Survival & The Fight for Equality Interview with Michael Hingson, the blind man who survived 9/11 written by
& layout by: Jennifer m. lezan
Social commentator Will Rodgers once stated, “We will never have true civilization until we have learned to recognize the rights of others.” Disability equality is a subject that has been frequently popping up in the media as of late. Organizations such as Salvation Army and Goodwill have been placed in the hot seat with the general public staring them down due to some inexplicably unfair practices they have been accused of. Yet, most people aren’t privy to these atrocities. Most people don’t even realize there is a dire discrepancy for our fellow man who faces life with a disability. Many people don’t even have a clue of what the idea of disability equality truly means or better yet, that as of now there is truly no actual equality for these people. Recently, having had the chance to speak with Michael Hingson, an inspirational speaker and New York Times Best-Selling author, who just so happens to be blind, I was educated on what is really going on in our society for the disabled. I was also inspired by his story of survival during the 9/11 attacks. The idea behind disability equality is that people, regardless of their disability, have the same opportunities to fulfill their human rights and potential, and are not denied equal access for reasons related to their disability to services, to jobs, to education, to economic development, to the allocation of resources or benefits, and in all aspects of life. Yet, the startling reality is that according to nonprofitquarterly.org, “currently, a relatively obscure law allows some employers to pay well below the minimum wage to workers who are deemed as less productive then able-bodied workers due to a disability. Once certified, agencies like Goodwill can pay workers with disabilities as little as 22 cents an hour.”