Milford chronicle., 1956-07-13
MANY DISABLED" ARE ABLE TO
TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES


totally and permanently disabled people.
On the surface, this may seem wise as
well as a humane idea. But number of
sympathetic observers, looking beneath the
surface, have found it quite the opposite. In
their view, this change would be dangerous
and ill-advised-and would work against the
best interests of the bulk of disabled per-
sons.
That view was expressed to the Senate
Committee on Finance by man who is ex-
ceptionally qualified. His name is Henry
ViScardi and, in his own words, he "WaS
born crippled child, horribly deformed
with no lower limbs" Less than four years
ago he started a company called Abilities,
Incorporated" with So 900 of borrowed mon
ey and four employees. Today there are 1872
people on the payroll and expansion plans
are underway for new plant which will en-
ploy about $50. In the first three years of
operation, the company produced goods val
ued at 81, ,248, 700. Wages came to 1868, 800
Workers also get fringe benefits, such as life
insurance, worth about AZ cents. an hour.
The most remarkable thing about the
company is that all the workers are wholly
and permanently disabled. Among those first
four employees, Mr.. Viscardi testified, there
was a total of but one usable leg and five
usable arms. The situation, physically speak
ing is proportionately about the same today
The company's main activity is in the
field of electronics, where is does work for
some large and famous corporations. But it
also is in other fields, including process pack
aging, coil winding, and mechanical assem-
bling.
Every one of the employees would be
eligible for the total disability benefits at
age of So But of this Mr.. Viscardi said
what troubles me is that, should we stig-
matize our disabled people and put an age
limit of so :. we might condone some of the
md ST ho hot
exists which prevents, them from exercising
their abilities and not their disabilities" Hel
added: "Our disabled people are crying for
the right to be the same. They both want to
be and should be considered as the ordinary
people they really are, each according to his
individual capacities and abilities, and each
with his cOmpenSatlng qualities to offset the
extremes of physical makeup"
1t is Mr.. Viscardi's point, in short-based
upon an extremely unusual experience-thatl
a large percentage of the totally disabled
are not necessarily non-productive and that
given chance, they can happily and eff
GENTLY perform work requiring skills of
many kinds Another quotation from his
testimony (which, incidentally, received
with very great interest by the Senate COM
mittee) is in order here: while have no
recommendations that / would presume to
make to this great committee, | come to in
dicate my apprehension that we may stig
Matte the disabled by this legislation
and we might then deprive millions of our
citizens of the right to know a productive
life, and have them resigned to subsidy,
which is not their heritage as Americans"
&S@S
SELF ENFORCING PENALTY
Americans are rightfully distrustful of
large campaign spending. They have prop
er feeling that a sure way to destroy our
system of government is to put it up for
sale to the highest bidder. On this account
attempts have been made to limit campaign
expenditures and require candidates to re-
port what they have spent. These provisions
have good many loopholes, not the least
of which is the frequent absence OF penalties
for disobedience.
Ohio has now put some teeth in the law,
if not complete set. Secretary of State
Ted W. Brown reports that the legislature
has provided what could be self-enforcing
penalty for candidates who do not bother to
file statement of expenses. They Will lose
for five years the right to run for office.
If election officials overlook this failure,
the opponents of the delinquent candidates
are sure not to do so. They will never pass
up so fine chance to bar from the ballot
rival who might beat them
Other states which have not already taken
like action may be interested.
%S1&E
POLIO ON THE RUN
During the month of June, 17,172,396
shots of Salk poliomyelitis vaccine were re-
leased to the public. This, the u. S. Public
Health Service noted, was almost twice as