Recent prejudiced comments about autistic and other disabled persons by American talk radio host Michael Savage reflect too-common misunderstandings of disability that warrant Congressional extension of existing legal protections against discrimination.

Michael Waterstone, Jurist

On his nationally-syndicated radio talk show, Michael Savage recently referred to children with autism as "frauds and brats," explained that the high levels of asthma impacting minority children were because "the children got extra welfare if they were disabled," and has ridiculed people with physical and mental disabilities on his show. This has ignited a firestorm as to whether various radio stations should drop Savage. Especially with large numbers of veterans with service-connected disabilities returning home, the public has shown decreased patience for this type of hate-mongering, making it likely Savage will go the way of Don Imus in a lot of markets.

But Savage's comments demonstrate a point that is more important than the issue of whether he should be fired or not. As the 18th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act approaches, Savage's prejudiced comments show why the statute was originally enacted and why recent Congressional action to amend the statute to make it stronger is needed.

Savage’s fairly unimaginative comments represent one snapshot of how people with disabilities have been viewed in this country: as fakers. Other stereotypes include being labeled objects of pity, unproductive drags on society, and even being cursed by some divine power. Congress recognized the collective power of these views when it passed the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act. Explicitly finding that people with disabilities had been marginalized and discriminated against, Congress forcefully stated that people with disabilities should have civil rights commensurate with other citizens. Employers were no longer allowed to refuse to hire people with disabilities because they didn’t like or feel comfortable with them. Both public programs and privately owned places that are open to the public had to take steps to become more accessible.

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No. 3 syndicated radio shock jock, Michael Savage, savages people with autism, asthma, Media Matters