Meital+Cooper

Type in the content of your page here. [ltr] what is life like for people who are handicapped in Israel? || Meital Cooper Teacher: Mrs. Melissa Weglein ||
 * Neve Hana High School ||
 * Living without Access ||
 * A handicapped girl’s life in Israel
 * June 6, 2009 ||

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 * Table of Contents **

== We live in a small, wonderful country. It becomes more wonderful when the people who live here make their contribution to it. My research project was to look at someone who wants to contribute immensely to her country, despite (or maybe because) the fact that the country is far from contributing the bare minimum that it should to her. Despite being restricted to a wheelchair, Techelet Haiman wants to make big changes to this country. I looked at the difficulties of being handicapped in Israel and found that there is a frustrating lack of progress in what we are doing to help those most in need of help. Not only are some people born handicapped, or become handicapped, the country further handicaps them by failing to provide accessible schools and services. Some people, even teachers and educators, need to know more about how to help, and need to open their hearts. One day we all might need such help. I look at what will be waiting for us if we do. I think one possible solution for the lack of caring is for everyone to meet someone like Techelet, spend some time with that person, and see the country through their eyes. So my research question is “what is life like for people who are handicapped in Israel? What remains to be done?” In addition, I explored some of the moments that I shared with Techelet, and remembered them through a song that reminded me of some her fears and feelings. ==

