January 2012

Volume 23, Number 1

Athlete - p. 15

www.accesspress.org January 10, 2012

Monica Maldonado is a Minnesota Reading Corps volunteer. She is shown atthe right with one of her students.

Photo by Shelli LissickVolunteer tutor - p. 14

“All that is valuable inhuman society dependsupon the opportunity fordevelopment accorded theindividual.”

— Albert Einstein

NEWS DIGEST

INSIDE

Wheelchair athlete wants right to compete

Nonprofit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDTwin Cities. MNPermit No. 4766

Address Service Requested

Arc, self-advocateswary oflegislation

Minnesota Reading Corps

Volunteer tutor teaches reading and so much more

Regional News, pg 6

People & Places,pg 13

Accessible Fun, pg 11

Events, pg 12

Radio Talking Book, pg 15

Special Ed - p. 4

Rose Hollermann is suing the MSHSL.

Read more about his remarkable life in the History Note on page 2.

by Shelli Lissick

Learning to read is tough enough. But learning to read, writeand speak English as a second language while living with a dis-ability, poses unique challenges. With hard work and the sup-port of parents and teachers, Monica Maldonado overcamethese specific challenges as a child. Today, she shares her per-sonal experience and passion for reading and making a differ-ence by helping elementary school students.

Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Maldonado was diagnosedwith cerebral palsy (CP) when she was three years old. At theage of 11, Maldonado’s family moved from Puerto Rico toRochester for her father’s job. She enrolled in special educationclasses and quickly learned English as a second language. Aftergraduating from high school in 1999, Maldonado went on toearn her kindergarten through eighth grade education licensurefrom Augsburg College in Minneapolis.

Maldonado is applying her education and first-hand experi-ence helping students learn to read as a tutor in the Minnesota

By Access Press staff

Rose Hollermann, a 15-year-old wheelchairathlete, has sued the Minnesota State HighSchool League (MSHSL). The Waterville-Elysian-Morristown High School sophomoreand Courage Center basketball star wants theright to compete alongside runners at highschool athletic events.

Hollermann’s attorney Justin Page, fromthe Minnesota Disability Law Center, filedthe civil lawsuit Dec. 8 in Minnesota’s FourthJudicial District. Hollermann is alleging dis-crimination under the Minnesota HumanRights Act.

The MSHSL Board of Directors will con-sider the lawsuit, and Hollermann’s request tocompete with other runners at the board’sFebruary meeting. The league also has asports medicine advisory committee, which isstudying the issue.

Hollermann is a well-known wheelchairathlete, with outstanding abilities. She is alsoa good student, with a 3.35 grade point aver-age.

She told KARE-11 recently that the issue isone of fairness. “I just think it’s important foreveryone to be treated equally and to have thesame opportunities,” she said.

Hollermann competes in basketball, trackand field, and sled hockey. She has used awheelchair since sustaining a spinal cord in-jury in a 2001 motor vehicle accident. According to court documents, Hollermann uses her wheel-chair about half of the time and is able to walk about half of the time. She cannot run or compete insports activities while on her feet.

Learn how one family be-came effective self-advo-cates, thanks to a train-ing program offered byPartners in Policymaking.Page 3

The 2012 session of theMinnesota Legislaturestarts Jan. 24. Find outwhat the Minnesota Con-sortium for Citizens withDisabilities (MN-CCD) hasas priorities.Page 4

Deaf activist DouglasBahl has settled his policebrutality case withRamsey County.Page 6

Don’t get the winterblues. Fun activities andevents await in our Acces-sible Fun calendar.1

Read about the recentNAMI-Minnesota awardwinners.Page 13.

Dr. Richard R. Owen’s recent death is a reminder of the days whenpolio was a misunderstood and widely dreaded disease. Owen was a po-lio survivor who founded the Post-Polio Clinic at Sister Kenny Institutein Minneapolis, and was widely regarded as a guru and pioneer in post-polio treatment. He could draw on his medical expertise as well as hispersonal experiences from his Indiana childhood to help countlesspeople.

As he recalled: “In 1940, at age 12, I contracted polio. Muscles in mylegs and torso were paralyzed and then left weakened, and I was nolonger able to stand or walk unsupported. . . .”

Pioneering polio doctor remembered

Sister Elizabeth Kenny

by Steve Larson andAccess Press staff

Advocates for special edu-cation are keeping a closeeye on the 2012 MinnesotaLegislature. That is in partbecause of actions during the2011 session that threatenedtheir programs.

The Arc Minnesota willmake protecting Minnesota’sspecial education laws andrules a top priority for 2012.That means being vigilant toguard programs and servicesagainst cuts or elimination.

One bill proposed but notpassed last year would haveeliminated more than 50Minnesota special educationlaws and almost 30 Minne-sota special education regula-tions. Sponsored by Sen.John Pederson and Rep. KingBanaian, this bill would havejeopardized education ser-vices for students with dis-abilities and restricted par-ents’ voice on educationpolicy and services. Fortu-nately, this bill wasn’t ap-proved. It didn’t receive acommittee hearing.

Pederson and Banaian ar-gued last session that the billwould reduce paperwork forteachers and school districts,letting teacher spend moretime with students. However,there has been no factual datasupplied that identifies Min-nesota laws/rules as the causeof this “paperwork burden”

Winter Carnival is coming!

Pg 2 Jan. 10, 2012 Volume 23, Number 1

Richard Owen

He went from polio patient to pioneering physician

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Volume 23, Number 1 • Periodicals Imprint: Pending ISSN

History Note - p. 14

Tim Benjamin

by Jane McClure

The recent death of Dr. Richard R. Owen remindsus of how polio treatment and the perceptions of thosewith polio have changed. Owen, an Eden Prairie resi-dent, died Dec. 11 at age 83.

He was a polio survivor who founded the Post-Po-lio Clinic at Sister Kenny Institute in Minneapolis. Hepracticed in many area hospitals and clinics and re-tired as the medical director of Sister Kenny Institute.

Many regard him as a guru and pioneer in post-poliotreatment. He shared his knowledge and experiencesin many articles and talks, as well as in treatment ofpatients. Polio survivors owe him gratitude for im-proving their quality of life.

The days when polio was greatly feared are a fad-ing memory. But those are days Owen recalled all toowell. When he contracted polio as a youngster in In-dianapolis, little was known about the disease andhow people could live with it. Owen recalled thosedays, writing about it in 2003 for the University ofMinnesota’s Institute of Community Integration’s Im-pact newsletter.

“In 1940, at age 12, I contracted polio. Muscles inmy legs and torso were paralyzed and then left weak-ened, and I was no longer able to stand or walk unsup-ported. Ten months later, and two months after I hadbegun standing and walking in braces and on crutches,my family went on a vacation into the northern Ontariowilderness. Within a few hours of arriving at Mon-goose Lake at Mile 78 on the Algoma Central Rail-road, my crutches slipped on a mossy log and I fellinto the lake. That immersion was my reintroductionto the wilderness and reinclusion in a favorite family

activity. That earlyreturn to a challeng-ing physical activityhelped me overcomemany of the misgiv-ings I had about my‘limitations’ andmore quickly reinte-grate into familylife, public schools,and society.”

As a young poliopatient Owen wastreated by SisterKenny herself.

In a newsletter he also recalled how polio changedhis recreational experiences. “Before my disability,I had enjoyed baseball, football, biking, and explor-ing with other children in the neighborhood. In theearly 1940s, there were no organized adapted athleticprograms in the schools or in the parks to allow meto continue these physical recreation activities, sountil the 1970s my athletic and recreation endeav-ors consisted of swimming, canoeing, and camping

with my family.” Owen became a wheel-chair athlete and medicalexaminer for wheelchairathletes. He took manytrips through WildernessInquiry and served on thatorganization’s board. Owen also used his expe-riences not only to helpothers with polio, but togive perspective on howtreatment had changed. InDavid M. Oshinksy’s bookPolio: An American Story,Owen recalled how poliopatients were treated atteaching hospitals n the1940s and 1950s. There,“clad only in little cloththings that hardly covered

Dr. Richard R. Owen

With the start of the new year, the mass media isfull of diets and fitness and other personal-improve-ment features. What’s on my mind is making life bet-ter for our community in general. We all have a lot tobe thankful for; the advancements every year in inde-pendent living have been amazing. But this year asmuch as any other, we have a lot of work ahead of usto protect our independence, to maintain our health, tostrive for higher employment and educational levels,and to further our ability to become or stay employedand successfully contributing to society. As peoplewith disabilities, we have to try a little harder, be alittle more persistent, be a little more expressive andshow our confidence a little more than others might inorder to be accepted. It’s still a world that looks theother way when people are different from the norm.Fortunately, we have so many role models—nation-ally, people like Ed Roberts, Justin Dart, HarrietMcBryde Johnson, Judith Heumann, James S. Krause,PhD; and right here in our own backyard, CharlieSmith, John Schatzlein, Margot Cross, Rick Cárdenas,Jeff Bangsberg, John Tschida, Jennifer Mundl, RoseHollermann and so many more. I really believe that

each of us has to do all we can, in whatever way wecan, to push on and become role models ourselves forour next generation. Each one of us needs to startmentoring young people, or newly disabled people,and help them recognize the great strides we’ve madeand how to practically overcome the many prejudiceswe face as part of our national and world community.

With a new legislative session just around the cor-ner, it’s time for my reminders to begin about the per-sonal importance for every one of us of to familiarizeourselves with the legislative process. We’re lucky inthat we have in our community some great profes-sional activists. It’s truly valuable and rewarding toget to know them and to stay connected. The Minne-sota Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities(MN-CCD) is the best place to be to stay informed.We have an article on page 4 that explains this year’sinitiatives. What we can’t forget is that even when apiece of legislation does not affect us directly, it willaffect our friends. If it’s good legislation for positivechange, we want it to pass. We want to let legislatorsknow why certain legislation is good for everyone.Write to them or go to their offices and tell themwhether a law will affect you personally, whether it isgood legislation, and explain why. And of course, if apiece of legislation does affect us, than we have thatmuch more passion to make our point. This remindsme of the speech that Jeff Bangsberg made at theCharlie Smith Awards in Nov. 2011. Jeff explained

how scared he was the first time he went to the capitoland how difficult it was to go in and talk to a legisla-tor. But in the very same breath he explained howeasy it was the second and third—then for him, thethousandth or 10,000th time. Bangsberg hasn’t givenup, and neither have Anne Henry, Steve Larson, JohnTschida and many others. We must not give up. Assomeone said to me years ago: “Your life depends onit.” And it does!

