Speaker: TERRY JONES
What is one 'New Year's Resolution' you think our society should make to be more fair for people with disabilities?
TERRY JONES: I believe that a New Year's Resolution that our society can make to help the society become more fair to people with disabilities is to realize that at any time, any of us can become a member of that community. We are all vulnerable, we are all human. And things happen in life that change our trajectory. It is not an us versus them, it is just us. I think forming a personal relationship with someone that has a disability also helps to create empathy and therefore fairness. Try volunteering in an organization that assists persons with disabilities. Look to your own personal life, maybe a relative or a coworker or a friend that has a disability. Ask about challenges, ask about rewards, ask about you know, experiences, you know I believe that once you start making those personal connections then it's easier to be fair because you realize that that could be you. I mean it's not an exclusive club and at any time. You could become a member, and also disability has so many different facets so many different types of disability. I mean there's the obvious physical disabilities, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. There's so many others, so even if you think you have a grasp about what a disability is, I think just doing some research, find out, you know, what percentage of people end up with a disability? What kind of advances do we have as far as technology, societal apparatuses that help people with disabilities? But I guess my main point is: resolve to know that at any time you can become a member of that community and form a personal relationship with someone that has a disability. As human beings, we tend to have empathy for people that we know, that we have a connection to, and I think once we do that as a society, then that fairness will naturally develop.