“My reality is that I am unable to walk. This is a starting point, an obvious fact. Whatever I do from here –those are my own choices. The choices make me who I am.” Techelet is a 16 year old girl who lives in Nokdim, a Yishuv in Gush- Etzion. She learns in ‘Reut’ high school in Jerusalem with normal teenagers her age. But Techelet is different – she is a handicapped girl. She can’t use her legs and arms properly. She’s stuck in a wheelchair and she can’t walk run or jump like most people. When Techelet was a toddler she still wasn’t walking. Techelet was becoming unsteady and rickety. Her kindergarten teacher noticed that she fell off her chair a lot. That is when the doctors discovered that Techelet is crippled. It wasn’t clear if her disability was from birth or from a vaccine that she received when she was a baby against polio (infantile paralysis). Techelet grew up and started to learn first grade in Tekoa. That is where we met. Techelet had some problems in learning but socially her life was good and she had a lot of friends all around her. I remember when we were in first grade we would fight about who would get to push Techelet around in her wheelchair at recess. I think it was very good for the whole class that we had a girl like her and we learned how to get along with problems that we had such as when we go on a trip with the class, we had to make the trip “accessible”. For “Erev Kita” we had to choose a place that was accessible for her wheelchair. This was a project that the teacher, Ariela, involved us all in. Later on in life, as we grew, things changed. Our lives seemed to take on different aspects, we no longer had the guiding hand of Ariela keeping us together. Techelet no longer had a special place in class—she was just another girl, and a girl with special problems that created complications. Techelet became very lonely at the time. She developed relationships with younger children who adored her because of her special personality. But many of the children her own age were into other stuff. Although Techelet had a lot of serious and difficult social and physical problems, I remember that Techelet was a very grown-up girl from a very young age. She was also very sensitive and caring for everyone. The connections she had with people were very deep, very serious. She knew the people around her very well and no one had anything really against her. They didn’t want her to be sad but they didn’t have the same urge to overcome differences and include her. Techelet’s major achievements in life so far are that she found her place in public. She has never sunk in sorrow or depression (the opposite is true!). She continues living her own life in her special way. She became very very smart and perhaps because she didn’t have an extensive group of friends, she had time to learn more and to expand her knowledge. Techelet has a great memory and sometimes even she sits in her chair, alone, and lets her mind develop ideas and thoughts about just about everything—her future, the world, society, etc. Techelet loves to learn Torah and Toshba (Oral Law). She showed me a paper she had written on the subject of honoring parents and recognizing the good in people. It was very hard to read the project because it was written in very high language, and covered difficult topics in a profound way. But the main idea of the project was that her parents did a lot for her and she wants to pass on the message that parents are the most important people in life and you need to learn to thank them for all that they do for you every day. When I asked Techelet about her connection to G-d and religion, I was quite surprised to hear what she had to say. It left a great impression on me. I asked her if her condition affects her connection with G-d and she answered, “only positively”. Techelet is now a counselor in Bnei Akiva. She is partners with another girl counselor and a boy. The girl helps her a lot and helps with problems between her and the children. The children often ask insensitive questions, say hurtful things, and can even tell her that they don’t want a counselor like her. When I told Techelet that they are still kids and they don’t know what they are doing. She nodded and told me that we never did anything like that to her when we were that age. Techelet counsels a child in her group who is also handicapped. Techelet takes it upon herself as a mission to take care of her. She is determined to make sure that the children do not hurt this girl’s feelings, as children had hurt her. As mentioned, Techelet now learns in Reut High School. In her school there are other handicapped kids her age. She told me about the principal that used to be there. He established the school, and he had a very amazing personality. He took it upon himself to make the school completely accessible and open to handicapped children. It was a shock to the whole community when he contracted cancer and died. When Techelet grows up, she wants to serve in Sherut Leumi, and open an organization where the handicapped are able to serve the country. The organization will provide explanations about being handicapped, and help people understand the world from the perspective of the handicapped. Techelet makes it clear that she may be restricted to a wheelchair, and restricted from certain activities, but her soul and her being is not restricted at all. There may be handicapped people who are limited mentally—but she is not. She feels very sad for them that they cannot live their lives with learning, and thinking—creating new ideas and thoughts. Between the ages of five and eleven I had a strong friendship with Techelet. The years went by and she and I are now sixteen and fifteen. The years have separated us and we have gone different ways. I thought of her and contacted her again when I realized I wanted to write this paper on who I admire. The interview made me understand more about her life, and about how special she is. She is an amazing person and I hope that one day she will overcome all the obstacles that any young woman faces, but that she faces with that much more difficulty. I hope that she realizes her dreams of making a difference, and helps Israel accept more fully people with limitations (and thereby, become more accepting even of ourselves). =  = Wouldn’t you use a handicapped doctor? Many people say “yes” and state that their reason is that a handicap makes a person more sensitive to the needs of others. According to Dr. Martha Redden, director of handicapped projects for the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), ''There are deaf students in dental school and quadriplegics in medical school.” Since 1975, when the US passed laws ensuring free public education for the handicapped, more and more doctors, lawyers, dentists and other professionals are handicapped. One example is how deaf people can be lawyers. According to the NY Times, “A computerized video display screen, for example, allows deaf lawyers to communicate during arguments in court by reading the statements of witnesses and then responding to them.” Even so, severe obstacles remain that make life, and professional life, for the handicapped in Israel extremely difficult. The government in Israel has passed laws to make all jobs and all workplaces accessible for handicapped people. However, the laws are not enforced, and no one seems to care. In a report done for the US Government, many new technologies exist that can help open professions for the handicapped. However, “the more serious questions are social ones—of financing, of conflicting and ill-defined goals, of hesitancy over the demands of distributive justice, and of isolated and uncoordinated programs.” Just a few examples, at the end-of-the-year for my Junior High School, Techelet (who had learned there for one year), came to see us perform. However, someone had not only parked in the handicapped spot, he had blocked the only ramp allowing wheelchairs access to the building. Techelet’s father and other men had to lift her wheelchair in order to allow her to attend. At the end of the show, people saw the driver who had blocked the ramp and very politely (but firmly) told him what he had done. He became offensive and yelled at people, saying that they were blaming him unjustly! Techelet’s father and my father just ignored him, not wanting to make Techelet feel uncomfortable at being the cause for yelling. Another example, imagine being handicapped and seeing this wonderful beach—and then the stupid stairs that could just as easily (or even more easily) been built as a ramp. <span style="mso-ignore: vglayout; position: absolute; z-index: 251657728; margin-left: 117px; margin-top: 43px; width: 236px; height: 102px;"> I’m certain that no one intentionally wants to hurt handicapped people. However, our society is clearly insensitive to their needs. Laws exist, but are not enough. Just take a look at the picture of a police car parked in a disabled spot! People have to start honoring handicapped people. Perhaps they have to realize that one day it could be them! Sources: Alterman. Or; Kinneret beaches not handicapped accessible, YNet, June 7 2006, [] Johnson, Sharon; “DISABLED IN PROFESSIONS GROW”, NY Times, July 18, 1983 [] Office of Technology Assessment, Congress of the United States, “Technology and Handicapped People”, May 1982 ( [] ) Picture of police car, courtesy [] == Words & melody: Yehuda Poliker** My shadow and I are on the road The sun was based in the sky Once I lead Once a shadow on the path Clouds covered the sky It began to rain My shadow assembled inside me I continued walking alone in my way
 * ** The shadow & I **
 * Performance: Yehuda Poliker

