By Marie Mulvenna

1974’s coveted listing of the nation’s “10 outstanding young men,” made annually by the U.S. Jaycees, includes an Atlantan, J. David Webb, a member of Holy Spirit parish, who went to Mobile, Ala., last week to accept his award in a specially televised ceremony.

Webb’s honor is especially remarkable inasmuch as he has been paralyzed since the last day of his junior year at Northside High School, when a diving accident broke his neck. Technically, Webb is a quadriplegic, defined as one having four limbs paralyzed.

That was back in 1954. Today, in spite of his paralysis from the chest down, Webb holds the position of corporate counsel and assistant secretary for the Trust Company of Georgia. He is, as well, an articulate spokesman for a host of organizations that are striving to aid the handicapped.

A member of Holy Spirit parish, where he has served as chairman of the lector’s group and as a member of the parish liturgy committee, Webb said he was “really stunned” when he heard he had won the national award. Previous recipients of the Jaycee honor have included John and Robert Kennedy, Henry Kissinger, Richard Nixon and other outstanding young leaders of the nation. Webb comments he still “cannot quite comprehend it.”

Webb completed and graduated from high school in a wheelchair, then went on to Emory University and Emory Law School where he received his degree in 1963 as an honor graduate. He worked as an attorney for several years with the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, before joining the Trust Company.

Webb, who has remained unmarried, lives with his parents and two brothers. He lives as full a life as the hours in the day permit. Not only is he fully employed, he is also active in a host of organizations. He currently serves as president of the Georgia Association of Paraplegics, as chairman of the legislative committee of the Georgia Rehabilitation Association and as a member of the membership committee of the Easter Seal Society.

Although his spare time is limited by his many activities, Webb is in the forefront of the campaign seeking “barrier-free” architecture. He has long fought for ramps in curbing of city streets as well as ramps in buildings to accommodate the handicapped.

“Such seemingly unimportant things like curbs and stairs can actually prevent a person from getting a job, from doing such everyday things as keeping a doctor’s appointment,” says Webb. He added that such an ordinary task as crossing the street becomes something requiring much advance planning. “The handicapped person wants to be independent and do things for himself as much as he can.’

Webb zeroes in on Atlanta’s lack of action on the curbing dilemma pointing out that in Mobile where he received his award, there are scores of curbs “all over the place.” “We’ve had limited success with our efforts in Atlanta,’ he notes, adding that it is now state law to make public buildings available to the handicapped. “I’d like to see private buildings consider this too and have urged that building codes be changed to require this.” To date, he reports, he has had nothing but opposition to his requests.

Going back a few years to his accident, Webb, now 35, relates it does take “considerable time to adjust” to a physical setback such as his. He explained that he had to learn to do things a new way. He now drives a specially equipped car which his father built over several years and which features such specialties as a power lift gate, specially located switches, and blinker signals and a horn that he operates with his head. Webb has very limited strength and use of his arms but gets around easily via a motorized wheel chair.

Webb has some very strong opinions on handicapped persons as well as how they are treated. Commenting that most people don’t know how to handle a handicapped person, Webb says most people are nervous and ill at ease. “Treat the handicapped like any other person.” Webb points out that the handicapped person merely lacks certain physical abilities and they are not to be treated as though they were of an inferior status, something he says is too often the case.

Webb says seriously that he feels there is “sub rosa” discrimination against the handicapped person by society. “Many feel we are not fully competent,” he says, explaining that many employers assign menial tasks to the handicapped, or interview him only for a specific opening he can handle. “There is a great deal of discrimination without malice,” says Webb, stating that most employers tend to find any reason they can not to hire the handicapped applicant. “They worry about the unknown, how he would function in his job, the question of transportation etc.” Webb maintains such fears are unfounded, but typical, because the average employer “looks on the handicapped as an inferior person.”

Webb recalls briefly an interview he had for a position after graduation from law school. “They could have hired me,” he says, “but they were worried that if I didn’t work out they would have greater trouble firing me because I was handicapped.” He didn’t get that job.

As to advice for other handicapped persons, Webb explains that many are almost overwhelmed at their physical problem, almost bitter at their fate in life. “They have to try, to realize they can do many many things in this life.”