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son. She did not. She just reacted
as people often react: they try to
maintain a cer tain d istance between
themselves and what is not " nor–
mal." That is a barrier that is
erected individually and that can
only be broken down by each indi–
vidual.
A successful blind lawyer spoke
for millions of chronically ill and
disabled when he said he wants
people to t reat him "like a human
being who happens to be blind, not
a blind being who happens to be
human. "
Being a Good Neighbor
Nowhere does the simple biblical
principie of "love your neighbor as
yourself' apply more directly than
in relations between the physical
haves and the handicapped have–
nots.
God's law expresses the way of
out-going concern for others- the
way of caring.
It
teaches patience.
What might be considered a per–
so n 's mínimum responsi bility
toward the disabled is s tated in
Deuteronomy
27:18,
"Cursed be he
that maketh the blind to wander
out of the way." And again in
Leviticus
19:14,
"Thou shalt not
curse the deaf, nor puta stumbling–
block befare the blind . ..."
What these laws are revealing is
that it is wrong to take advantage of
another's weakness. This principie
covers a wide range of actions from
deliberately seeking to harm those
who are impaired to such "harm–
less" practices as taking an automo–
bile parking place reserved for the
handicapped.
But the intent of God's law of
!ove goes much further than that.
The patriarch Job, while recount–
ing his righteousness, was able to
say: "1 was eyes to the blind, and
feet was 1 to the lame" (Job
29:15).
Job didn't allow any psy–
chological barrier to keep him
from getting involved in helping
others. He forgot about himself
and sought to be useful to the less
fortunate.
Do you know anyone who is
sick or infirm? When did you last
visit that person or minister to his
or her needs? What about at least
writing or telephoning? J esus said
that those who inherit h is King–
dom would be those who, among
other th ings, have visited and
cared for the sick (Matt.
25:34-
46). (It might as well be pointed
out here that there are sorne dis–
abled people who are too proud to
accept help, even the kind of help
Nick's kind of problem the
most difficult. There are
those without arms who
developmentally disabled.
They, above all , need to be
treated with the kind of
trainees.
Nick works one-to-one
with each trainee in a
counselor role. He also acts
as an advocate to obtain
needed services for
trainees' personal lives. At
his desk he must use the
pullout to write on-the
desk is too low for the
wheelchair to fit beneath it.
December 1981
Nick told pholographer
Jackie Knapp he wanted
readers lo know his are not
the problems of a newly
disabled person . lt has
taken Nick many years lo
learn to live this way. Nor is
musl use electric
wheelchairs. And those who
are emotionally and ·
dignity and support that lhe
AEI
staff of professionals,
for example, provides.
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