The wind blew The fear dripped and trickled My shadow inside is shaking me Scarier than ever He asks: "where are you taking?" I reply: "where are you running to?" Why always protected walls Why shadow when there is light inside

Lets fly away You will be my wings To a imaginary connection That was impossible until now Lets jump, take off, fly To the match point of the shadow and the body Enough running To what we always wanted to forget

To forget the doors of confusion The boy that peeks through the lock hole Lets pass the bounds To the freedom that was bounded And only melodies remind That outside you can be Free from all fears Only when the shadow and I are together

Lets fly away || הצל שלי ואני יצאנו לדרך || ** הצל ואני ** || מילים ולחן: יהודה פוליקר** || השמש עמדה כך בערך פעם אני מוביל ופעם צל על השביל עננים התכנסו בשמיים התחילו לרדת טיפות מים צילי התכנס בתוכי המשכתי לבדי בדרכי
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 * **ביצוע: יהודה פוליקר

הרוח טלטל הפחד טפטף וחלחל צילי בתוכי מרעיד מפחיד יותר מתמיד הוא שואל לאן אתה לוקח אני משיב לאן אתה בורח למה תמיד קירות מוגנים למה צל כשאור בפנים

בוא נעוף רחוק אתה תהיה לי כנפיים אל חיבור דמיוני שהיה עד עכשיו בלתי אפשרי בוא נקפוץ, נמריא, נעוף אל קשר הצל והגוף די להמשיך לברוח אל מה שתמיד רצינו לשכוח

לשכוח את דלתות הבלבול את הילד שמציץ דרך חור המנעול בוא נעבור את הגבול אל החופש שהיה כבול ורק מנגינות מזכירות שבחוץ אפשר להיות משוחרר מכל פחד רק כשהצל ואני ביחד

בוא נעוף רחוק... The way I interpreted the song is that the shadow is the biggest enemy that a person can ever have- his evil inclination. It is very simple to understand the idea that the writer wanted to pass to the listeners. The idea is that when you walk in the sun in a bright and sunny day, you're shadow comes out of you and lets you be free and have a nice day without being bad to other people, being sad or angry- the goodness in you overcomes the bad. but he asks: "why shadow when there is light inside?"- when is there light inside of you there is still the shadow outside that follows you wherever you go and doesn't leave you alone. And then the rain comes, the darkness assembles inside of you and you feel more sad and more alone than you could ever be- not only that it rains, you also losed your partner that kept you company all the way. When I and Techelet where younger, we used to go a lot for walks. Techelet loves to just move around and even without walking, just to breathe some fresh air and connect to the nature. I will always remember one walk that we had together at night in Nokedim, next to Techelets house. We walked around and talked. Then, we passed by a street light and I saw her shadow. It was the scariest shadow that I ever saw- her wheelchair made it big and clumsy, and it scared me very much. So I asked her in a joking tone if she isn’t afraid of her shadow and she told me: "every person is afraid of their shadow because it looks so much like them. I was lucky to get a shadow that looks nothing like me- and that’s why it scares me less than your shadow or anyone else's scares you or them." I picked this song for my literature connection to the project mostly because I just love this song and it stands as something very strong for me. This story was another reason to pick the song. So I picked the song, and as I researched about the song I discovered that the singer that also wrote it and gave it its melody- Yehuda Poliker, had also a disability like Techelet- he stutters. == = = ** Memories of an Olah **
 * The song is about each and everyone of us, how we deal with fears. It makes us see that we are not alone, and that all the fear & lonely feelings that we feel are mostly the same.

