OCTOBER MARKS DISABILITY AWARENESS MONTH

Isaac Newton discovered that what goes up must come down.

Stevie Wonder is a singer whose hit recordings include "Superstition" and "For Once in My Life."

Vincent van Gogh was a Dutch impressionist who became a noted artist with such paintings as "Starry Night," and "Still Life With Sunflowers."

Bud Abbott was half of the famed Lou Costello-Bud Abbott comedy team.

Throughout history, individuals with disabilities have contributed to the arts, science and culture of all societies.

Newton and Van Gogh had forms of mental illnesses, Wonder was born blind, and Abbott had epilepsy.

Many other notable people suffered from disabilities as well. Alexander the Great and Napoleon Bonaparte each suffered from epilepsy; former president Ronald Reagan is hard of hearing; president Franklin Roosevelt had polio; famed mystery writer Agatha Christie had a learning disability.

The list of people who are known in terms of their accomplishments rather than their disabilities is a lengthy one.

"All too often people overlook the roles people have played in the enrichment of all our lives," said Danny Freeman, employment service supervisor with the Missouri Division of Employment Security in Cape Girardeau. "Since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act interest in and awareness of people with disabilities has been on the increase," he said.

The Cape Girardeau office of the Missouri Division of Employment Security will recognize October as National Disability Employment Awareness Month.

In Illinois, Lt. Gov. Bob Kustra is encouraging Illinoisans to take note of the many societal contributions made by those with disabilities.

"People don't realize that inventors Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell were both hard of hearing, or that authors Sylvia Plath and Virginia Wolff both had forms of mental illness," said Kustra.

"It's time we recognized people with disabilities for their past and current contributions to society, and to make sure they are given room to contribute in the future," said Kustra. "National Disability Employment Awareness Month" is a good time to remind employers that people with disabilities make good employees."

Freeman agreed.

"Twenty-nine percent of civilians with disabilities, ages 16 to 64, are employed either full or part time," said Freeman. "National figures show that more than 4.2 million people with disabilities are employed."

Freeman said there is an upward trend in employment of women with work disabilities. He said 11.4 percent of women with disabilities were employed full time in 1981. "A decade later, in 1991, 15.1 percent were employed," he said.

Freeman pointed out, however, that a downward trend has been noted in the employment of men with disabilities.

"In 1981, 74.1 percent of men with disabilities were employed," he said. "In 1991, that figure dropped to 72.4 percent."

A recent Harris Poll found that Americans think putting people with disabilities to work is "good for the economy and good for the country."