Music Within

I have had the opportunity for the past 2 and a half years to work with students with disabilities at BYU. Not only students I guess; but employers, bosses, friends and family in my life.

Working closely with my boss has taught me a great deal about not only the physical limitations of individuals with disabilities but the social limitations. Through taking her course this last winter and working with her on projects where she has presented on her class I have learned even more about the unemployment rate that exists amongst those with disabilities. Where the unemployment rate for the average American can be anywhere between 2 and 10 percent, those with disabilities can have an unemployment rate of up to almost 80 percent. Not to mention the unemployment rate, individuals with disabilities can get paid a lot less than even their less qualified or less educated coworkers.

I had not realized how disrespectful people be can be towards those that have disabilities until this year. People stare uncomfortably, refuse to talk straight to the person, whisper, park in disabled parking even though they are not and I feel that they may not realize what they are doing but it does happen and it does hurt those they are slighting.

I saw a preview for the movie "Music Within" tonight while at my in laws and couldn't help but go rent it on my way home. Its a true story about Richard Pimentel. He is a war veteran who while in the war became deaf. He struggles to get a job and go to school but people slight him for being deaf and tell him that he can't surmount to anything. He becomes friends with a man named Art who has Cerebral Palsy. During the course of the movie you fall in love with these two characters. Richard fights for other vets and individuals with disabilities to help them find jobs and careers. He currently is one of the most well read and heard of individuals working with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

I highly recommend this movie as well as the movie "39 pounds of love" about a man named Ami who has spinal muscular atrophy and goes on a journey to find the doctor that told him he would not live past the age of 6.