Though I look like a real Israeli and it may seem to you like I was gborn in Israel—I wasn’t. I was born in California and lived there until almost 10 years ago. My story of “aliya” is not as dramatic as most “aliya” stories that you may of heard before. Why? Because my mother is Israeli and, in fact, my parents met in Israel, got married here and had my older brother here too. My father was born in the States, grew up there and when he was 24, he started hitchhiking around Europe with the goal of making his way to Israel. He arrived in Jerusalem and started to learn in a Yeshiva. Then, he met my mother, and you know what happened next… They moved to California just to finish my father’s degree in Psychology but they ended up staying there for 8 years and having 4 more girls. I guess that my parents chose to live there because it was more comfortable for them—my father had a good job, my grandparents (on my father’s side) lived right next to us and helped my parents take care of us all 5 kids. When I was about 4 ½ years old, my parents decided that they want to come back to Israel. For me, that decision was very exciting, not just because I have cousins in Israel (I didn’t have cousins in California until 9-10 years ago) but also the idea of moving to a new country, getting to know new people, was very amazing and exciting. When I was 5 ½ years old, in the summer between kindergarden and 1st grade, we moved to Israel. My parents chose to live in Tekoa, a settlement in Gush Etzion. They chose the place for its unique atmosphere, the special people who live there, and its ideal of religious and non-religious people living together. We arrived in Tekoa late at night; the taxi driver stopped in front of a house that we rented for a short period of time until we found a better place. The house was quite a serious shock for us, especially for my mother. It was ugly, old, had bad insulation from heat and cold. The painter had painted over all the mezuzahs. We were tired, hungry, it was late at night. I remember the thoughts that went through my head. I remember wanting to get up and fly back to California. It was so frustrating and disappointing. Then, when all hope was lost, we heard a knock on the door. It was some teenagers, most of them English speakers. They welcomed us and asked us if we want to go for a walk in the Yishuv and so we went—in the middle of the night, two parents, a 9 year old, a 7 year old, a 5 year old and two 2 year olds, for a walk in Israel, on the lands that were promised to our ancestors 5000 years ago. That day reminded me of a part in a children’s book that my mother used to read to us, “An Apartment for Rent” by Lea Goldberg (דירה להשכרה של לאה גולדברג), particularly the part where the dove chooses to stay and rent the apartment even though she doesn’t like it, but because she liked the neighbors. I know that I will stay here forever in this amazing place that I love and I hope that our leaders will make the right choices and I pray that they will understand the significant meaning of it. We, Israelis, as a culture stand our ground, we won’t give in, we won’t give up.  At first I had difficulty finding a topic and deciding on someone to interview. My mother gave me the idea of interviewing Techelet Haiman. When she gave me that idea, at first I asked myself “what is the connection between her being handicapped, and the faces of Israel?” As I reflected on the idea, it seemed very appropriate. I had lost contact with Techelet over the years, but truly, she is a remarkable girl. Despite her handicap, G-d, her family, and perhaps her disability have given her many gifts and rare abilities that many of us might try hard and never attain. In a sense, she is an example of the true Israeli who, despite hardships, has managed to establish herself and her own identity in difficult circumstances. Reflecting on our friendship, I recall many things that she has given to me. During our interview, I found even more things that she intends to give to this country. I am glad that I had the opportunity to renew the connection, the friendship with Techelet and think more deeply about what that has meant to me. In addition, it made me think about her life, and what she is going through every day. If I had done this project again, I would try to connect the different parts together more closely. For example, the Creative Connection and Literary Connection could be more connected to the Profile and Background Research (which were very well connected). Even so, I am happy with what I learned and with how the Creative and Literary Connection brought to mind experiences that I had shared with Techelet years ago.  Alterman. Or; Kinneret beaches not handicapped accessible, YNet, June 7 2006, [] Johnson, Sharon; “DISABLED IN PROFESSIONS GROW”, NY Times, July 18, 1983 [] Office of Technology Assessment, Congress of the United States, “Technology and Handicapped People”, May 1982 ( [] ) Picture of police car, courtesy [] Poliker, Yehuda; Song: הצל ואני, ביצוע: יהודה פוליקר ,  מילים ולחן: יהודה פוליקר  (The shadow & I, Performed by: Yehuda Poliker, Words & melody: Yehuda Poliker) ==

**Only one beach on Sea of Galilee provides accessibility to water, depending on its level; survey conducted by Access Israel association raises serious conclusions** Or Alterman || Published: || 07.09.06, 22:43 / [|Israel Travel]  || Every summer, the Lake Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) beaches make headlines, but not in positive circumstances. A new survey reveals that most of the beaches are inaccessible to handicapped people.

