a fellow member who fits in the above categories, then let's not fool ourselves.

We don't suddenly become golden voice persuasive and convincing defenders when we are away from home base. If we don't answer in the midst of our own group, we do not stand up and speak out to plead and prove our case in public to the stranger, the specialist, or the authority.

And we certainly aren't worth the time and energy of those who have "made it."

with the answer

The figures he quoted are now happily obsolete, but much of his advice still remains pertinent in the rehabilitation of all severely phy sically handicapped persons:

"The spastics, with intelligem supervision from their parents, car do much to benefit themselves. Co rective exercises and special equip ment has greatly improved them phy sically, but they should be taught the underlying purpose of an act.

"They should concentrate on results not the methods. Self-confi dence, self-discipline, and intense concentration will aid the spastics in their effort to rehabilitate themselves.

"...During the war spastics have done efficient work as clerks. librarians, telephone operators, and research directors. [But the number employed is small compared to those who qualify.]

"Some of the things that the spastics need are more surveys, more research, more trained personnel, more clinics, and above all, a healthy attitude from the general public."

In our day of 1962, Mr. Beach tels us that even though we have avaried ourselves of, and benefitted from, rehabilitation, and are employed in competitive positions, we still must convince not only the public, but some of our own members of this fact.

If all NAPHers realize that we must stress our needs and strain to develop our full potentials, we can see change in our own lifetime, rather than just a hoped-for legacy for those who follow in coming years.