Q&A: Judy Woodruff on life with disabilities
July 26th, 2008
From the Columbus [Ohio] Dispatch:
Preparing to anchor the presidential forum on disability issues, broadcaster Judy Woodruff says her 26-year-old son Jeffrey, who has spina bifida, has opened her eyes to the way the world looks from a wheelchair.
Having somebody in the family who is disabled is a lesson every day — in humanity and how much we shouldn’t take for granted.
Jeffrey was only mildly impaired by his condition until a routine surgery at age 16 caused unexpected complications. He emerged with profound disabilities, and cannot walk or use the right side of his body. He’s now a student at a small college in North Carolina.
Woodruff is senior correspondent and 2008 political editor for The NewsHour With Jim Lehrer on PBS.
The country has come a long way since the Americans With Disabilities Act was passed in 1990. Having said that, just look around and you can see we have a long way to go. The disabled still can’t get into some places, some stores and many homes.
Of course, there’s such a wide variety of disabilities — hearing, visual, physical, a cane or a wheelchair, developmental delays. Part of what the disabled community has to do is educate society about the vast differences and that many with disabilities are perfectly capable of holding down a job and learning.
(PBS photo)
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July 27th, 2008 at 4:37 am
Judy Woodruff is a good choice given her experience with her son. But why was not a person such as John Hockenberry selected as anchor? He is qualified and disabled. One would think a person with an obvious physical disability would be the logical choice.