An inquiry conducted in 14 central beaches along Lake Kinneret by Access Israel, a non-profit organization that helps people with physical limitations find the easiest way to get around in Israel, revealed that only three beaches provide convenient access for handicapped people from the parking lot to the beach. Only one of the beaches has a ramp which enables disabled people to reach the water with a wheelchair.


 * Tzemach beach (Photo: Access Israel) **

The beaches were graded according to the following parameters: Handicapped parking spots, convenient access to the beach, an accessible || ||  Advertisement  || ||
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promenade, access to the water, means to enter the water, handicapped restrooms, accessible dressing room and an accessible coffee shop or snack bar.

The grave findings revealed by the survey show that only the Dugit, Levanon and Ganim beaches have convenient access to the beach. But at the Ganim beach, the only one which also provides means to enter the water, this is only made possible when the water level is high enough.


 * Dressing rooms only partially accessible **

This year, for example, the distance from the ramp to the water is about 2 meters (6.562 feet.) A ramp has also been installed at the Tzemach beach, but in order to reach it one must descend four steps.

According to the survey, the Kursi, Tzinbari and Trapez beaches are completely inaccessible.

The survey also revealed that approximately half of the beaches have handicapped restrooms, but the dressing rooms are only partially accessible. Only 29 percent of the beaches offer handicapped parking spots and about 43 percent have an accessible promenade.

The association recently conducted a similar survey in the Mediterranean, which also raised worrying conclusions, according to which 96 percent of the beaches reviewed were found to be inaccessible to handicapped people. Following the survey, the Ashkelon Municipality declared that it would start making its beaches accessible.