The Minnesota Consortium for People with Dis-abilities is offering the Grassroots Action SessionKick—Off Tuesday Jan. 17th, 2012, 3:00 – 5:00 pm atthe Center for Changing Lives, 2400 Park Avenue S,Minneapolis. This gathering is to learn more about“Tuesday at the Capitol,” a weekly opportunity tocommunicate with your legislators and to show thestrength within the disability community. In otherwords, you don’t have to be alone. “Tuesday at theCapitol” has been a well- attended Grassroots actionfor several years now. The Jan. 17 meeting will helpyou prepare and can give you some expectations ofwhat a day in the Capitol is all about. The group willgive a brief training on how to effectively communi-cate with legislators and staffers, and provide infor-mation on the policies. It’s a good place to start forbeginning self-advocates and a great place for veter-ans to find someone that needs to be mentored. Inother words, it’s a great opportunity that we shouldall be involved in.

Happy New Year, and let’s make a difference in2012. ■

HISTORY NOTE

Jan. 10, 2012 Volume 23, Number 1 Pg 3

Self-advocates, family members helped by training programby Sherie Wallace

“I need to talk to you,” said Abby Pearson as she stopped Steven Smith, herstate representative, as he tried to rush through the capitol hall to another meeting.She and her father, Jeff Pearson got five minutes of the legislator’s busy day to lis-ten to their concerns. She later spoke with State Sen. Gen Olson at a town hallmeeting. At both encounters, Abby wanted answers to some tough questions:“Can we get housing faster for individuals with disabilities? Can we get jobs forspecial needs kids, people who will pay taxes when they get a job?”

The Pearsons live in Plymouth. Father and daughter are among the many citizenlobbyists who visit Minnesota’s capitol and state offices, making themselvesheard. Abby Pearson’s disability is epilepsy, which in her case was the result of abirth trauma. She requires medication and regular naps to cope with exhaustion.Father and daughter are graduates of the nine-month long self-advocacy trainingprogram, Partners in Policymaking. It is sponsored by the Minnesota Governor’sCouncil on Developmental Disabilities, which Abby Pearson has chaired. Now 22,Abby Pearson became involved with Partners in Policymaking while she was com-pleting her last year of the Transition program with Intermediate School District287 in the Twin Cities.

As the 2012 session of the Minnesota Legislature gets underway, many peoplethink of self-advocates as the people who make their case at the state capitol. Butself-advocates speak for themselves every day, weighing in on decisions that affectevery aspect of their lives. Training programs can be a huge help to self-advocatesand their family members.

“I wish we would have done (advocacy training) earlier,” said Jeff Pearson. Heand his wife Ellen valued the tips on how to handle the Individual Education Pro-gram, or IEP, that was written and discussed between the parents, student and edu-cators to guide her education for each year, from pre-school to graduation.

With the training, Jeff Pearson said, “we would have had more confidence inknowing that it was our right.” He talked about the basic right of individuals withdisabilities to have free and appropriate education.

The Pearson family believes that the best tips on getting the best educational plancame from other parents. Ellen Pearson recalled that even as educated professionals,she and her husband were still intimidated by school personnel early in their daughter’sschool life and failed to speak up when they had concerns about her learning plans.

While the Pearson’s requests were small, the family was frustrated at every turn.They requested a quiet place for Abby Pearson to rest as one aspect of her disabilityis a lack of stamina. They asked that a paraprofessional accompany her during theschool day. Both requests were denied, as was a request for more computer time.

Elementary school officials even refused when the family repeatedly offered topay for their board-certified behavioral analyst to meet with Abby Pearson’s teach-ers. The family believed that this would help teachers better understand how to workwith her and guide her behaviors. When school officials finally agreed to work withthe professional, a different side of their daughter’s personality was revealed. Nowthe behavioral expert is being called in by the school to help other students.

Only after Abby Pearson ran out of her school building did the Pearsons cometo believe that the school principal did not value special needs students. Followingan appeal to the superintendent, they determined that moving to another schoolwas the answer. But the family regrets that so many years were lost in theirdaughter’s education.

Partners in Policymaking pro-vided train as well as a largequantity of useful resource mate-rials. Partners in Policymakingtaught the Pearsons that theschool cannot simply say, “Wedon’t have the money.” JeffPearson was surprised at thequality of the speakers that wereinvolved. “Some were real‘preachers’ and others were morecalm but in five minutes youknew that they were real expertsin their field and they hadeveryone’s undivided attention.”

Unsure that Abby would finishthe class or find it “too hard,” itwas a surprise to her dad that shestayed engaged in each session and became fast friends with others her age, selfadvocates that she came to admire. Both are very proud that they were on time forevery session.

Between each monthly seminar, online learning was required. Each subject cov-ered by an expert speaker was covered in depth. Topics included the history of dis-abilities and the self-advocacy movement, education, housing and understandingthe legislative process. Self-advocacy skills, partnership building and communityleadership were also covered.

Abby Pearson has grown in many ways. She graduated from the Vector transi-tion program in Intermediate School District 287, serving the western suburbs andis currently enrolled in eQuality, a day training program that finds work experi-ences for individuals with disabilities. She has a goal of moving out of her familyhome into a group home or apartment with a roommate. She also wants to learn todrive and find a job.

The Partners in Policymaking program runs from September to May. The 40program candidates selected are either Minnesota residents who are parents ofyoung children with developmental disabilities or individuals with disabilities. Thegoal is for individuals become community leaders and advocates for themselvesand others with disabilities. Classes include an overview of federal and state lawsregarding benefits and support services for those with developmental disabilities.For more information, contact Carol Schoeneck at 651-222-7409 x205 (metroarea) and 800-569-6878 x205 (Greater Minnesota) http://mngts.org/partnersinpolicymaking/index.html ■

Jeff Pearson and his daughter Abby Pearson

A group of self-advocateslearned new skills at aPartners in Policy-Making class.

Photos by TheWallace Group


MN-CCD sets its agenda of 2012 legislative priorities

and how it would increase student instructional time and improve educationaloutcomes.Instead of helping, this bill would have caused harm to students and their fami-lies, such as:• School districts could decide to eliminate committees that give parents a voice

in improving early intervention services and education policy.• Parents might not be able to have conciliation meetings to help resolve disputes

between them and their school district and avoid costly due process hearings.• Students might have more difficulty accessing assistive technology to help them

succeed in school.• Children with disabilities could have more difficulty receiving early interven-

tion services.More specifics on the bill (SF 1291/HF 1643) are available on the Public Policypage of The Arc Minnesota website (www.arcmn.org). As Access Press went topress, bills were just being submitted and it wasn’t clear how this proposed legis-lation would emerge in 2012.

Pederson and Banaian will likely request hearings this session on bills similarto SF 1291/HF 1643. Before changing special education law, The Arc of Minne-sota wants legislators to hear from parents and students about what is working inspecial education and should be preserved.

Parents are already having an influence. At a Dec. 8th forum in St. Cloud,Banaian heard parents’ stories and concerns. The representative said he wouldensure that future legislation would not deny parents a voice on policy and ser-vices. ■

Anyone who would like to have an impact, too, and keep updated on specialeducation legislation this year can contact Kim Kang, The Arc MinnesotaChildren’s Disability Policy Advocate, at [email protected] or 612-387-6509.SF 1291 www.revisor.mn.gov/bin/bldbill.php?bill=S1291.0.html&session=ls87or http://tinyurl.com/87wo7pyHF 1643 www.revisor.mn.gov/bin/bldbill.php?bill=H1642.0.html&session=ls87or http://tinyurl.com/6tgto5r

Steve Larson is the Public Policy Director for The Arc Minnesota

Special Ed - from p. 1

by Access Press staff

The Minnesota Consortium for Citizens with Dis-abilities (MN-CCD) is ready for the start of the 2012legislative session on Jan. 24. The umbrella organiza-tion of disability groups adopted its legislative agendaDec. 14.

A longer list of priorities was unveiled in Novem-ber, and given to member groups to prioritize. The topitems will be championed by MN-CCD. Other issueswill be deemed support issues, as they are led byother groups, or issues to monitor. MN-CCD choselegislative and policy issues to track this session.

Work groups met for several months to draft posi-tion papers on areas of focus, which is where the pri-orities were drawn from.

The legislative issues MN-CCD will take leader-ship roles on include a 10 percent low-need congre-gate care cut; the 20 percent personal care attendant(PCA) family member wage cut; a Department of Hu-man Services bill impacting PCA services; and pro-posed changes to Minnesota special education lawsand rules.

MN-CCD will also take the lead on two possible

The Minnesota Consortium for Citizens with Dis-abilities (MN-CCD) voted Dec. 14 to reorganize.The changes will be implemented during 2012 andtake effect in early 2013. The 17-year-old organiza-tion will be reorganized under a plan developed overthe past year. MN-CCD will be a stand-alone non-profit organization, with an executive director and ahalf-time administrative support staff member.

Regular MN-CCD meetings are currently con-vened by co-chairs who are elected to serve alternat-ing, two-year terms. MN-CCD is a broad-based coa-lition of more than 100 organizations for providersand advocates for people with disabilities. The groupis dedicated to improving the lives of people withdisabilities. Its main activity is to address public

Issues MN-CCD will monitor include vocational reha-bilitation services, the alternative licensure work group,the dual eligibles initiative, provider-based reform deliv-ery and special education work group funding.

A number of other groups have also adopted or willbe adopting legislative agendas this session. Checkorganizations’ websites or contact groups to get moreinformation on priorities.

MN-CCD Grassroots Action Session Kick—Off is3-5 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 17th at The Center for Chang-ing Lives, 2400 Park Ave. S, Minneapolis. Partici-pants can learn more about “Tuesdays at the Capitol”– a weekly opportunity during the legislative sessionfor disability advocates to communicate with theirlegislators at the capitol. The events are for self-advo-cates, family members, friends or professionals in thedisability community interested in attending a “Tues-day at the Capitol” this session.

Learn how to prepare for and what to expect on a“Tuesday at the Capitol.” Get a preview of a typical“Tuesday at the Capitol”, including providing updateson current legislative issues impacting the disabilitycommunity as well as a brief training on how to effec-tively communicate with your legislators. Learn aboutlegislative meetings and the resources available.

The 2012 legislative session is just around the cor-ner, and the collective voice of the entire disabilitycommunity at the capitol will be needed. RSVP byemailing [email protected] or bycalling 952 920 0855 by Jan. 13th. Light refreshmentswill be provided. ■

MN-CCD approves reorganization

Constitutional issues expected to come up in 2012.One is the voter identification issue, which would re-quire everyone to show ID before voting. This is op-posed by a number of disability community groups.Another Constitutional issue that is raising red flags isa proposal that all tax increases require approval by a“super-majority.”

MN-CCD will support other groups on the issues ofemployment initiatives, use of prone restraints inschools, My Life My Choices changes and the bed de-licensing provision passed in 2010. Issues the consor-tium will monitor include bullying prevention, transitand other issues.

Proposed policy areas were also selected. MA re-form waiver, managed care for persons with disabili-ties, consumer-directed community supports budgetmethodology, the Statewide Quality Assurance Coun-cil and Olmstead Commission/Rule 40 will be issuesMN-CCD will lead on. Issues the consortium willsupport include individual choice and control overhousing, Money Follows the person, rate restructur-ing, the DHS Consumer Advisory Panel and state in-surance exchange.

policy issues that affect people with disabilities bycollaborating with others, advocating, educating, in-fluencing change and creating awareness for under-standing.

