I want to tell you a simple, but moving story about a man named Bill. When Bill was born in the 1930s he was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. The doctor predicted that he would be mentally retarded and urged Bill’s parents to have him institutionalized. Fortunately, they ignored the doctor’s advice. At first, Bill attended a school for children with disabilities. Later he gained entrance to a mainstream high school. This was an unusual accomplishment for a physically challenged person of that era. Then, with the help of a counselor, Bill began looking for a career.

This effort resulted in little more than a series of humiliations. A job as a pharmacy store clerk lasted less than a day because Bill’s trembling hands would not allow him to stock the shelves neatly. A job as a Goodwill Industr…