As a rehabilitation counselor, I was very saddened to read your Oct. 3 editorial regarding Jim Mullen’s difficulties in trying to return to work with the Chicago Police Department.
Judging from your editorial, you seem to have as shortsighted a view of the true employment potential of individuals with disabilities as does the Chicago Police Department. To imply that any employer should not try to accommodate an employee with a severe disability who wants to return to work is wrong.
It is this attitude that keeps the unemployment rate of people with disabilities who want to work at 79 percent, as reported in a 1994 Harris survey. This tremendously high rate has remained virtually unchanged over the years because of attitudes like those expressed in your editorial. Employers– including, I would hope, the Tribune–should work to accommodate employees with disabilities instead of simply dismissing their capabilities.
Your editorial also implies that the only essential requirements for being a Chicago police officer are the ability to walk and fire a gun. I would sincerely hope that the department would require more than that. What about good judgment, communica-tion skills, common sense, knowledge, problem solving and experience in law enforcement? I would hope that these attributes should be valued far higher then the ability to walk and fire a gun.