The change was made for several reasons. It hasbeen harder for MN-CCD to find new leadership, ata time when the organization has taken on morework. Issues have also become much more complexand take more time. Having an executive directorwould give MN-CCD a consistent spokesperson andpoint person at the state capitol and in other leader-ship situations, according to a task force report onpotential structural changes. The director would bethe lead contact for legislators and other policy-makers. ■

Legislators end the 2011 special sessioncourtesy of MPR Photo/Jeffrey Thompson


Highly respected CharlieLakin leaves the Universityof Minnesota’s Institute onCommunity Integration aftermore than three decades.

by Jane McClure

The year began with concern about a large state budget deficit. The deficit waspunctuated by a state government shutdown and legislative special session. Itended with community leaders still trying to get a handle on changes made duringthe July legislative special session. We also saw changes in federal legislation, aswell as changes in the local program funding.

Minnesota’s disability community also marked the passing of several commu-nity leaders, including In-Home Personal Care owner Kevin Sullivan, Hammer,Inc. leader Tim Nelson and noted polio expert Dr. Richard Owen.

January: 2011 started with all eyes turned to the state capitol. With Gov. MarkDayton heading the executive branch and Republican majorities steering the Min-nesota Legislature, the 2011 session began Jan. 4 with a daunting task: plug thestate’s $6.2 billion budget deficit before the fiscal year ended July 1.

February: More than 330 self-advocates with disabilities, their family mem-bers, support staff and other disability advocates packed the state capitol rotundafor the Disability Matters Day. With massive state budget cuts looming, it was anearly mobilizing event for what would become a long and grueling session.

March: Roll With It was featured. Lily Schreifels, who has cerebral palsy, wasprofiled as a program participant. The teen enjoys wheelchair basketball. RollWith It is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to providing sports training,competition and recreation with a variety of wheelchair and adapted sports activi-ties for children and adults.

April: New State Rep. John Kriesel, (R-Cottage Grove) was featured. He lostpart of both legs while serving with the National Guard in 2006. During his firstlegislative session, Kriesel was proud to be working with the Amputee Coalitionon a bill that would ensure fairness in medical coverage for those who have lostlimbs.

May: Ramsey County and St. Paul public safety officials, along with the St.Paul Mayor’s Advisory Council for People with Disabilities, unveiled a new pro-gram for people with disabilities. An emergency response form helps the RamseyCounty Communications Center, law enforcement and medical personnel provideaccessible and adapted response to emergency situations.

June: All eyes were on the state capitol as everyone anticipated a legislativeshutdown, which happened July 1 and lasted for most of the month. Gov. MarkDayton and state lawmakers couldn’t agree as to how to handle Minnesota’s plus-$5 billion budget deficit. State leaders were deeply divided on the state’s budgetwoes.

July: Minnesota’s loss was the nation’s gain as thehighly respected Charlie Lakin left the University ofMinnesota’s Institute on Community Integration. Aftermore than three decades here, Lakin became Director ofthe National Institute on Disability and RehabilitationResearch, in the Office of Special Education and Reha-bilitative Services, U.S. Department of Education. August: The health and human services budgetadopted during the July legislative special session hadmixed impacts on community members and organiza-tions that provide services. When the 2011 MinnesotaLegislature adjourned July 20, Minnesotans with dis-abilities and their families faced a dizzying array ofchanges. Many people saw cuts to services or changesin how services are delivered.

September: Open Access Connections was among the groups affected byagreements made during the legislative special session. The group lost a $37,000operating grant, or about 14 percent of its budget, and was forced to lay off staff.Open Access Connections provides free voice mail for people with disabilities,low income people and the homeless.

October: 2011 Medtronic National Courage Award winner James S. Krause,Ph.D., was profiled. The Minnesota native has a long and distinguished resume ofacademic accomplishments. Kraus is a professor and associate dean for Researchin the College of Health Professions at the Medical University of South Carolina(MUSC) in Charleston.

November: Cuts to medical assistance reimbursement rates, which affect fam-ily members who provide care for loved ones, are at the center of a lawsuit againstthe State of Minnesota. The lawsuit was filed Oct. 25 in Ramsey County DistrictCourt on behalf of home health care agencies, employees and their clients.

December: Area colleges were scrutinized, in articles about service animals andaccessible housing. One article described how accommodations are made for ani-mals at two Twin Cities schools. Another described the challenges schools face inproviding short-term and long-term accessible rooms, given the demand for suchdorm facilities. ■

2011 year in review

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Deaf activist wins settlement

REGIONAL NEWSFive years after he was jailed in Ramsey County,

deaf community activist Douglas Bahl believes he canhave a normal life again. The St. Paul man, who suedRamsey County after a 2006 traffic stop, had hissettlement approved by the Ramsey County BoardDec. 20.

Bahl, of St. Paul, will receive $57,500 as a result ofthe federal lawsuit, which was based on the Ameri-cans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The MinnesotaDisability Law Center, which represented Bahl, willreceive $172,000.

In addition the county will change procedures at itsjail. The settlement requires the county to contractwith or hire qualified sign-language interpreters andguarantee their availability within an hour of thecounty’s taking custody of someone needing accom-modations. But the settlement adds that the jail’s“deaf and hard-of-hearing coordinator”—a new posi-tion—could determine “in writing that there is anequally effective means of communication or that theindividual’s request poses an undue financial or ad-ministrative burden.”

Bahl’s attorney, Roderick Macpherson III, said thesettlement would bring the jail into the 21st century.

Bahl, a deaf activist and longtime American SignLanguage trainer at St. Paul College, accused thecounty of failing to provide a sign-language inter-preter when he was jailed for three days. He was onhis way to see his wife when he was stopped by po-lice for running a red light. Because he was unable tocommunicate with her, she feared that something hadhappened to him.

Bahl then sued the county and the city of St. Paulafter the traffic stop. He was convicted of misde-meanor obstructing the legal process after he foughtwith police during the stop.

A federal judge dismissed Bahl’s claims against thecity. That has been appealed and is expected to beheard in 2012. ■[Source: Pioneer Press, Star Tribune]

Blue Cross/Blue Shieldmakes autism changes

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota will be-gin dropping coverage in most cases for a costlytherapy for autistic children as early as Jan. 1—achange that has patient advocates worried about los-ing coverage through a key state program, too. TheEagan-based health insurer announced in Decemberthat the coverage change will be phased in over nextyear and affect about 200 children who have been re-ceiving a treatment known as early intensive behav-ioral intervention.

The treatment cost averages about $80,000 per year.Blue Cross is changing its coverage policy to match thatof other health plans as well as the state Department ofHuman Services, said insurance company spokespersonPam Lux.

Blue Cross has been one of the few health plans toprovide coverage of the intensive therapy, which insome cases involves 40 hours per week of treatment.That worries families who rely on the treatment. Butthe insurer’s reference to the Department of HumanServices also is concerning because the state has beena key source of coverage for families that don’t haveBlue Cross coverage.

“We’re concerned that this is a harbinger of some-thing on the horizon—that the state is going to say:‘This is not a covered service,’ “ said Amy Esler, apsychologist at the autism spectrum disorders clinic atthe University of Minnesota.

DHS officials said the state isn’t making anychanges in its coverage of autism services.

At Blue Cross, the change first will affect about 10families covered through its HMO for people in thestate’s Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare pro-grams. Those families will lose coverage starting Jan. 1.Other groups will lose coverage for the service astheir policies renew in the spring and summer of2012, said Lux. ■[Source: Pioneer Press]

State finds fault with workerA state worker who left a severely disabled man

alone in a tub to answer a telephone call should nothave been bathing him the night he drowned, accord-ing to a high-ranking state official and an investiga-tive report issued recently. Devra C. Stiles has alreadybeen charged with manslaughter for her “culpablenegligence” in the case, according to a criminal com-plaint filed last fall in Isanti County.

Though Stiles told investigators that she left GeraldHyska in the bathtub for a couple of minutes on thenight of Aug. 28, 2011, the department concluded thatshe left the water running and failed to return for 37minutes. Hyska was one of three severely disabledresidents living at the state-operated group home inBraham. Hyska, who had lived with severe brain dam-age since birth, couldn’t speak or stay upright by him-self. His safety care plan, which Stiles wrote, indi-cated he should never be left alone in a bathtub.

“It was impossible to do the two things she was do-ing at once, which is to exclusively attend to this oneclient and still attend to the other two” residents, saidAnne Barry, deputy commissioner of the state Depart-ment of Human Services. “It was impossible to dowhat she knew was a requirement of that client’s pro-gram plan.”

Prosecutors alleged it took Stiles about 30 minutesto call 911, after spending more than six minutes onthe phone with her son. She was unable to saveHyska; the report also indicates she failed to do CPRproperly.

In the state report, investigators noted that two em-ployees were on duty at the home just two hours a dayin recent years, vs. seven hours a day in the early1990s. Stiles was the only employee working thatSunday night. Other staff members told investigatorsthe staffing levels were adequate for their duties. Oneunidentified worker said he or she would not answerthe phone or doorbell when bathing Hyska.

Investigators did not blame the facility for Hyska’sdeath, but they said the facility’s report on the inci-dent was incomplete and confusing. ■[Source: Star Tribune]


CONTINUED

Albright Townhomes Minneapolis (612) 824-6665 1 BRBuffalo Court Apartments Buffalo (763) 684-1907 2 BRElliot Park Apartments Minneapolis (612) 338-3106 2 BREvergreen Apartments Hutchinson 1-800-661-2501 1 BRFranklin Lane Apartments Anoka (763) 427-7650 1 & 2 BRHanover Townhomes St. Paul (651) 292-8497 1 BRLincoln Place Apartments Mahtomedi (651) 653-0640 2 BROlson Towne Homes Minneapolis (612) 377-9015 1 BRPrairie Meadows Eden Prairie (952) 941-5544 2 & 3 BRTalmage Green Minneapolis (612) 623-0247 2 BRTrinity Apartments Minneapolis (612) 721-2252 1 BR (sr)Unity Place Brooklyn Center (763) 560-7563 2 BRVadnais Highlands Vadnais Heights (651) 653-0640 3 BRWillow Apartments Little Falls (320) 632-0980 1 & 2 BRWoodland Court Apartments Park Rapids 1-888-332-9312 1 BR

We are accepting applications for ourlarge number of mobility impaired accessible units.

Please call us for more information.