By SHARON JOHNSON Published: July 18, 1983 Illustrations: photo of Dr. Karin Muraszko (page A10) People with serious physical handicaps are beginning to enter the professions - science, medicine and law among them - in greater numbers, according to experts in the field. It began in the 1970's when increased numbers of handicapped persons began enrolling in college and getting the preparation they needed to enter professional school, said Bernard Posner, executive director of the President's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped. From 1978 to 1983 the number of handicapped undergraduates doubled, he said. Today 7.5 percent of disabled Americans have completed college, compared to 16.2 percent of the nondisabled population. The success stories are everywhere, said Dr. Martha Redden, who directs the project on the handicapped of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. There are deaf students in dental school and quadriplegics in medical school, she said. Our organization alone has 1,000 disabled scientists. She and other experts cite these reasons for the trend: - More handicapped people now have the academic credentials for admission to professional schools. The Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 guaranteed handicapped children a free, appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment, and now handicapped children are studying laboratory science, advanced mathematics and other courses that were sometimes closed to the disabled when they were tutored individually or enrolled in special classes. - There are fewer physical barriers. Federal legislation requires that universities, libraries and other public buildings be accessible to the handicapped. - New technology enables the handicapped to practice the professions. A computerized video display screen, for example, allows deaf lawyers to communicate during arguments in court by reading the statements of witnesses and then responding to them. - Disabled youngsters have more role models in the professions. The current president of the American Medical Association, for instance, is Dr. Frank J. Jirka Jr., a Barrington Hills, Ill., neurologist who lost his feet in combat during World War II. - Changes have occurred in the labor market. Brains, not brawn, are important today, said Rhona C. Hartman, director of the Higher Education and the Handicapped Resource Center, a program for the handicapped of the American Council on Education. America has a service economy, and that means more jobs for disabled professionals. Early Encouragement A local physician who exemplifies this trend is Dr. Karin Muraszko, 28 years old, a resident at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center and one of about 800 physically impaired physicians in the United States. She was a solitary child, suffering a mild form of spinal bifida, a birth defect in which the spinal cord does not close completely. As an adolescent she underwent surgery for the condition. She had become accomplished in science in the meantime, and her parents dreamed that she would be the first member of her family to earn a college degree. Later, her adviser at Yale College admonished, Don't let your handicap hold you back. 'A Challenge, Not a Barrier' My disability has been a challenge, not a barrier, Dr. Muraszko said. It has never prevented me from giving my patients the best of care or kept me from carrying my share of the load as one of 10 residents on the service. Dr. Muraszko, who is 4 feet 9 inches tall and wears a leg brace, routinely works 60 or more hours a week, performing surgery on patients who have cerebral aneurisms and other life-threatening conditions. Because of my handicap, patients open up to me, said Dr. Muraszko. I can understand their pain and encourage them to get beyond it, because they cannot say to me the way they can to other doctors, 'What do you know about suffering?'  Dr. Muraszko was the first handicapped person to be offered a residency in neurological surgery at Columbia-Presbyterian. Dr. Muraszko is the most outstanding person I've met in medicine, said Dr. Bennett M. Stein, chairman of the neurological surgery department.''Because neurological surgery is one of the most demanding residency programs, we did a lot of soul-searching before we admitted her, because we were concerned that her handicap might prevent her from doing the work. We have found, though, that her intelligence, tenacity and motivation have enabled her to make a remarkable contribution to the care of our patients.'' Some Discouraging Words Despite these changes, some guidance counselors still dissuade the handicapped from entering the professions, according to John P. Nelson, of Montevideo, Minn., president of the American Blind Lawyers' Association. These counselors don't realize that having a profession gives a handicapped person plenty of options, he said. If a blind lawyer has to do lots of library research, he can hire a secretary to read to him, and a lawyer in a wheelchair can have his office designed to meet his needs. Overcoming the opposition of colleagues is another problem. Mary Lewis, executive director of the Society of Handicapped Physicians, with headquarters in Grambling, La., said: ''More than 90 percent of our 600 members report that they have received opposition from their colleagues. Some of them have had difficulty getting accepted into medical school or residency training programs. Others, especially those who have become disabled on the job, report that they have been pushed out of group practices, have had other doctors refuse to refer patients to them and have had their licenses challenged.'' The Practice of Adaptation Eighty-five percent of our members continue to practice, though, she said. They work at everything from obstetricsgynecology to psychiatry, because they restrict themselves to an area of medicine where the handicap is unimportant, use paraprofessionals and adapt their office equipment. PICK UP 1ST-LAST ADD HANDI When Dr. Maraszko, the neurosurgery resident, is on night call, she sleeps with her leg brace on so she will not be delayed if she is called to the hospital. I have been able to do everything the other residents can, she said. If I ever found that my handicap was preventing me from giving my patients 100 percent, I would quit. Outstanding Individuals Most handicapped professionals