Never Forget 9/11

September 11, 2001, was one of the worst days in American history. Many people died that day, and on the tenth anniversary of this tragedy, we must remember all who lost their lives, those who surrendered their lives in order to save others, and those on Flight 93, who saved an additional plane from crashing into its original destination, most likely the White House or Capitol Building.

Several people with disabilities that worked in the Twin Towers died because no one could carry them down the stairs due to their equipment, such as wheelchairs. I'd like for us all to take a moment to remember those people, who must have been extremely brave and scared, all at the same time. In addition, we must consider the large quantity of people who became disabled as a result of the 9/11 attacks. Many have been severely injured from breathing the dust and debris caused by the collapse of both towers, and others survived numerous third-degree burns that still require regular medical attention. There are several foundations that support these victims and survivors and I will list them at the end of this blog post. Please consider donating to these causes because there are plenty of stories about people losing their houses and other parts of their lives simply because they cannot work anymore due to their complications from 9/11.

Finally, I hope that with the remembrance of September 11 comes enlightenment about how we can change to make our country safer for its people. We have already dramatically improved safety at the airports and on airplanes, but that doesn't mean that we are done. We also must consider, as Mayor Giuliani pointed out on the September 9th episode of The View, improving our radio waves so that fire and safety personnel can easily access each other in times of emergency. From the point of DA4U, though, I think something that needs more attention--as proved by the devastation of 9/11--is the safety of people with disabilities when working on a floor other than the first or ground level of a building. First, people with disabilities need to outline their needs in an emergency situation with their employees upon their hiring. Answering questions like whether or not you can be lifted out of your wheelchair can definitely help someone help you if tragedy strikes. Also, you could teach someone how to escort you the proper way if you are blind or have low vision. You would definitely be smart to inform more than one coworker, too, so that if an emergency arises and that person called out sick or is on vacation, you have a back-up plan. In order to get these kinks worked out ahead of time, I would suggest asking your employer to allow you an hour or so to discuss your needs with all employees of your company. Not only will this reassure you some peace of mind when it comes to your safety in emergency situations, it will also raise awareness about your disability as well as make your fellow coworkers feel more comfortable around you.

If anything, 9/11 taught the United States that we must always prepare for accidents and emergencies. It also gave us the ability to discover humanity at its very best. On September 11, everyone came together and tried to help one another. We must never forget.

Ground Zero Memorial. Photo Credit: www.google.com

Today, Ground Zero displays a beautiful memorial for all of those heroes, with each of the nearly 3,000 names of those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001, inscribed in bronze.

If you would like to make a donation to a foundation that benefits the victims and survivors of 9/11, please click on any of the following links:

http://www.americas911foundation.org/

http://www.fealgoodfoundation.com/

http://www.911memorial.org/

http://www.911helpamerica.com/


I wish you all nothing but safety, and hope that on the tenth anniversary of September 11, you will tell everyone you know just how much they mean to you, because life is very precious.