BDC Management Co. is now accepting applicationsfor our waiting lists at the following affordable communities

ADVOCACYAdvocating Change Together (ACT) V-651-641-0297 TF-800-641-0059 www.selfadvocacy.org

Amputee Coalition V-888-267-5669- F-865-525-7917 www.amputee-coalition.org

Arc Greater Twin Cities V-952-920-0855 F-952-920-1480 www.arcgreatertwincities.org

Arc of Minnesota V-651-523-0823x115 TF-800-582-5256 www.thearcofminnesota.org

Association of Residential Resources in MN V-651-291-1086 TTY-800-551-2211 www.arrm.org

Courage Center V-763-520-0725 TTY-763-520-0245 www.CourageCenter.org

Hearing Loss Assoc. of America (HLAATC) V-763-537-7558 www.hlaatc.org

MN Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities V-651-523-0829x112 F-651-523-0829 www.mnccd.org

MN Developmental Achievement-Center Assoc V-651-647-9200 F-651-647-9353 www.mndaca.org

PACER Center, Inc. V-952-838-9000 TTY-952-838-0190 www.pacer.org

ASSISTED-LIVING PROGRAMSAccessible Space, Inc. (ASI) V-651-645-7271 TTY-800-466-7722 www.accessiblespace.org

Dungarvin Minnesota, LLC V-651-699-6050 TTY-651-695-5802 www.dungarvin.com

Mary T. Inc. Catered Living V-763-754-2505 TF-888-255-6400 www.marytinc.com

BRAIN INJURYBrain Injury Association of Minnesota V-612-378-2742 TTY-800-669-6442 www.braininjurymn.org


Mary T. Inc. Human Service Programs V-763-754-2505 TF-888-255-6400 www.marytinc.com

Tandem Residential V-651-641-0491x315 F-651-645-2780 www.tandemresidential.com

TBI Metro Services - Richfield & W. St. Paul V-612-869-3995 V-651-457-4756 www.opportunitypartners.org

CHEMICAL HEALTHVinland National Center V/TTY-763-479-3555 F-763-479-2605 www.vinlandcenter.org

COMMUNITY LIVINGCCP - The Cooperating Community Programs (CCP) V-651-917-8322 F-651-917-8322 www.theccpinc.com

DeafBlind Services Minnesota (DBSM) V-612-362-8454 TTY-612-362-8422 www.dbsm.org

Dungarvin Minnesota, LLC V-651-699-6050 TTY-651-695-5802 www.dungarvin.co

Howry Residential Services V-651-917-9111 F-651-917-1018 www.howryinc.com

Mary T. Inc. Human Service Programs V-763-754-2505 TF-888-255-6400 www.marytinc.com

Metro Work Center, Inc V/TTY-612-729-7381 F-612-729-7382 www.metroworkcenter.org

Opportunity Partners V-952-938-5511 TTY-952-930-4293 www.opportunitypartners.org

Reach for Resources V-952-988-4177 F-952-988-6728 www.reachforresources.org

REM Minnesota V-952-945-4952 F-952-922-6885 www.remminnesota.org

South MN Independent Living Enterprises & Services V/TTY-507-345-7139 TF-888-676-6498 www.smilescil.org

CONSUMER-DIRECTED COMMUNITY SUPPORTSCCP Self Directed Services V-651-209-3350 F-651-641-8623 www.ccpcdcs.com

Community Involvement Programs (CIP) V-612-362-4437 www.cipmn.org

EDUCATIONCommunity Education Network on Disabilities V-651-748-7436 V-507-494-0950 V-320-529-6500 x6271

Institute on Community Integration V-612-624-6300 F-612-624-8279 www.ici.umn.edu

MRC - Minnesota Resource Center V-612-752-8100 TTY-612-752-8019 www.mrc-mn.org

Upstream Arts V-612-331-4584 F-480-393-5587 www.upstreamarts.org


CONTINUED

EMPLOYMENT/VOCATIONAssistive Technology of MN - DBA Equip A Life V-763-479-8239 TF-866-535-8239 www.equipalife.org

CCP Works! - Cooperating Community Programs V-763-540-6833x302 F-651-917-8322 www.theccpinc.com

Chrestomathy, Inc. V-952-974-0339 F-952-974-0307 www.chrestomathyinc.org

Community Connections Partnership (CCP) V-763-540-6833x302 www.communityconnectionspartnership.org

Community Involvement Programs (CIP) V-952-851-6186 V-952-851-6193 www.cipmn.org

Cooperating Community Programs (CCP) V-651-503-8618 F-651-641-8623 www.theccpinc.com


East Suburban Resources, Inc. V-651-351-0190 www.esrworks.org

Goodwill/Easter Seals Minnesota V-651-379-5800 F-651-379-5803 www.goodwilleasterseals.org

Kaposia Inc. V/TTY-651-224-6974 F-651-224-7249 www.kaposia.com

Lifetrack Resources - Minneapolis V-612-788-8855 F-612-788-8577 www.lifetrackresources.org

Lifetrack Resources - St. Paul V-651-227-8471 TTY-651-227-3779 www.lifetrackresources.org

Lifeworks Services, Inc. TF-866-454-2732 TTY-651-365-3736 www.lifeworks.org

Merrick, Inc. V-651-789-6231 F-651-789-9960 www.merrickinc.org

Metro Work Center, Inc. V/TTY-612-729-7381 F-612-729-7382 www.metroworkcenter.org

Midway Training Services V-651-641-0709 F-651-641-0976 www.midwaytraining.org

Midwest Special Services, Inc. V-651-778-1000 F-651-772-4352 www.mwsservices.org

Minnesota Diversified Industries (MDI) V-651-999-8200 F-651-999-8242 www.mdi.org

Minnesota Work Incentives Connection V-651-632-5113 TF-800-976-6728 www.mnworkincentives.com

MRC - Minnesota Resource Center V-612-752-8100 TTY-612-752-8019 www.mrc-mn.org


Partnership Resources, Inc. V-952-925-1404 F-952-925-6055 www.partnershipresources.org

Partnership Resources, Inc. - Minneapolis V-612-331-2075 F-612-331-2887 www.partnershipresources.org

Partnership Resources, Inc. - Older Adults Program V-952-746-6206 F-952-746-6209 www.partnershipresources.org

ProAct Inc. V-651-686-0405 F-651-686-0312 www.proactinc.org

ProAct - Red Wing V-651-388-7108 F-651-388-9223 www.proactinc.org

Rise, Inc. V/TTY-763-786-8334 F-763-786-0008 www.rise.org

TBI Metro Services - Richfield & W. St. Paul V-612-869-3995 V-651-457-4756 www.opportunitypartners.org

TSE, Inc. V-651-489-2595 F-651-489-0410 www.tse-inc.org

University of Minnesota Disability Services V-612-626-1333 F-612-625-5572 http://ds.umn.edu

Diamond Hill Townhomes

Diamond Hill Townhomes is a great property located near theMinneapolis International Airport. Our waiting list is currentlyclosed. Call for updated openings as this can change from timeto time.

We have two and three bedroom townhomes that are HUDsubsidized and rent is 30% of the total household's adjusted grossincome.

We have a large number of mobility impaired accessible units.

To check for future waiting list openingsplease call (612) 726-9341.


CONTINUED

“ I have been an In Home client for at least 20 years. During that timeI have received excellent, reliable, consistent care from PCAs and

HHA’s trained and supervised by In Home.” - Jean T (Client)

Serving Adults and Childrenwith Long-Term Needs since 1991

At In Home Personal Care, we pride ourselves not only on thehelp we provide, but also on our ability to listen. We understandthat each of our clients has different needs at different times. Ourquality home care services are formed around a plan that works

for you and your individual situation.

Your home, your independence . . . 763-546-1000

8441 Wayzata Blvd; Suite 130

Golden Valley, MN 55426

GOVERNMENTMinnesota State Council on Disability V/TTY-651-361-7800 TTY-800-945-8913 www.disability.state.mn.us

MN Gov. Council on Developmental Disabilities V-651-296-4018 TF-800-627-3529 www.mncdd.org

Social Security Admin. & St. Paul PASS Cadre TF-866-667-6032 x10661, x10674, or x10640 www.socialsecurity.gov

HEALTH CARE PLANSCornerstone Solutions TF-866-601-8962 TTY-800-627-3529 www.cornerstone-solutions.org

Edelweiss Home Health Care V-612-273-5560 F-612-273-7360 www.edelhomecare.com

Medica V-800-266-2157 TTY-800-855-2880 www.medica.com

UCare V-800-707-1711 TTY-800-688-2534 www.ucare.org

HOME HEALTH CARE SERVICESBreak-Thru Home Care, Inc. V-612-659-1505 TTY-612-659-1499 www.breakthrucare.com

BrightStar Care Southern Twin Cities V-651-234-0044 F-651-234-0046 www.BrightStarCare.com

In Home Personal Care V-763-546-1000 F-763-546-1018 www.inhomepersonalcare.com

Mary T. Inc. Home Health Care V-763-754-2505 TF-888-255-6400 www.marytinc.com

HOUSING-CONSTRUCTION/REMODELINGAccessAbility Options, Inc. V-763-571-6789 F-800-632-0798 www.accessoptionsmn.com

Accessibility Design V-952-925-0301 F-952-926-7712 www.accessibilitydesign.com

Accessible Homes, LLC. V-612-978-1054 F-651-554-3085 www.accessiblehomesllc.net

Equal Access Homes, Inc. V-651-249-7751 F-651-450-1330 www.EqualAccessHomes.com

McCarthy Builders & Remodelers, Inc. V-612-250-0816 www.McCarthyBuildersandRemodelers.com

SRR Construction V-612-419-5787 www.SRRConstruction.com

HOUSING-RENTALAccessible Space, Inc. (ASI) V-651-645-7271 TTY-800-466-7722 www.accessiblespace.org

Ebenezer Park Apartments V-612-879-2233 F-612-879-8889 www.fairviewebenezer.org/minneapolis

HousingLink V-612-522-2500 F-612-521-1577 www.housinglink.org

National Handicap Housing Institute, Inc V-651-639-9799 F-651-639-9699 www.nhhiaccessiblehousing.com

Villas and Townhomes by Mary T. Inc. V-763-754-2505 TF-888-255-6400 www.marytinc.com

INFORMATION AND REFERRAL RESOURCESArc Greater Twin Cities V-952-920-0855 F-952-920-1480 www.arcgreatertwincities.org

Assistive Technology of Minnesota V-763-479-8239 TF-866-535-8239 www.atmn.org

Fair Table Mediation, LLC V-952-881-3650 www.FairTableMediation.com

Minnesota State Council on Disability V/TTY-651-361-7800 TTY-800-945-8913 www.disability.state.mn.us

The Natl Multiple Sclerosis Society - MN Chapter V-612-335-7900 TF-800-582-5296 www.mssociety.org


United Cerebral Palsy of MN V-651-646-7588 TF-877-528-5678 www.ucpmn.org

LEGALFair Table Mediation, LLC V-952-881-3650 www.FairTableMediation.com

MN Disability Law Center V-612-334-5970 TF-800-292-4150 www.mndlc.org

MEDICAL SUPPLIES/EQUIPMENTFairview Wheelchair Seating and Mobility V-612-273-5560 F-612-273-7360 www.fairview.org/rehab

