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1May 10, 2001

Charlie Smith, 1953-2001

InsideBreast Health Access— p. 3Chemicals in theEnvironment— p. 12

CharlieSmith

1953-2001— Page 6

Volume 12, Number 5 SOURCES RESOURCES May 10, 2001

State Agencies ToReorganize: What EffectOn Disability Programs?by Jeff Nygaard

Reorganize - cont. on p. 7

“I used to want the words ‘Shetried’ on my tombstone.

Now I want ‘She did it.’” — Katherine Dunham

CANCER TAKES CHARLIE SMITHTHE DISABILITY COMMUNITY LOSES A HEROby Lolly Lijewski

Charlie - cont. on p. 11

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In an attempt to addressMinnesota’s labor short-

age, the State Legislature isconsidering several bills thatwould reorganize some keystate agencies that are gearedtoward employment issues.

As we go to press, legislativeproposals are under consid-eration that would eliminatethe Department of EconomicSecurity (DES), raising thequestion of what will happento the programs servingpeople with disabilities whichare currently housed in thatagency. Under these pro-posals, DES programs suchas vocational rehabilitation,independent living, extendedemployment, and state ser-vices for the blind would endup in a new location in stategovernment. Exactly wherethat new location should beis the subject of heateddiscussion among advocatesfor people with disabilities.

On April 11th, in a specialmeeting of the Consortium

for Citizens With Disabilities(CCD), the ramifications ofvarious proposals were raised.The ensuing discussion re-vealed deep differences ofopinion at both the philo-sophical and practical levels.

Barb Yates, Deputy Com-missioner of the Departmentof Children, Families, andLearning, made it clear toCCD members that the initia-tive to reorganize the agen-cies had come from theGovernor’s office. Shereminded those present that,while any reorganization willcertainly affect people withdisabilities, that was not thefocus of the Governor’sinitiative. “We’re looking atworkforce development, andthe fact that we don’t haveenough workers in Minne-sota,” she stated.

“Disability Ghetto” orIncreased Influence?

Perhaps the deepest dis-agreement at the April 11th

meeting – echoes of which

It’s hard to know where tobegin the daunting task of

describing the many facets ofCharlie Smith and what hemeant to the disabilitycommunity. He was anentrepreneur and the founderof Access Press; he held theposition of Editor andPublisher for more than tenyears. He was a passionateand committed advocate andactivist, he was a mentor anda role model. He was a lovingbrother and uncle, and adevoted friend. He was asports fan. He loved reggaemusic, good blues, KentuckyFried Chicken, White Castle

hamburgers, and enjoyed agood beer every now andthen. He loved warm, sunnyMinnesota summer days, andbeing out and about, toolingaround taking in the sights ofthe city. He enjoyed a goodpoker game, or a game ofbackgammon. He took greatpleasure in keeping a salt-water aquarium and watchingthe brightly colored tropicalfish swimming around insideit. He loved his two cats,Lizzy and Jasmine.

Charlie became a quadri-plegic in 1967 as a result of adiving accident at the age of14. He fell from a divingboard onto the concretebelow and sustained a spinalchord injury at the C 4 and 5level. He tried his hand atcollege, but found the partyscene more interesting. In1981 he entered the Residenceat Courage Center for re-habilitation. After leavingCourage Center, he exploredseveral business options, butnothing gave him the personalsatisfaction he was seeking.As he moved through theadjustment process of livingwith a significant disability,he began looking around fora way to combine what he hadlearned with a desire to helpothers in similar situations.

He looked at other minoritycommunities and saw theyhad tabloid newspapers thatprovided a vehicle for com-munication, education, andinformation within thesecommunities. The disabilitycommunity had no such tool.In 1990, with the assistanceand support of his parents,Bill and Renee Smith, hefounded Access Press, thedisability community news-paper.

