[nfbmi-talk] pwd have a dream too

[joe harcz Comcast]

(Of course this goes to the civil rights in the ADA and 504 for the blind too and our rights to access society. Joe





Wednesday, August 28, 2013 

 Fred Maahs speech at the 50th March on Washington, Washington, DC 

 I am honored and humbled to be here with all of you today. My name is Fred 

Maahs and I am a proud American with a disability. 

Thirty-three years ago, just a few days before starting college, I dove from a boat 

and hit a sand bar in a foot of water. I broke my neck and was paralyzed from the 

chest down. In that instant, my life and the lives of my family changed forever. 

 I spent seven months in the hospital undergoing intense physical therapy, 

learning how to be independent in a wheelchair. But when I left the hospital to 

begin my new life, college remained out of reach. The campus was not accessible. 

I thought that the doors to a fulfilling life had slammed shut. 

 It was 10 years before the Americans with Disabilities Act. I was unable to access 

most public buildings. I was banned from most public swimming pools. I was told 

there were no jobs for people like me. Heck, I couldn’t even get on a bus. It was 

rare to see a person like me out in the community. We were referred to as “shut 

ins.” 

Fortunately, Widener University in Delaware was welcoming. I helped adapt the 

campus to make it more accessible and I was the first chair user to attend and 

graduate. I found employment and worked my way through college. My first job 

was in a two-story building with no elevator --and yes -- my office was on the 

second floor. So, every day I was carried, chair and all, up the stairs to get to 

work. 

 In the years since my accident, I have dedicated myself to expanding equal 

opportunity for all Americans. Today, I do this as Chair of the American 

Association of People with Disabilities, the nation’s largest disability rights 

organization. AAPD for short. I also do this in my role as Vice President of the 

Comcast Foundation. 

I am proud of our work at Comcast, where diversity has always been an important 

part of our culture. Today Comcast and NBCUniversal help provide equal access to 

all Americans by helping low-income families conquer the digital divide through 

our Internet Essentials program. We also ensure our products are accessible to 

everyone – from historic closed captioning to new innovations like voice activated 

remote control. 

At AAPD, we work to open the doors of freedom for Americans with disabilities, 

and we need your help to pass the Disability Treaty. The Treaty will expand the 

spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act across the globe, level the playing field 

for U.S. businesses working abroad, and increase access for U.S. citizens traveling 

overseas. 

 Help us make a difference -- If you have a smart phone take it out and tweet 

#IsupportCRPD. #IsupportCRPD. 

 We will never know how many, but I can say with absolute certainty there were 

people who wanted to join the March on Washington 50 years ago, but couldn’t 

because participating was either too difficult or simply impossible for people like 

me. There was just no access. 

 Looking back, it is fair to say that Martin Luther King, Jr. was the father of our 

movement as well. Dr. King had a dream. He had a dream about equality and 

dignity for all people. 

 Yet for millions of people with disabilities, this dream remains out of reach. 8 in 

10 of us don’t have jobs. Most will never know what it means to work even if we 

are ready, willing, and qualified. It remains legal to pay people with disabilities far 

less than minimum wage in the United States. 

 Today, I share Dr. King’s dream. I dream of a world that does not hold anyone 

back. People with disabilities represent all races, ethnicities, religions, sexual 

orientations, and genders. We represent nearly 20 percent of the U.S. 

population. We have seen a lot of progress, but, like all civil rights movements, 

we have much more to do. 

I call on everyone here today to continue to stand up for and defend the rights of 

people with disabilities. Americans are guaranteed certain inalienable rights, and 

the right to pursue our dreams. Our duty as citizens is to help one another 

achieve those dreams. 

 Please go to AAPD.com/March and see what we can do together when we dream 

together.