feel that way, and that is why so many of them are so outstanding, said Karen Hildebrandt, assistant administrator of nursing of the Pocatello Regional Medical Center in Idaho. She cites the example of Annett Nicholson, a nurse at the center who developed muscular dystrophy when she was pregnant in 1974. When Mrs. Nicholson became confined to a wheelchair, she was transferred from emergency room duty to the education department, where physical dexterity was less important. She is one of our best nurses, Mrs. Hildebrandt said. I wish I had 20 more like her. New York University's College of Dentistry and the Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine have started a special program for dentists who have suffered strokes or injuries that limit their ability to practice. A team of physicians, psychologists and physical therapists evaluates each dentist's handicap and works out ways he or she might overcome it. More than half of those who have completed the intensive one-week course have returned to work, according to Dr. William Greenfield, an associate dean at the College of Dentistry. Placement Termed Steady The Federal Government, major banks and large corporations have hired many handicapped lawyers, accountants and other professionals, according to Paul G. Hearne, the executive director of JOB (Just One Break Inc.), a nonprofit employment agency for New York's disabled. We place about 10 to 20 disabled professionals each month, Mr. Hearne said, a number that has held steady even during the recession. One of the agency's problems is breaking down the stereotypes that many employers hold. Some people still regard handicapped persons as slower and less intellectual, and so they tend to patronize them and refuse to evaluate the individual candidate on merit and performance, said Mr. Hearne, a 33-year-old lawyer who is confined to a wheelchair. Some of them are afraid that if they hire the disabled and they don't do well, they won't be able to fire them, because that would be such a cruel thing to do. Barriers in Childhood There has been progress, however, he said. ''I didn't go to school until I was 16; now, handicapped kids are enrolled in classes with everybody else. Architectural barriers also have been eliminated since I went to law school in the early '70's. My professors and classmates had to carry me up a flight of stairs so that I could work in the school's Legal Services Clinic. That doesn't happen anymore.'' The handicapped are also beginning to move up the career ladder and into areas of the professions that were previously closed to them. Ten years ago, physically handicapped lawyers rarely got to try cases because their employers were afraid that a handicapped person would prejudice the jury, said Mary Conrad, a quadriplegic who is senior counsel of the Attorney Registration and Discipline Committee of the Illinois State Supreme Court. Today the handicapped are in all areas of law, including the judiciary. Perhaps the best symbol of the increased acceptance of the handicapped in the professions is a comment by a former patient about Dr. Muraszko. I never noticed she was handicapped, the woman said. All I know is that she was the best doctor and the kindest person I ever met. People with serious physical handicaps are beginning to enter the professions - science, medicine and law among them - in greater numbers, according to experts in the field. It began in the 1970's when increased numbers of handicapped persons began enrolling in college and getting the preparation they needed to enter professional school, said Bernard Posner, executive director of the President's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped. From 1978 to 1983 the number of handicapped undergraduates doubled, he said. Today 7.5 percent of disabled Americans have completed college, compared to 16.2 percent of the nondisabled population. The success stories are everywhere, said Dr. Martha Redden, who directs the project on the handicapped of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. There are deaf students in dental school and quadriplegics in medical school, she said. Our organization alone has 1,000 disabled scientists. She and other experts cite these reasons for the trend: - More handicapped people now have the academic credentials for admission to professional schools. The Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 guaranteed handicapped children a free, appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment, and now handicapped children are studying laboratory science, advanced mathematics and other courses that were sometimes closed to the disabled when they were tutored individually or enrolled in special classes. - There are fewer physical barriers. Federal legislation requires that universities, libraries and other public buildings be accessible to the handicapped. - New technology enables the handicapped to practice the professions. A computerized video display screen, for example, allows deaf lawyers to communicate during arguments in court by reading the statements of witnesses and then responding to them. - Disabled youngsters have more role models in the professions. The current president of the American Medical Association, for instance, is Dr. Frank J. Jirka Jr., a Barrington Hills, Ill., neurologist who lost his feet in combat during World War II. - Changes have occurred in the labor market. Brains, not brawn, are important today, said Rhona C. Hartman, director of the Higher Education and the Handicapped Resource Center, a program for the handicapped of the American Council on Education. America has a service economy, and that means more jobs for disabled professionals. Early Encouragement A local physician who exemplifies this trend is Dr. Karin Muraszko, 28 years old, a resident at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center and one of about 800 physically impaired physicians in the United States. She was a solitary child, suffering a mild form of spinal bifida, a birth defect in which the spinal cord does not close completely. As an adolescent she underwent surgery for the condition. She had become accomplished in science in the meantime, and her parents dreamed that she would be the first member of her family to earn a college degree. Later, her adviser at Yale College admonished, Don't let your handicap hold you back. 