Handi Medical Supply V-651-644-9770 F-651-644-0602 www.handimedical.com

Key Medical Supply V-651-792-3860 F--651-792-3867 www.keymedicalsupply.com

Liberty Oxygen & Medical Equipment V-952-920-0460 F-952-920-0480 www.libertyoxygen.com

Tamarack Habilitation Technologies, Inc. V-763-795-0057 TF-866-795-0057 www.tamarackhti.com

MENTAL HEALTHCommunity Involvement Programs (CIP) V-612-362-4434 V-612-362-4452 www.cipmn.org


Fraser V-612-861-1688 F-612-861-6050 www.fraser.org



National Alliance on Mental Illness of MN V-651-645-2948 TF-888-NAMI-Helps www.namihelps.org

People Inc. Epilepsy & Mental Health Services V-651-338-9035 TTY-651-338-1160 www.peopleincorporated.org


PHYSICIANSCourage Center V-763-520-0453 TTY-763-520-0245 www.CourageCenter.org

Wound Healing Center V-715-268-0175 TTY-715-268-0177 www.AmeryMedicalCenter.org

RECREATION-ADAPTIVE HOBBY/EXERCISE/SPORTS/ARTSCourage Center V-763-520-0537 TTY-763-520-0245 www.CourageCenter.org

Mind Body Solutions V-952-473-3700 www.mindbodysolutions.org

Upstream Arts V-612-331-4584 F-480-393-5587 www.upstreamarts.org

RECREATION-TRAVEL/CAMPINGCamp Winnebago V-507-724-2351 F-507-724-3786 www.campwinnebago.org

Friendship Ventures V-952-852-0101 TF-800-450-8376 www.friendshipventures.org

Hammer Travel V-952-277-2458 TF-877-345-8599 www.HammerTravel.org

Ventures Travel, LLC V-952-852-0107 TF-866-692-7400 www.venturestravel.org

Wilderness Inquiry V-612-676-9400 TF-800-728-0719 www.wildernessinquiry.org

REHABILITATION (PHYSICAL, OCCUPATIONAL, SPEECH, AUDIOLOGY THERAPISTS)Cooperating Community Prog -Home-Based Support V-651-379-9711 F-651-645-7350 www.theccpinc.com


Courage Center - Burnsville V-952-898-5700 F-952-898-5757 www.CourageCenter.org

Courage Center - Forest Lake V-651-464-5235 F-651-464-3547 www.CourageCenter.org

Courage Ceter - St. Croix V-651-439-8283 F-651-439-0576 www.CourageCenter.org

DeafBlind Services Minnesota (DBSM) V-612-362-8454 TTY-612-362-8422 www.dbsm.org

Fairview Acute Rehabilitation Center V-612-273-8660 F-612-273-4706 www.fairview.org/arc

Fairview Balance Center V-612-273-6228 F-612-273-7360 www.fairview.org/balance

Fairview M.S. Achievement Center V-612-672-2815 F-651-645-2254 www.fairview.org/msac

Fairview Rehabilitation Services V-612-273-6228 TTY-800-824-1953 www.fairview.org/rehab


Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare V-651-291-2848 TF-800-719-4040 www.gillettechildrens.org

In Home Personal Care V-763-546-1000 F-763-546-1018 www.inhomepersonalcare.com


RESIDENTIAL/GROUP HOME PROGRAMSCapstone Services, LLC V-651-641-0042 x211 F-651-645-2780 www.capstoneservices.net

CCP-The Cooperating Community Programs - Residential Services V-651-503-8618 www.theccpinc.com

Community Involvement Programs (CIP) V-612-362-4403 V-612-362-4417 www.cipmn.org

Dungarvin Minnesota, LLC V-651-699-6050 TTY-651-695-5802 www.dungarvin.com



Mary T. Inc. Human Services Programs V-763-754-2505 TF-888-255-6400 www.marytinc.com

Mt. Olivet Rolling Acres V-952-474-5974 F-952-474-3652 www.mtolivetrollingacres.org


People Inc. Epilepsy & Mental Health Services V-651-338-9035 TTY-651-338-1160 www.peopleincorporated.org

Phoenix Residence V-651-227-7655 F-651-227-6847 www.phoenixresidence.org

Restart, Inc. V-763-588-7633 F-763-588-7613 www.restartincmn.org

SERVICE ANIMALSCan Do Canines V-763-331-3000 F-763-331-3009 www.can-do-canines.org

Helping Paws, Inc. V-952-988-9359 F-952-988-9296 www.helpingpaws.org

Pawsitive Perspectives Assistance Dogs (PawPADs) V-952-226-2063 www.PawPADS.org

SKILLED NURSING FACILITIESEbenezer Care Center V-612-879-2262 www.fairviewebenezer.org/minneapolis

SOCIAL SERVICESRestart, Inc. V-763-588-7633 F-763-588-7613 www.restartincmn.org

TECHNOLOGYAssistive Technology of MN - DBA Equip A Life V-763-479-8239 TF-866-535-8239 www.equipalife.org

Fairview Assistive Technology Program V-612-273-6228 F-612-273-7360 www.fairview.org/rehab

Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare V-651-291-2848 TF-800-719-4040 www.gillettechildrens.org

Marbesoft - Simtech V-763-755-1402 TF-888-755-1402 www.marblesoft.com


STAR Program V-651-201-2640 TF-888-234-1267 www.starprogram.state.mn.us

Tamarack Habilitation Technologies, Inc. V-763-795-0057 TF-866-795-0057 www.tamarackhti.com

TRANSPORTATION RENTAL/SALES/MODIFICATIONIMED Mobility V-651-635-0655 TF-800-788-7479 www.imedmobility.com

VISION IMPAIRMENTAmerican Council for the Blind of Minnesota V-651-428-5059 V-612-486-5180 www.acb.org/Minnesota

Vision Loss Resources V-612-871-2222 F-612-872-0189 www.visionlossresources.org

Volunteer Braille Services V-763-544-2880 F-763-544-3612 www.vbsmn.org


Welcome to the Access Press AccessibleFun listings. Get further information on thingsto do around Minnesota at www.accessminnesota.org and click on the calendar.For info on galleries and theater perfor-mances around the state, visit www.vsamn.org or call 612-332-3888 or 1-800-801-3883 (voice/tty). Or check c2 (caption coali-tion) inc., which does most of the captionedshows in Minnesota, also captions showsacross the country: http://c2net.org\

ACCESSIBLE FUN

Party of the YearWhere can you find a “Don’t Stop

Believin” sing-along, a keyboard spinningshowdown, dance-pop favorites, andR&B? At Brat Pack Radio’s high-energyshow that’s part dance party, part carni-val, and ALL PACER Rocks for Kids!Join the party at 8 p.m. Sat., Jan. 28 atthe Fine Line Music Cafe in downtownMinneapolis. Dance and raise money fortwo PACER programs for children, theNational Bullying Prevention Center andthe Simon Technology Center for childrenwith disabilities. Tickets are $30 in ad-vance, $35 at the door.FFI: 952-838-9000, PartyoftheYear.com

Accessibility improvementgrants available

ADA Access Improvement Grants forMetro Arts Organizations are now avail-able in the Twin Cities seven-countyarea. The focus of these grants, up to$15,000 each, is to help make arts pro-gramming, activities and facilities moreaccessible to people with disabilities.Made possible by the Minnesota Arts andCultural Heritage Fund, the grant programis administered by VSA Minnesota for theMetropolitan Regional Arts Council(MRAC). Over the past two years$440,785 was awarded to 36 Twin Citiesorganizations.

In 2012 approximately $180,000 isavailable to be awarded over two rounds,with application deadlines on Feb. 17 andMay 11. A series of information meetingswill be announced shortly.

The project grants are not intended forone-time activities such as a sign lan-guage interpreter or a Braille program forone play, but to have the potential for sig-nificant or long-term impact in involvingmore people with disabilities as partici-pants or patrons in arts programs.

Minnesota nonprofit arts organizationsin Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin,Ramsey, Scott and Washington countiesare eligible if their annual budget is under$4,460,000. Download 2012 grant guide-lines and application at www.vsamn.org/forms.html#adagrant. Or contact VSAMinnesota at 612-332-3888 voice/tty [email protected].

New Travel (TSA) toll-free helplineAre you a person with disabilities who

likes to travel? The Transportation Secu-rity Administration (TSA) has announcedthe launch of TSA Cares today, a newhelpline number designed to assist travel-ers with disabilities and medical condi-tions, prior to getting to the airport. Trav-elers may call TSA Cares toll free at1-855-787-2227 prior to traveling withquestions about screening policies, pro-cedures and what to expect at the secu-rity checkpoint.

“TSA Cares provides passengers withdisabilities and medical needs anotherresource to use before they fly, so theyknow what to expect when going throughthe screening process,” said TSA Admin-istrator John Pistole. “This additional levelof personal communication helps ensurethat even those who do not travel oftenare aware of our screening policies be-fore they arrive at the airport.”

When a passenger with a disability ormedical condition calls TSA Cares, a rep-resentative will provide assistance, eitherwith information about screening that isrelevant to the passenger’s specific dis-ability or medical condition, or the pas-senger may be referred to disability ex-perts at TSA. TSA recommends that pas-sengers call approximately 72 hoursahead of travel so that TSA Cares hasthe opportunity to coordinate checkpointsupport with a TSA Customer ServiceManager located at the airport when nec-essary.

Every person and item must bescreened before entering the secure areaof an airport and the manner in which thescreening is conducted will depend onthe passenger’s abilities and any specificequipment brought to the security check-point.

Earth, Wind & Fire to performEarth, Wind & Fire—one of America’s

top-selling musical groups of all time—isbringing its soul-funk fusion to PACERCenter’s 30th Annual Benefit on Sat.,May 5, at the Minneapolis ConventionCenter. Tickets are available now.

Inducted into both the Rock and RollHall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall ofFame, Earth, Wind & Fire has earned sixGrammy Awards and four American Mu-sic Awards alongside numerous otheraccolades. The band recently receivedthe prestigious Legend Award at the 2011Soul Train awards on Nov. 27, 2011.

In addition to the Earth, Wind & Fireconcert, PACER’s benefit includes silentand live auctions. Proceeds from theBenefit support PACER Center programsfor children with disabilities and theirfamilies and PACER’s Bullying Preven-tion Center. FFI: FFI: 952-838-9000,PACER.org

VSA calendar seeks supportFor more than a decade, the VSA Min-

nesota Accessible Performance Calendar(part of which is used by Access Press)has publicized arts events that offer ASLinterpreting, captioning, audio description,or other accommodations. Major cuts tothe national VSA program which paid forthis outreach means VSA Minnesota islooking for ideas, sponsors, volunteersor other means to continue this service.Anyone with suggestions, or who wantsto say how this service and VSA’s ac-cessibility advocacy is important to thecommunity, should email ideas andcomments to [email protected] orcall 612-332-3888 or 800-801-3883,voice/tty. The current arts calendar canbe seen at www.vsamn.org/calendar.

