On this Veterans' Day, men and women who have fought for this country will be saluted for their bravery in the face of danger. (No political statement.) But I'd like to also draw attention to some of the contributions that veterans may have unknowingly made to our society.
First, a small thing: the great game of
Goal Ball. You haven't heard of Goal Ball?! Designed for soldiers who had lost their vision in WWII, today the game is quite popular among blind and visually-impaired athletes. A small bell is placed inside a ball, and players are blindfolded (sighted and blind players alike), forced to rely on the sound of the ball to block their goal. Goal Ball is an official sport of the Paralympics, and pretty cool to watch.
Secondly, an unexpected contribution: modernist furniture. No, seriously.
Charles and Ray Eames developed the technology to bend wood using steam when they were asked to improve leg splints for disabled WWII
veterans. They then applied this technique to make sleek, streamlined chairs that caught on and spurred a whole trend in modernist furniture.
Last, a pretty big one: the Disabilities Civil Rights Movement. With more and more military personnel coming home disabled, the treatment and rights of all people with disabilities -- combat-related injuries or not -- gained more attention from the public and the government. The military community did a great deal to get the Americans with Disabilities Act passed in 1990, granting basic rights to millions of people, the majority of whom were unaffiliated with the military.
So as we thank Veterans for their obvious -- and very significant -- service, let's also acknowledge that their contributions may go deeper than even they realize.