'A Challenge, Not a Barrier' My disability has been a challenge, not a barrier, Dr. Muraszko said. It has never prevented me from giving my patients the best of care or kept me from carrying my share of the load as one of 10 residents on the service. Dr. Muraszko, who is 4 feet 9 inches tall and wears a leg brace, routinely works 60 or more hours a week, performing surgery on patients who have cerebral aneurisms and other life-threatening conditions. Because of my handicap, patients open up to me, said Dr. Muraszko. I can understand their pain and encourage them to get beyond it, because they cannot say to me the way they can to other doctors, 'What do you know about suffering?'  Dr. Muraszko was the first handicapped person to be offered a residency in neurological surgery at Columbia-Presbyterian. Dr. Muraszko is the most outstanding person I've met in medicine, said Dr. Bennett M. Stein, chairman of the neurological surgery department.''Because neurological surgery is one of the most demanding residency programs, we did a lot of soul-searching before we admitted her, because we were concerned that her handicap might prevent her from doing the work. We have found, though, that her intelligence, tenacity and motivation have enabled her to make a remarkable contribution to the care of our patients.'' Some Discouraging Words Despite these changes, some guidance counselors still dissuade the handicapped from entering the professions, according to John P. Nelson, of Montevideo, Minn., president of the American Blind Lawyers' Association. These counselors don't realize that having a profession gives a handicapped person plenty of options, he said. If a blind lawyer has to do lots of library research, he can hire a secretary to read to him, and a lawyer in a wheelchair can have his office designed to meet his needs. Overcoming the opposition of colleagues is another problem. Mary Lewis, executive director of the Society of Handicapped Physicians, with headquarters in Grambling, La., said: ''More than 90 percent of our 600 members report that they have received opposition from their colleagues. Some of them have had difficulty getting accepted into medical school or residency training programs. Others, especially those who have become disabled on the job, report that they have been pushed out of group practices, have had other doctors refuse to refer patients to them and have had their licenses challenged.'' The Practice of Adaptation Eighty-five percent of our members continue to practice, though, she said. They work at everything from obstetricsgynecology to psychiatry, because they restrict themselves to an area of medicine where the handicap is unimportant, use paraprofessionals and adapt their office equipment. PICK UP 1ST-LAST ADD HANDI When Dr. Maraszko, the neurosurgery resident, is on night call, she sleeps with her leg brace on so she will not be delayed if she is called to the hospital. I have been able to do everything the other residents can, she said. If I ever found that my handicap was preventing me from giving my patients 100 percent, I would quit. Outstanding Individuals Most handicapped professionals feel that way, and that is why so many of them are so outstanding, said Karen Hildebrandt, assistant administrator of nursing of the Pocatello Regional Medical Center in Idaho. She cites the example of Annett Nicholson, a nurse at the center who developed muscular dystrophy when she was pregnant in 1974. When Mrs. Nicholson became confined to a wheelchair, she was transferred from emergency room duty to the education department, where physical dexterity was less important. She is one of our best nurses, Mrs. Hildebrandt said. I wish I had 20 more like her. New York University's College of Dentistry and the Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine have started a special program for dentists who have suffered strokes or injuries that limit their ability to practice. A team of physicians, psychologists and physical therapists evaluates each dentist's handicap and works out ways he or she might overcome it. More than half of those who have completed the intensive one-week course have returned to work, according to Dr. William Greenfield, an associate dean at the College of Dentistry. Placement Termed Steady The Federal Government, major banks and large corporations have hired many handicapped lawyers, accountants and other professionals, according to Paul G. Hearne, the executive director of JOB (Just One Break Inc.), a nonprofit employment agency for New York's disabled. We place about 10 to 20 disabled professionals each month, Mr. Hearne said, a number that has held steady even during the recession. One of the agency's problems is breaking down the stereotypes that many employers hold. Some people still regard handicapped persons as slower and less intellectual, and so they tend to patronize them and refuse to evaluate the individual candidate on merit and performance, said Mr. Hearne, a 33-year-old lawyer who is confined to a wheelchair. Some of them are afraid that if they hire the disabled and they don't do well, they won't be able to fire them, because that would be such a cruel thing to do. Barriers in Childhood There has been progress, however, he said. ''I didn't go to school until I was 16; now, handicapped kids are enrolled in classes with everybody else. Architectural barriers also have been eliminated since I went to law school in the early '70's. My professors and classmates had to carry me up a flight of stairs so that I could work in the school's Legal Services Clinic. That doesn't happen anymore.'' The handicapped are also beginning to move up the career ladder and into areas of the professions that were previously closed to them. Ten years ago, physically handicapped lawyers rarely got to try cases because their employers were afraid that a handicapped person would prejudice the jury, said Mary Conrad, a quadriplegic who is senior counsel of the Attorney Registration and Discipline Committee of the Illinois State Supreme Court. Today the handicapped are in all areas of law, including the judiciary. Perhaps the best symbol of the increased acceptance of the handicapped in the professions is a comment by a former patient about Dr. Muraszko. I never noticed she was handicapped, the woman said. All I know is that she was the best doctor and the kindest person I ever met. [ltr]