To the Editor:
The November letter from President Freedman, thanking Dartmouth Friends for their demonstrations of caring during his illness, was a reminder to me of the tendencies of this society to demonstrate greater generosity towards those who have already "made it." Most persons who experience disability and/or chronic illness, particularly those who are not professionally established and still have most of their lives ahead of them, are unable to experience the outpouring of concern often accorded to well-known figures such as Freedman.
The topic of disability/chronic illness has recently been pushed further into the awareness of Dartmouth alumni and students. The writings of Professor Michael Dorris on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and the mental retardation which usually accompanies it, began the process of awareness a few years back. More recently, the stories in the June '94 issue of "Dartmouth Life," about Freedman's cancer and Lisa Yaffe's severe injury, should have pushed the topic of disability/chronic illness even further into the awareness of Dartmouth alumni and students.
In spite of this publicity, however, the problem remains that I am currently one of only two donors who have given non-token sums to the student disability programs.
Contributions to these programs go for several important purposes: (1) to purchase assistive technology, such as laptop computers for deaf students; (2) to provide a fund to pay note-takers, typists, sign-language interpreters, and other direct-assistance providers; and (3) to provide various mobility and accessibility aids/improvements. The class of '98 has eleven students with disabilities already identified, but the funds to support their needs are tight.
Lest I inadvertently leave the impression that this letter is another weary treatise on a "politically-correct" topic, I should make it clear that my motivation is that of the parent of a young woman with multiple disabilities that make it impossible for her to be a Dartmouth student.
This situation often results in far-reaching psychological changes for the parents of the severely disabled, including an understanding of civil rights issues which I could not have acquired as a younger man interested primarily in professional development and personal gratification. That understanding requires that one move beyond the traditionally-valued attributes of physical ability and beauty, intellectual ability, and professional achievement, as it appears Freedman has done during the course of his illness.
Is there at least one alumnus/alumna, or a class, who will join in directing its contributions to programs which support students with disabilities? If so, please contact me by phone (303-497-1253 weekdays), or by internet ("era@ucar.edu").