The St. Paul Winter Carnival is Jan. 26-Feb. 5, with most events held in St. Paul.One highlight is the coronation of the Senior Royalty, shown above. They serve asambassadors for the carnival in the upcoming year. A new royal family will becrowned Jan. 19. Other events include parades, art shows, ice and snow sculptures,parties and more. For information on events and accommodations, 651-223-4700,www.winter-carnival.com

Enjoy a movie tonightSeveral theaters around the state offer

accommodations for movie-goers, suchas captioning or descriptive services.www.captionfish.com lists cinemas withaccess (AD/CC) features. Find theaters inyour area by typing in your zip code.MoPix-equipped Rear Window CaptionedFilms are listed at: cam.wgbh.org/mopix/

nowshowing.html#mn ■

Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor2012 & 2005-2011

Kent Fordyce612-889-2959

[email protected]: 952-472-1458

6371 Bartlett Blvd, Mound, MN 55364

Kent’s Accounting Service, LLC


UPCOMING EVENTSAdvocacy

Advocacy Kick-Off DayThe Arc Minnesota hosts Advocacy Kick-Off Day 10 a.m.Tue., Jan 31 at the state capitol. Meet in the MinnesotaState Office Building, Basement Cafeteria, 175 Rev. Dr.Martin Luther King Blvd. Members of The Arc will pro-vide information and their stories to legislators about2012 legislative priorities shared by The Arc Minnesotaand the Minnesota Consortium for Citizens with Disabili-ties. Priorities include the wage cut to PCAs caring forrelatives, the 10% cut to individuals with ”low needs,”opposition to constitutional amendments that requirevoter IDs or require a supermajority for revenue in-creases, protecting Minnesota’s special education lawsand regulations, and reforming disability services. Othercolleagues and organizations from the disability commu-nity are welcome to attend. FFI: Mike Gude, 651-604-8066, [email protected] for more information.

Workshops, conferencesChild and adolescent mental health conferenceThe Minnesota Association for Children’s’ Mental Health(MACMH) conference is April 22 – 24 in Duluth. Earlydeadlines are approaching. Register by Jan. 31 for a$50 savings. Also, exhibitors, sponsors and marketersneed to sign on by April 2 for the April 23-24 exhibitdays. New offerings this year include a sponsors’ row forevent sponsors, a “friend” discount for longtime exhibi-tors and the ability to select an exhibit space through

online registration. Ask about exhibit and conference at-tendee rates or check the organization website. FFI:[email protected], or www.macmh.org

Adult classesLiving Well with a Disability SeriesMetropolitan Center for Independent Living (MCIL) offersLiving Well with a Disability, a free ten-week wellnessworkshop for people with disabilities that help consum-ers achieve full participation through health maintenanceand health promotion activities. Developed by the Uni-versity of Montana, the peer-facilitated and consumerdirected workshops begin a journey of empowerment.Classes start 10 a.m. Thu, Jan. 12 and continue Thurs-day mornings. Please give two weeks’ notice if accom-modations are needed. FFI: Corbett Laubignat,[email protected], 651-603-2028

Independent living classes offeredThe Metropolitan Center for Independent Living

(MCIL) offers free and accessible classes on living inde-pendently for people with disabilities. Most classes areheld at 1600 University Ave., #16, the green tile buildingat University and Snelling, St. Paul.

Self-esteem class is 10 a.m.-noon Tue, Feb. 21. Howdo you see yourself? Does your inner voice say hurtfulthings? Come and join us as we discuss ways to changethat inner voice and make it be a supportive voice in-stead. Please bring an open mind and a willingness tochange.

Healthy Relationships series of classes starts 10 a.m.-noon Wed, Feb, 8. It is centered on building interper-sonal effectiveness, discussing sexuality and disabilityand creating healthy boundaries.

Knitting Circle: Learn simple techniques, patterns anddesigns of knitting. Adaptive knitting equipment available;

for all levels of knitters.Other crafts are welcome. 10a.m.-noon, Mon, Jan. 9 and1-3 p.m. Mon, Jan. 23; 10a.m.-noon, Mon, Feb 6 and1-3 p.m. Mon, Feb. 20. Meal Planning is 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Wed, Jan. 11. Learnto create a weekly menuand shop with a list andcoupons. Learn to shopwisely, and how to expandyour meals without expand-ing your expenses. The Weekenders outingsare for those who are tiredof sitting home all weekend.Meet other people whoshare similar interests andwant to meet new people.Guests are welcome andencouraged. Next meetingis noon-2 p.m. Sat, Jan. 21at Midway Perkins, St. Paul,

followed by bowling 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Bring moneyfor food and other expenses to each event.

Wii fun is 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Wed., Feb. 15. This is a greatway to meet new people, have fun and even get a workout.

Events are free (with the exception of Weekendersoutings), accessible and mostly scent-free. {PleaseRSVP and give two weeks’ notice of needed accommo-dations. FFI: Corbett Laubignat, [email protected],651 603 2028

Free technology classesFree adaptive technology classes are offered by

Hennepin County Library, at the downtown Mpls library,300 Nicollet Mall. Classes are free but you must pre-reg-ister for these classes for persons who are blind or havelow vision. In addition to classes there are often volun-teers available to introduce patrons to the equipmentand software available. Volunteer hours vary, so it’s bestto call ahead. Funding for Adaptive Technology classesis provided by a generous grant from the Hudson FamilyFoundation. FFI: 612-630-6469, www.hclib.org

Youth and familiesParents with Disabilities group

Parents with Disabilities is a new group offered byMetro Center for Independent Living. This group is forpeople who have disabilities and have children. Learnfrom and grow with others who are dealing with the intri-cacies of disability and parenting responsibilities.Everyone’s experience is valuable and questions areimportant. The next four meetings are at MCIL 1600 Uni-versity Ave. W, St. Paul, 5-7pm Mondays Jan 23, Feb20, March 19 and April 23. Pre-registration requested.FFI: Corbett, 651 603 2028, [email protected]

PACER offers workshopsPACER Center offers useful free and low-cost work-

shops for families of children with disabilities. Register inadvance. All workshops are at PACER Center, 8161Normandale Blvd., Bloomington, unless specified.Apps for Autism 6-9 p.m. Tue, Jan. 17. Suggested dona-tion $10-$25. There are thousands of apps for the iPodTouch and the iPad so it can be hard to find the rightone. Learn about some of the best apps for children andadults with autism. Bring your own iPad/iPod Touch withyour own favorite apps to share. FFI: 952-838-9000,800-537-2237 (toll free), PACER.org.

Fraser offers groupsFraser offers a wide variety of classes and programs

for families dealing with disabilities. Classes, which typi-cally cost $30 per person or $50 per couple, are heldthroughout the region. Preregistration required. Fraseroffers a wide variety of classes and programs for fami-lies dealing with disabilities. Classes, which typicallycost $30 per person or $50 per couple, are held through-out the region. Preregistration required. FFI: 612-798-8331 or [email protected].

Support groups, meetingsUCare meetings

UCare hosts informational meetings about its UCarefor Seniors Medicare Advantage plan. Meetings are heldall over the region. UCare for Seniors has more than75,000 members across Minnesota and western Wis-consin. UCare is an independent, nonprofit health planproviding health care and administrative services tomore than 185,000 members. UCare serves Medicare-eligible individuals throughout Minnesota and in westernWisconsin; individuals and families enrolled in income-based Minnesota Health Care Programs, such asMinnesotaCare and Prepaid Medical Assistance Pro-gram; adults with disabilities and Medicare beneficiarieswith chronic health conditions, and Minnesotans duallyeligible for Medical Assistance and Medicare FFI: 1-877-523-1518 (toll free), www.ucare.org

Mental Illness support groupsThe National Alliance on Mental Illness of Minnesota

(NAMI-MN) sponsors free support groups for familieswho have a relative with a mental illness. NAMI hasabout two dozen family support groups, over 20 supportgroups for people living with a mental illness, anxietysupport groups, groups for veterans and other groups.Led by trained facilitators who also have a family mem-ber with mental illness, the support groups help familiesdevelop better coping skills and find strength throughsharing their experiences. A family support group meetsin St. Paul from 5:45-7p.m., on the second Tuesday ofthe month, at Snelling Office Park, 1625 Energy ParkDrive, Suite 100, St. Paul. FFI: Sonja, 651-357-2077.A NAMI Connection peer support group for adults recov-ering from mental illness meets bi-weekly in Roseville.Trained facilitators who are also in recovery lead NAMIUpcoming events - p. 14


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PEOPLE & PLACESCall for Justice now open Call for Justice has opened itsoffice at 404 South 8th St., Min-neapolis, in space donated byGreater Twin Cities UnitedWay. Ellen Krug, an attorneyfor nearly 30 years, has beenhired as the Call for Justice ex-ecutive director. Call for Justiceis a pilot project to provide le-

gal information, advice, and referrals to the disadvan-taged. A legal hotline will be one of the project’s fea-tures. The project will work in conjunction withUnited Way 2-1-1 to streamline legal referrals. Thisnew initiative is designed to mesh smoothly withother legal services efforts in the metro area. Call forJustice is made possible through grants by theHennepin and Ramsey County Bar Foundations, theSt. Paul and Bigelow Foundations, and numerous lawfirms.

Krug is a native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where shehad an active trial practice. A graduate of Boston Col-lege Law School, she has extensive community ser-vice experience with various nonprofits.

The project will reach out to organizations that pro-vide legal services to the disadvantaged. Work to im-prove legal referrals will begin immediately. The le-gal hotline is projected to begin operations in 2012.

Krug said that Call for Justice is especially inter-ested in serving people with disabilities. “The primarygoal of Call for Justice is to increase access to thecivil justice system,” Krug said. “Historically, the dis-abled have been particularly at a disadvantage—inpart because of simple physical barriers and in partbecause the system hasn’t recognized the barriersmany of the disabled face. The Call for Justice projectis designed to make legal referrals easier and moreefficient for everyone. The disabled—often the vic-tims of ‘social services pinball’ in being bouncedfrom one agency to another—will benefit from ourefforts to make one call all that’s needed to secure ef-fective legal assistance.”

NAMI Minnesota presents awardsThe National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of

Minnesota present awards for outstanding service atits annual conference recently in Minneapolis.Guild Incorporated was given the Provider of the

Year Award. The award recognizes an organizationthat provides mental health services that demonstrateexcellence, respect and best practices.

NAMI’s executive director Sue Abderholden said,“Guild Incorporated in St. Paul has become a beacon oflight for adults living with a mental illness. Guild hasworked to provide a wide array of services that are evi-dence-based including Assertive Community Treat-ment, Intensive Residential Treatment Services, sup-ported employment and supportive housing.” Guildhas also collaborated with Regions Hospital to reducereadmissions to the hospital and with Project Pride inLiving and the Delancey Apartments to provide hous-ing. Guild’s recent Moving Matters program demon-strates enormous creativity and showed how throughdance and art people can heal and reach for recovery.

