America's Untapped Asset (1953)

the [Applause] [Music] in Washington DC the president's committee for the physically handicapped listens to a distinguished speaker President Eisenhower adal McIntyre and ladies and gentlemen there are many commissions and committees that carry with them the title of presidents committee or Commission there is none that engages the iners of my heart or of which I am proud than this one I should like to explain a little bit of the very intimate interest I have in your work I'll tell you a little story in about the early fall of 1944 I had a core that wasn't performing quite in the way I thought it should and of course the trouble was the commander and I sent to uh Washington and gave them the name of a man I wanted and I got a telegram back from General Marshall which said he I I agree with you he's a very fine leader but he is in the hospital he has arthritis in the knees and the doctors won't give him a clear bill of help and I'm afraid we can't send him and I sent back and I said please send this man right away quickly it's his head and his heart I want and I'll carry him to battle in a litter but a Man simply because he has arthritis in the knees is still fitted to do the job I want I'm trying to show you that we can after all all even in war overemphasize this question of complete physical normaly incidentally you'll be glad to know the sequel which was that that man LED his core brilliantly throughout the rest of the war and fully met every expectation I had of you now in the work you do if there comes a time when you think a word of Mind an act of mind can help along in this Grand thing you're doing you have only to command me certainly in that respect I am your servant I am forever forever obligated to you for what you're doing thank you very [Applause] [Music] much every year by accidents alone 250,000 people become permanently disabled add the disability caused by disease and War and the result is a list 23 million names long medical science is returning more and more people to useful lives but these extra tens of thousands join the growing millions of the so-called handicapped what about the future of these people who will need special help before they can earn a living once more for many help may come from public or private Vocational Rehabilitation Offices here the concern is not with a cure which is impossible but in setting the disabled person on the a road to usefulness and a job if necessary an individual plan of therapy and guidance may be worked out physical therapy is part of the plan for preparing the disabled person for employment for those who require it a a program of crutch training is instituted when both legs are paralyzed walking successfully with crutches is quite an achievement another aspect is vocational training training to match up the handicapped person with a job for which he shows an aptitude and can handle successfully once training is over he is ready willing and able to work but too often the road back becomes a dead end he joins a million other disabled who seek but cannot find gainful employment hire a too many leave it to the other fellow however modern management and our most successful companies today has learned that it is good business to hire the handicapped it is not charity in the Northwest section of Chicago one of our largest Insurance firms employs over 3,000 people handicapped and non-handicapped young and old people chosen solely on the basis of their ability to do a job to explain his company's attitude let's meet the president of the Bankers Life and Casualty Company of Chicago Mr John D MacArthur here in the home office we have a big job at it's a highly technical job it requires speed and accuracy and it takes capable people to do it well uh for example we have millions of files and if one file gets out of place you can just imagine the difficulty we're in now in operating a public business you have to give the people service speed and accuracy they demand and I am very proud of the people that are doing this job and I'd like to have you go out and take a look at them for [Music] yourself almost any job can be performed by some handicapped person take Lou for example he's strong and healthy hasn't missed a day since he was hired over 3 years ago although Lou can't speak or hear this doesn't prevent him from being a white collar worker he can perform clerical operations with a minimum of [Music] distraction the non-handicapped and the deaf can work side by side when you like the person you're working with you're more than willing to learn her language not because you have to but just to make things a little [Music] easier George is a combat veteran after rehabilitation in a veteran's hospital he is now a trained technician [Music] but for every veteran like George who has been restored to the Dignity of a job there are veterans capable of work but unemployed running an intricate electronic machine isn't a job you'd normally expect a one-handed person to perform [Music] but Bill like so many handicapped who have received training has learned to make one hand do the work of [Music] two and now let's meet Evelyn one of the best secretaries a top executive ever had Evelyn lost her arm in a childhood accident she was naturally right-handed [Applause] too her disability hasn't stopped Evelyn from becoming not only a top-notch secretary but also a happy [Music] wife in a large insurance company naturally there's a great deal of paperwork there are a few jobs calling for strenuous physical activity it's work that's ideally suited for the middle-aged and the elderly even for those who may be handicapped by a weak heart or some other chronic disability [Music] here life can begin at 60 as long as the spirit is still young the brain is still Nimble and hands are still capable of producing accurately the required volume of work Mrs Stewart for example who began working here at the age of 73 and that was 7 years ago she has handled thousands of Premium receipts running into millions of dollars without a mistake or a [Music] complaint Miss Donovan with 30 years of experience as a speed typist and still going strong in Bankers Life and Casualty Company more than 600 people disabled by reasons of disease War accident or age have built up an imposing record a record of accurate work high production low absenteeism and low turnover coupled with a fine Spirit of teamwork pride and loyalty no wonder that the doors of the Banker's Life and Casualty Company are open to everyone each applicant for a job is considered as an individual there is no rejection because of the convenient label disabled or too old nor is their hiring simply because of pity and this is all the handicapped ask to be given the same opportunity as anyone else no more no less Mr McGrath you may be in interested in this I am I'm very much interested in this and I have been for a long time and I think it's high time some other people got interested in this don't think of me as the employers of the people you've seen it's the 5 million policy holders the 5 million policy holders insured under the white cross plan that are the real employers of these people maybe it's you maybe you're one of them maybe it's the people next door I don't know and it doesn't make any difference but I have a request to make a sincere request I want you to cooperate with the president's committee and put this program across I like that poster I hope they made millions of it I'd like to see it nailed to every Telegraph poll in America it'll focus the attention of the public on the ability of people rather than their disabilities hire the handicap it's good business It's ability that counts it's certainly paid off for this company and I know it'll pay off for you [Music]