To the editor:

I appreciated Mona Charon’s recent column, “Finding resilience in the face of disability” which drew attention to the resilience exhibited by Sens. Dole, Hart, and Inouye, as well as current Iowa Senate candidate Josh Turek, in coping with their disabilities. Her message of the importance of directing kindness to those coping with both visible and invisible disabilities is well taken. However, at this time of disregard for civil rights and the shredding of the social safety net that many disabled people are forced to rely on, a message emphasizing the importance of supporting community living and other rights and the need to level the playing field to promote equality would have been both timely and targeted. Sen. Dole understood the importance of legislation to protect civil rights, hence his role in garnering Republican support to assure passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). As Dole Institute of Politics Director Audrey Coleman recently noted at an ADA celebration at the institute, Sen. Dole understood the “the prejudice, devaluation, social isolation and exclusion experienced by disabled people” based on his experience in living with his own disability. Addressing these persistent barriers requires action to assure rights, resources and opportunities, as well as the kindness that we all deserve.

Dot Nary,

Lawrence