Guild’s executive director Grace Tangjerd Schmittand members of the Guild Incorporated staff were atthe conference to accept the award.

Social worker Richard Oni, co-owner of Progres-sive Individual Resources in St. Paul, was given theProfessional of the Year Award. The award recog-nizes a professional who provides high quality ser-vices, exemplifies best practices, and demonstratescommitment to and leadership in the field.

“Richard Oni has provided much needed mentalhealth services to the African American and other im-migrant communities and has been a strong advocatefor mental health behavioral aides so that they can as-sist families in keeping their children in their homes,”said Abderholden. “NAMI also wants to recognizeRichard’s tireless efforts to develop and promote cul-turally competent mental health services through hiseleven years on the Children’s Subcommittee and hiswork on the Cultural Advisory Council on State Spe-cial Education along with numerous other taskforces. We greatly appreciate and applaud his work.”Oni lives in Birchwood.

Playgrounds get needed assistanceTwo efforts to create accessible playgrounds, one

in Woodbury and one in Minneapolis, made key steps

ahead. The Madison Claire Foundation announced apledge of $100,000 in matching funds from ananonymous donor to build Madison’s Place, the EastMetro’s first inclusive playground. The playgroundwill be truly inclusive so that children of all abilitiescan play together side-by-side fostering friendships,understanding and acceptance.

“We are so grateful to this donor for their pledgeof $100,000,” said Dana Millington, president of theMadison Claire Foundation. “This funding matchwill provide a major boost to the fundraising effortsfor the playground.”

The foundation also entered into a partnershipwith Landscape Structures Inc., a Delano-basedcommercial playground manufacturer. LandscapeStructures, the playground industry’s thought leaderon inclusive play, will supply the playground equip-ment for Madison’s Place. The company, along withtheir Minnesota partner Flagship Recreation, is fo-cused on helping communities go beyond providingaccessibility to ensuring inclusion. In addition togetting children with limited mobility onto the play-ground, Landscape Structures engages the social andemotional benefits of a playground to help promotesocial inclusion between children with and withoutdisabilities. The playground is to be built in summer2012.

Falls for All, which is planning a universal accessplayground for the Wabun Picnic area of MinnehahaFalls Park in Minneapolis was approved for$200,000 in funding from the Hennepin CountyYouth Sports program. The contribution puts Fallsfor All closer to its goal of a fully accessible and in-clusive playground for children (and adults) of allabilities. More than $600,000 has been raised towardthe group’s $950,000 goal.

ProAct, Inc. names new board memberProAct, Inc. has named Deanna (DeDe) Wanzek, a

veteran physical therapist and former businessowner, to its board of directors. The nonprofit orga-nization serving people with disabilities has a grow-ing program in Hudson, Wis., where Wanzek is em-ployed by Avanti Center. The center, which shehelped to found, provides physical, occupationaland speech therapy to children and adults with dis-abilities.

“Many of the Hudson participants are people thatI saw as children,” Wanzek said. “It is very interest-ing to me to see the life cycle—how things were forthem when they were children and now how life isfor them as adults.”

She is a successful closed head injury survivor,

IN KIND(For this issue)Steve LarsonShelli LissickSherie Wallace

BENEFACTOR SPONSOR($1000 and above)Lynda MilnePaul MuellerThe Jay & Rose Phillips Family FoundationThe Medtronic FoundationThe Minneapolis FoundationThe Otto Bremer FoundationUCare

Grace Tangjerd Schmitt Richard Oni

People & Places - p. 15

Ellen Krug


55 years of age may be eligible to transfer their edu-cation award to a child, grandchild or foster child.

For more information on the Minnesota ReadingCorps or to apply as a tutor for the 2012 – 2013school year, visit www.MinnesotaReadingCorps.org,or call (651) 251-9075 or toll-free (866) 859-2825. ■

Volunteer tutor - from p. 1Reading Corps, a statewide initiative to help everyMinnesota child become a successful reader. The pro-gram matches trained AmeriCorps members and com-munity volunteers with children from age 3 to thirdgrade who are at risk for not reading at grade level.AmeriCorps members work directly with children toprovide individualized literacy instruction to helpchildren fill their gaps in reading. As a Reading Corpstutor, Maldonado works one-on-one with up to 16 stu-dents each week at Pinewood Elementary School inRochester. Her lessons go far beyond reading.

“I’m very open about what CP is with the students,and I have given presentations to everyone in theschool about CP to help them understand it,” saidMaldonado. “It helps me connect with the kids I workwith. I know what it’s like to struggle with somethingin school that they can’t do just right. And for the kidswho are learning English as a second language, I con-nect with them because my first language is Spanish.”

“My favorite part about being a Minnesota ReadingCorps tutor is that I get to work with great kids andwatch them overcome challenges to succeed in read-ing,” Maldonado said. “I’ve seen incredible growth inthe students I work with. For example, I worked witha third grader who didn’t have the confidence to readby herself, but working with her every day, encourag-ing her and building up her self-esteem has helped herto grow so much that we exited her from the programbecause she’s doing so well. She still comes by everyday asking if she can read with me.”

Americorps and ServeMinnesota provide opportu-nities for Minnesotans with disabilities. Each year,approximately 20 percent of AmeriCorps members inMinnesota who participated in a survey disclosedhaving a disability. ServeMinnesota, the organizationthat administers AmeriCorps programs like MinnesotaReading Corps, is recognized as a national leader inincluding individuals with disabilities.

AmeriCorps, a national service program often re-ferred to as the “Domestic Peace Corps,” provides ac-commodations to help members and volunteers withdisabilities perform their service. The organizationhas worked closely with Maldonado to help overcomemobility challenges, locating her office close to thegrades she tutors. A volunteer brings the students toMaldonado rather than having her walking around theschool to find them.

In December, the Minnesota Reading Corps kickedoff its recruitment efforts to place more than 1,100members for the 2012 – 2013 school year. Applica-tions are being accepted for positions across the state,and are available at www.MinnesotaReadingCorps.org.

Minnesota Reading Corps members commit to 11months of service. In addition to receiving valuablehands-on experience, members earn up to $5,550 topay for college or to pay back federal student loans, amodest living allowance and for full-time members,health insurance. Members can also defer federal stu-dent loans while they serve. Members who are at least

Upcoming events - from p. 12Connection groups. The group meets on the 2nd and 4th

Wed., at 6:30 p.m., at Centennial Methodist Church, 1524Co. Rd. C-2 West. FFI: Will, 651-578-3364.NAMI has a support group for those living in the GLBTQcommunity and their allies. The group meets 1-2:30 p.m.Saturdays, Minnehaha Spirit of the Lakes Church, 400138th Avenue S., Mpls. The support group will be a safeplace to confront the challenges that many members ofthe GLBTQ communities face including low self-esteem,social isolation, stigma, discrimination, anxiety and de-pression. FFI: Kim 763-267-5881, Gabi 314-800-4134.An Open Door Anxiety and Panic support group meets inSt. Paul at 6:30 p.m., on the first and third Thursday ofthe month, at Gloria Dei Church, 700 Snelling Ave. S.St. Paul. FFI: NAMI, 651-645-2948, www.namihelps.org

Volunteer, DonateHome care volunteers sought

Courage Center Volunteer Services is recruitingskilled volunteers with special “people skills” to serve astelemedicine volunteers working with primary care clinicpatients. Volunteers work with Courage Center adult cli-ents in their homes as a non-medical social support.Through relationship-building visits and setting up fortelemedicine (Skype) conferences with CourageCenter’s Primary Care Clinic staff, volunteers can have apositive impact on a client’s health and independence bydiminishing the unhealthy affects of social isolation; re-ducing hospitalizations; and empowering clients to man-age their health care plan. Candidates will be inter-viewed through Jan. 12. Group training is held Tues-days, Feb. 14-March 20, from 8:30-11:30 a.m. Theflexibile time commitment is a 2-3 hour weekly shift, for a

minimum of one year. FFI: CathleenGodsall, Volunteer Coordinator forHealthcare Home, 763-520-0241,[email protected].

Give away that carAutos for Arc can take old vehicles off

your hands, give you a tax deduction andsay “Thank you” for helping change thelives of people with disabilities. Autos forArc accepts cars and trucks of any modeland condition and other vehicles includingboats (with trailers), RVs, ATVs, golf carts,personal watercraft, motorcycles andsnowmobiles. Within the seven-countymetro area, Autos for Arc can arrange tohave a vehicle towed free of charge. Callthe toll-free Autos for Arc hotline, 1-877-778-7709, to arrange a pickup. Or drop offvehicles at a Value Village location. FFI: 1-877-778-7709, www.autosforarc.org

Volunteer with RSVPVolunteers age 55 and older are eligible

to receive free supplemental insurance, mileage reim-bursement and other benefits through the Retired andSenior Volunteer Program (RSVP) sponsored by Volun-teers of America of Minnesota. RSVP/Volunteers ofAmerica of Minnesota and AARP Foundation need vol-unteers with good budgeting and organizational skills tohelp manage finances of older or disabled low-incomeindividuals. Have a few hours a month to volunteer?Money Management Program staff will train and matchyou with someone in the community. FFI: Money Man-agement Program Coordinator, 612-617-7821

Be an English language tutorEncouraging, enthusiastic volunteers needed to help

adult immigrants and refugees learn English. By donat-ing two to three hours a week, you can make lastingfriendships and foster stronger communities. Ongoingtraining and support is provided by the Minnesota Lit-eracy Council. The adult English language tutor programoffers 12 hours of training, including materials adaptedfor blind and visually impaired volunteers. Ask about ac-commodations for other council programs. ContactAllison for details: [email protected], 651.251.9110,or visit www.themlc.org/volunteer ■

History - from p. 2us and our embarrassment,” polio patients becameperfect subjects for clinical demonstration.

“For many of us,” Owen added, “the acute illnessand convalescence was during adolescence with theimpact of polio superimposed on all the usual stressesand strains of growing up. Barriers to building, activi-ties, opportunities, and associations added to frustra-tion and, in some cases, social isolation of youngpeople with the residuals of poliomyelitis. Many bar-riers. . . were self-imposed. Various coping mecha-nisms often covered true feelings of loss. Denial oftenled to distorted reality.”

A memorial service for Owen was held Dec. 17 atFirst Unitarian Society of Minneapolis. He is survivedby wife, Amy; sister, Suzy Brickley; daughter,Marnie; sons, Rick (Ann), and Don (Meg); grandchil-dren, Lauren Lusk (Jeremy), David Jacobs, David,and Rebecca; as well as many other relatives. Memo-rials can be made to the Sister Kenny Foundation,First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis, or WildernessInquiry. ■

Would you like to make history?Access Press is interested in reader submissions for

the monthly History Note column, to complement thearticles written by Luther Granquist and other con-tributors. Submissions must center on events, peopleand places in the history of Minnesota’s disabilitycommunity. We are in interested in history that fo-cuses on all types of physical and cognitive disabili-ties, so long as the history has a tie to Minnesota. Weare especially interested in stories from Greater Min-nesota.

