Our Statement on the President’s Blame for the Plane Crash Tragedy

Last week, the President of the United States blamed the Washington, D.C. plane crash tragedy on American people with disabilities.  

Here at Integrated Resources Institute (IRI), we could spend all day debunking the president's claims. We could point out that Americans with disabilities must meet the exact same rigorous requirements as everyone else to get a job. We could show study after study dating back decades which have proven time and time again that Americans with disabilities are just as effective in their roles as any worker and that managers consistently report high satisfaction with their workers with disabilities. We could bring up any of the countless, personal examples of the American people we support meeting and exceeding expectations to the benefit of numerous businesses all over California.  

But the president already knows these things. The president already knows that Americans with disabilities are qualified, capable, and powerful. In fact, the hiring program that the president sought to blame for this crash is one he himself created: The FAA’s Aviation Development Program was started by his first administration in 2019. 

Let’s call this what it is: discrimination. The president chose to use his platform to repeat the same tired, canned stereotypes that Americans with disabilities have been facing throughout this nation's history. The same stereotypes that IRI, since its inception in 1987, has fought to dispel. 

Discrimination is not acceptable. Americans with disabilities are Americans. They are Americans who work hard every day. Americans who show incredible grit and resilience. Americans who have had to face more barriers than their peers in achieving their goals yet face those barriers with pride. To disparage American citizens because of their disability status is to go against the foundational values of this nation. 

We encourage the president to recognize their mistake, change course, and spend the next four years championing the rights and opportunities of people with disabilities. 

Thank you, 

Suad Bisogno, CEO 

Caleb Files, Training and Advocacy Manager