Where Were the Disabled? 129 It was impossible during the study of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act to pinpoint who had the major influence over the legislation, although most of the people interviewed were clearly in support of Title III, and collectively they were all influential. It became obvious, however, that one group was not having much for the handicapped to do something we would still be waiting." Harry Schweiker head of the Washington office of the PVA candidly admits: "I didn't get much input from the membership on vocational rehabilitation, and I usually don't hear from them." 1 * The two lobbies or interest groups encountered the earlier in this research, West Roxbury PVA and the Massachusetts n * There are many definitions of lobbies or interest groups. One of the most commonly used is the following. "Broadly defined, lobbying is a stimulation and a transmission of a communication, by someone other than a citizen acting on his own behalf, directed to a government decision maker with the hope of influencing his decision. Lester W. Milbrath, The Washington Lobbiest, Rand, MacNally, Chicago, 1963. 130 Association of Paraplegics, headed by Elmer Bartels, appeared to be dominated by strong leaders who were 2 usually working ahead of their leadership. They could be Affective but only because of the strong leadership, not because of grassroots support. As Bartels noted, the major interest groups for the handicapped, The President's Committee on by professionals. were to infiltrate into policy-making bodies such as the RSA to interject the consumer's opinion into the governmental process. It was Bartels feeling that without this input from the consumer and without grassroots support that the interest groups of the handicapped were not going to be effective. If the interest groups were not effective, then the legislation passed would not be as good as it could be. In Washington the apathy among handicapped constituencies was apparent, and the consumers, despite Senator Cranston's opening remarks which asked for input from them, took a back seat to the professional rehabilitation organization dominated by the non-disabled. The disabled 131 132 can have crutch power, but it will not be easy to secure. Yet, the disabled themselves can be such powerful spokesmen that they must seek the power to control the policies that directly affect them. Footnotes Where Were the Disabled? 1Quoted from interview, May 10, 1972. 2The PVA meeting at West Roxbury and the MAP newsletter of March, 1972 revealed the apathy in both groups. Crutch Power 133 The handicapped have won many battles in their fight to become integrated but the biggest one is yet to be fought. The disabled have still not effectively organized to exert the maximum possible pressure on the federal and state governments to secure integration. The struggle to organize will be the hardest that the impaired have had to fight, harder even than coping with the physical pain and depression brought on by win the R a disability. Yet, until the handicapped waves his final of what fight, much which they have overcome earlier will be tarnished. The disabled man can sit back and congratulate himself on what he has overcome. But he must also realize that he has not done all that is possible to assist himself until he has pushed for legislation that would assure his access to public buildings, to transportation, to housing, to education, and to employment. The handicapped consumers could develop a strong constituency composed of other handicapped people, their parents and immediate families, those who work in rehabilitation, and concerned members of the general public. But the apathy and division of the handicapped lobbies has hindered the passage of substantive, no-loophole 134 legislation that is needed to integrate the disabled. The main impediment, though, to the development of crutch power is the exclusion of the disabled themselves from active participation in leadership roles in the interest groups that represent them. Apathy is no stranger to the American political system. Certainly not everyone has to be a political activist. However, when a particular group is struggling for equal rights and treatment a high proportion of that group must become politically involved for equality to be received. One or two men cannot make an interest group powerful, but two dozen can. Interest While apathy is a major hinderance to developing an interest group, lack of cohesiveness among those who are politically active also impedes progress. groups did come together to support the emphasis of the severely disabled in the vocational rehabilitation bill, but they frankly admitted that their primary concern was .with the clients they represented. The PVA, for example, said that the severely disabled clause was beneficial because more spinal cord injured patients would qualify for assistance under it. Indeed, the entire emphasis on the |