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I have never understood the animosity that many of my friends with disabilities show toward Christopher Reeve. A talented actor, writer, director, and producer, Reeve suffered a severely damaged spinal cord in a horseriding accident several years ago. Today, most of the world knows he's a quadriplegic. He never asked to be severely limited in what he can do physically. He never asked for the attention his disability automatically guaranteed him. And I'm sure he never asked to become a universal role model, symbol, and leader in the struggle to find a cure for spinal-cord injuries and other disabling diseases.
By virtue of his fame and personality, Reeve's role as a spokesman for the disabled community was thrust upon him. He could easily have become a recluse and said, "No, I do not want that role." He did not.
Having met him several times, I know Reeve is a fighter. He wants to walk again. He wants to ride again. He wants to hold his wife and children in his arms. He wants to work. He wants to be independent. These are his dreams, the same as those of many other disabled people, and we should respect them and encourage him to use every resource at his command -- his fame, his personality, his friends -- to achieve his dream and give hope to others with spinal-cord injures.
SECOND THOUGHTS.
But a great deal of controversy and anger has surrounded the actor, much of it coming from people with disabilities. The latest example: Reeve's appearance in a Super Bowl ad for Nuveen, an investment-management company, in which the paralyzed actor seems to stand up and walk across a stage to present an award.
I must admit, at first I, too, was upset. How phony, I thought. (The ad was a computer simulation of Reeve's head on the body of a man in a tuxedo.) Why would Reeve do this, I thought?
Later, when I saw the ad again, I had second thoughts. This was really a Big Idea, an emotional moment packaged with a thought-provoking message -- the importance of hope, the importance of investing in the future and in technology that could open the floodgates of opportunity for disabled people worldwide.
"MOTIVATING VISION."
I asked Reeve why he agreed to do the ad. "It is a motivating vision of something that can actually happen," he said via a spokesman. "Leading scientists around the world all agree that it is only a question of money and time before people who have suffered from spinal-cord injuries will be able to recover. And so in order to help people visualize what the future will bring, I thought this ad would be very helpful.
"Rather than just imagining a spinal-cord victim walking in the future, I thought it would be even more powerful to see it actually happening. The response I got from people all over the world, both the general public and people who suffer like me from spinal-cord injuries, has been overwhelmingly positive," he said, through the spokesman.
But a backlash is building. Columnist Dr. Charles Krauthammer -- whose own spinal cord was damaged in a diving accident when he was young -- denounced the ad in his syndicated column on Feb. 1 as "disgracefully misleading." Krauthammer, who uses a wheelchair, said Reeve was trying to foist his false hopes upon others. "His propaganda undermines those -- particularly the young and newly injured -- who are struggling to face reality, master it, and make a life for themselves from their wheelchairs."
Because Reeve is financially successful, a class resentment seems to have developed
I have heard many other disparaging comments about the ad and read many angry letters from other people with disabilities. Part of the reaction seems to derive from the fact that Reeve was paid for his appearance. (The advertising agency, Fallon Elligott of Minneapolis, declines to disclose how much Reeve was paid to appear in the $2 million Super Bowl air-time buy. It's true that often a huge gap exists between the incomes of people either born with disabilities or who become disabled before they have a chance to achieve their earning potential and those who become disabled in midlife. Because Reeve is financially successful, a class resentment seems to have developed.
The other factor that seems to be at work is a tinge of jealousy. Reeve has captured the spotlight, even though he has been disabled for "only" four years -- that at least is the way many of my friends and colleagues appear to view it. This is insulting to Reeve. I don't share the sentiment. I like his message of hope, and I like the message of investment. We have a stingy U.S. Congress that would rather slash R&D funding for spinal-cord injuries and other disabling conditions than increase it. Cutting funding will delay finding a cure.
The greatest investment we can make is in people who develop technology and in people who can benefit from it -- this is a message that must get out. People with disabilities need more access to technology, and if Congress won't invest in development, then we should encourage the private sector to provide money.
NEAR-MIRACLES.
Of course commercial reasons were behind the ad. In fact, says Fallon Elligott, it was designed to spur a dialogue between the medical and financial communities on the monetary value of investing in research that could lead to breakthroughs in treatment.
According to Fallon Elligott, "Reeve was approached because he is a courageous individual with a powerful message. He's very focused on his legacy. Seeking a cure for paralysis from spinal-cord injury is not just about him. We're proud to help provide an opportunity for him to share his message with millions."
I don't know how long it will take to find a cure for paralysis. Some doctors believe a major breakthrough will occur within the next two decades. Others, such as Krauthammer, aren't so optimistic. But with the advances researchers are making in biotechnology, medical near-miracles will happen, and we will need to redefine "disability" and "disabling conditions." That will be a wonderful thing.
Despite the unwillingness of Congress to assume a leadership role in finding cures for disabilities, technology can advance the human condition and improve lives. I believe the message from Christopher Reeve is that investing in technology is really investing in human development. This is a legacy that will help future generations. Is Reeve a rich, deluded glory-seeker? No. I say he's a courageous risk-taker.
Williams writes a weekly column for Business Week Online on assistive technology. For information on assistive technology, write to him at JMMAW@aol.com. EDITED BY DOUGLAS HARBRECHT
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