Please submit ideas prior to submitting full stories,as we may have covered the topic before. Past HistoryNote articles can be found on www.accesspress.orgContact us at [email protected] or 651-644-2133 if you have questions.

The History Note is a monthly column sponsoredby the Minnesota Governor’s Council on Develop-mental Disabilities, www.mncdd.org andwww.partners inpolicymaking.com


Access Press Classifieds are $14 for the first 12 & 65¢ per wordthereafter. They must be prepaid. Mail with check to: Access Press,1821 University Ave W, #104S, St. Paul, MN 55104 • 651-644-2133

housing is currently closed.Please call for updated openingsas this can change from time totime. Phone: (612) 338-2680.Equal Opportunity Housing.

Calvary Center Apts: 7650Golden Valley Road, GoldenValley, MN. A Section 8 build-ing now accepting applicationsfor our waiting list. Call 9 am to4 pm, Mon – Fri 763-546-4988for an application. Equal Oppor-tunity Housing.

Holmes-Greenway Housing:One- and two-bedroom wheel-chair-accessible apartments.Section 8 subsidized. Conve-nient SE Minneapolis location.Call 612-378-0331 for availabil-ity information. Equal Opportu-nity Housing.

Lewis Park Apartments: Bar-rier-free housing with wheelchairusers in mind. Section 8 subsi-dized. One- and two-bedroomunits. For more information onavailability call 651-488-9923.St. Paul, MN. Equal Opportu-nity Housing.

Oak Park Village: We are ac-cepting applications for the wait-ing list for one-bedroom wheel-chair accessible apartments. Sec-tion 8 subsidized. ConvenientSt. Louis Park location. Call 952-935-9125 for information. EqualOpportunity Housing.

Seward Square Apartments:We are no longer accepting ap-plications for our waiting list, asour waiting list for barrier-free

FOR RENT

Weekend Program BooksYour Personal World (Saturday at 1 p.m.) is airing Passages in

Caregiving, by Gail Sheehy; For the Younger Set (Sunday at 11a.m.) is airing Dead End in Norvelt, by Jack Gantos and Across theGreat Barrier, by Patricia C. Wrede; Poetic Reflections (Sunday atnoon) is airing The Sky Is Great, the Sky Is Blue, by SharonChmielarz, and Rain, Lilies, Luck, by Francine Tolk; The U.S. and Us(Sunday 4 p.m.) is airing Lucien Galtier, by Marianne Luban. (TheLuban book is about the priest who served Minnesota Territory andgave the City of St. Paul its name.)

Books available through FaribaultBooks broadcast on the Minnesota Radio Talking Book Network

are available through the Minnesota Braille and Talking Book Libraryin Faribault. Phone is 1-800-722-0550 and hours are 7:30 a.m. - 5p.m. Monday through Friday. The catalog is online and can be ac-cessed by going to the main website, http://education.state.mn.us,and then clicking on the link. Persons living outside of Minnesotamay obtain copies of books by contacting their home state’s NetworkLibrary for the National Library Service.

Listen to the Minnesota Radio Talking Book, either live or archivedprograms from the last week, on the Internet at www.mnssb.org/rtb.Call the staff for your password to the site. See more informationabout events on the Facebook site for the Minnesota Radio TalkingBook Network.

Access Press is one of the publications featured at 9 p.m. Sun-days on the program It Makes a Difference.

Chautauqua • Tuesday – Saturday 4 a.m.The Information, Nonfiction by James Gleick, 2011. Information has

come to define the modern era though every thought or utterance canvanish instantly. But for millennia, information technology was pains-takingly set down, whether in cuneiform or some other form of writing.Read by Leila Poullada. 18 broadcasts. Begins Jan. 19.

Past is Prologue • Monday – Friday 9 a.m.The Greater Journey, Nonfiction by David McCullough, 2011. Not

all pioneers went west. From 1830 to 1900, American artists, writers,doctors, politicians, architects, and others of high aspiration set offfor Paris in search of education and fulfillment. What they achievedaltered American history. Read by Charlie Boone. 18 broadcasts.Begins Jan. 23.

The Long-Shining Waters, Fiction by Danielle Sosin, 2011. Threewomen live on the shore of Lake Superior in three different centu-ries. From the 17th to 21st centuries, the lake inspires and anchors.S - Read by Michele Potts. Eight broadcasts. Begins Jan. 30.

The Writer’s Voice • Monday – Friday 2 p.m.Learning to Die in Miami, Nonfiction by Carlos Eire, 2010. WhenCarlos came to Miami at age 11, he realized his Cuban self had todie so that his new American self could emerge. He confronted theage-old immigrant’s plight, being surrounded by American bounty butunable to partake of it immediately. Read by Denny Laufenburger.13 broadcasts. Begins Jan. 30.

Choice Reading • Monday – Friday 4 p.m.Luka and the Fire of Life, Fiction by Salman Rushdie, 2010. Luka’sfather is the legendary storyteller of Kahani, but he has fallen into asleep from which no one can wake him. To keep him from slippingaway entirely, Luka must travel to the Magic World and steal theever-burning Fire of Life. Read by Pat Kovel-Jarboe. Eight broad-casts. Begins Jan. 25.

PM Report • Monday – Friday 8 p.m.Shock of Gray, Nonfiction by Ted C. Fishman, 2011. By the year2030, one billion people will be sixty-five or older. People over fiftywill outnumber those under seventeen. Everyone is touched by thisissue. Read by John Hagman. 16 broadcasts. Begins Jan. 16.

Night Journey • Monday – Friday 9 p.m.The Crossing Places, Fiction by Elly Griffiths, 2010. ArchaeologistRuth Galloway lives alone in a remote area of England that was sa-cred to Iron Age inhabitants. When a child’s bones are found nearby,she is called for help. They may be those of a missing girl. Read byEsmé Evans. Eight broadcasts. Begins Jan. 25.

Off the Shelf • Monday – Friday 10 p.m.The Passage, Fiction by Justin Cronin, 2010. A security breach at asecret U.S. government facility unleashed the product of a chillingmilitary experiment. A night of chaos and carnage gave way to sun-rise on a nation and world forever altered. L - Read by Don Lee. 37broadcasts. Begins Jan. 12.

Potpourri • Monday – Friday 11 p.m.The Fiddler in the Subway, Nonfiction by Gene Weingarten, 2010.Gene Weingarten, nationally syndicated humor columnist and writerfor The Washington Post, is the only two-time winner of the PulitzerPrize for Feature Writing. His best-known story of Joshua Bell play-ing violin in D.C.’s subway brought Weingarten nationwide attention.L - Read by Audray Rees. 14 broadcasts. Begins Jan. 25.

Good Night Owl • Monday – Friday midnightFather of the Rain, Fiction by Lily King, 2010. When Daley movesback to help her father, she risks losing all that she has found on herown. L - Read by Mitzi Lewellen. 12 broadcasts. Begins Jan. 17.

After Midnight • Tuesday – Saturday 1 a.m.Mr. Toppit, Fiction by Charles Elton, 2010. Unsuccessful children’sbook author Arthur Hayman’s last moments are spent with a tourist,Laurie Clow, who brings posthumous fame to his series and family.L,S - Read by Bert Gardner. 12 broadcasts. Begins Jan. 18. ■

Hollermann was a memberof the 2011 U.S. Women’sBasketball team that won agold medal in the Para-Olym-pic Pan American Games. InJanuary she will try out for theU.S. Women’s Para-Olympicbasketball team. She hasplayed on championship teamsat Courage Center and has wonall-tournament team honors.

She was part of her school’sjunior high track and fieldteam in 2009 and 2010, com-peting in the 1600 meter and800 meter runs, the shot putand discus events. TheMSHSL doesn’t have any au-thority over junior high schoolsports in Minnesota.

As a high school student shepractices with the high schoolteam but cannot compete as ateam member. Any points sheearns as a wheelchair athleteare not included in her team’smeet totals.

In spring 2011 Hollermannwon the inaugural girls’ wheel-chair 1,600 and 800 races atthe state track and field meet.She was the only participant inthe races. The Hollermannfamily worked to have theevents added to the state meetsstarting in 2010. The MSHSLadded three wheelchair eventslast year and will add threemore wheelchair division com-petitions this year.

Court documents indicatethat at some high school events,officials have allowed Holler-mann to compete in mixedraces, without any problems.

She has continued to advo-cate that the MSHSL morefully include wheelchair ath-letes in track and field. She hasrequested that wheelchair ath-letes be allowed to race along-side other track and field ath-letes where there is only one

wheelchair racer; score teampoints; and participate in thesame number of track and fieldevents as runners. The MSHSLhas refused to make anychanges to its track and fieldrules and continues to excludewheelchair racers from fullybeing a part of their highschool track teams.

“The High School Leaguetreats Rose and other wheel-chair athletes like second classathletes,” said Page. “Rose is aworld-class athlete and it is anoutrage that the High SchoolLeague will not let her be afull and equal member of herhigh school track team. Thesame rules that apply to run-ners should apply to Rose andother wheelchair athletes. Roseshould have the ability to scoreteam points and participate intrack and field events of herchoosing. She should also havethe ability to wheel in mixedraces where she is the onlywheelchair athlete, like she hasdone many times in the past.”

The competitions between

Athlete - from p. 1

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People & Places - from p. 13

having suffered from a broad-side car accident 22 years ago. “I was extremely fortunate. Had he hit the car about threefeet more toward the front Iprobably would not be here.”

Wanzek holds certificationas a physical therapist fromthe Mayo Clinic in Rochester. She is also a pediatric clinicalspecialist. She teaches at St.Catherine University in St.Paul in the school’s doctorateof physical therapy program.She and her family live inRiver Falls, Wisc.

ProAct is headquartered inEagan and maintains addi-tional sites in Red Wing,Zumbrota and Hudson, Wis. It serves individuals experi-encing barriers to employmentand self-sufficiency due to de-velopmental disabilities, men-tal health issues, traumaticbrain injuries and other condi-tions. ■

wheelchair athletes and run-ners are held separately due toconcerns about safety. MSHSLAssociate Director JodyRedman told KARE-11 thatthere are concerns that a run-ner and a wheelchair athletecould have a collision. Courtdocuments indicate that whenHollermann did compete withrunners as a junior high ath-lete, there were never any acci-dents. She would typicallystart those races in the thirdlane of the track behind theother athletes, and then cutover once there was enoughdistance between her and theother athletes.

Another issue the MSHSLhas raised is that of fairness,and whether competing in awheelchair in longer races pro-vides a competitive advantage.Hollermann said she agreesthat the two types of athletesshould not be in a direct com-petition, but she states thatwheelchair athletes should beallowed to score some pointsfor their team. ■

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Development DisabilitiesMN Resource Center (MRC)MN-SCODMN Sports EntertainmentMN Work Incentives ConnectionMixed Blood TheatreMT Olivet Rolling Acres

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January 2012

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