In the early days, the AccessPress offices were in thebasement of Charlie’s parents.His parents providedadministrative, financial, and

emotional support. After hismother’s death in 1993,Charlie’s father moved fromthe old house to a buildingacross the street and theAccess Press offices movedwith him. His father con-tinued to provide guidanceand financial support. Thenin 1996 when Charlie’sfather died the disabilitycommunity came together tohelp him restructure thepaper. It became a 501 (c) 3nonprofit corporation. As aresult, Charlie was able topursue grant opportunities,and the offices were relocatedto the Griggs MidwayBuilding in the Midway areaof St. Paul.

Access Press grew in itsimportance to the communityas a vehicle to educateconsumers about issues suchas health care, employment,housing, transit, education,and disability culture. Itbecame a way for people withdisabilities to communicatewith each other. Decision-makers learned to read AccessPress to get the pulse of thecommunity. Funders beganto recognize and acknowledgeits place in the disabilitycommunity, and Charlie’sefforts at fund-raising beganto pay off. By the time hebecame ill, he had built thepaper to be self-sustainingthrough grants and advertisingsales.

Through it all, Charlie grewin his understanding of theissues facing people withdisabilities. He developed astyle of advocacy that wasfierce in its passion andcommitment to the civilrights of people withdisabilities. His gentle, quietpower put him at the core ofthe heart and soul of thedisability community. Ifdecision-makers wanted toknow what the communitywas thinking, Charlie wasone of the first to be

consulted.

Often the phone would ring atthe Access Press office and itwould be a communitymember wanting to talk toCharlie about an issue. Heknew when to listen when itwas called for and when togive help when it was needed.He considered it part of hisjob – as editor and asadvocate – to step inpersonally when he thoughthe could make a difference.

As a colleague, Charliepracticed advocacy the old-fashioned way. When anadvocate would speak outand say something difficultthat needed to be said,Charlie would pipe up andsay, “That’s the thing…” Hewould continue to affirm thepoint that was being made. Itwas a level of unwaveringand unconditional supportthat is rarely seen in thecommunity today.

When tension would buildand passions arose in one ofthe seemingly endlessmeetings he attended as anadvocate, Charlie would easethe tension with somesarcastic remark. His humoralways made the hard workof social change move alonga little smoother.

As a journalist, he knewwhen to push hard and ask thedifficult questions. While theperson being asked thequestion may have beenuncomfortable, his journal-istic intuition was usuallyright on target. In his posi-tion as editor of AccessPress, he presented the issuesfairly, but was able tomaintain his integrity in theway he expressed his valuesand opinions.

Charlie cast a commandingshadow in the community.It’s likely that he, himself,

are being heard throughoutthe community, including inthis month’s Disability Cul-ture column on page 5 –focused on the relative meritsof integration versus separa-tion. Would it be better tocreate a “super agency”which would bring all theprograms and services forpeople with disabilities to-gether under one roof? Orwould it be better to spreadthe various programs amongexisting agencies, includingsome new agencies that areunder discussion by theGovernor’s office and theLegislature?

On the one hand, advocatesof a “super agency” point outthat programs serving per-sons with disabilities areoften overlooked when theyare contained within a largeagency with other programs.They see great advantage inthe higher profile, influence,and focus they believe wouldbe gained from creating a

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May 10, 2001 2

CharlieSmithEditor

ACCESS PRESSCo-Founder/Publisher (1990-1996) .................................................................... Wm. A. Smith, Jr.Co-Founder/Publisher/Editor-in-Chief (1990-2001) ......................................... Charles F. SmithEditor ............................................................................................................................. Jeff NygaardEditor – Designate ...................................................................................................... Tim BenjaminCartoonist ....................................................................................................................... Scott AdamsProduction ............................................................................ Presentation Images, Ellen HoughtonEditorial Assistant ............................................................................................... Nathan Halvorson

ACCESS PRESS is a monthly tabloid newspaper published for persons with disabilities by AccessPress, Ltd. Circulation is 11,000, distributed the 10th of each month through more than 200 locationsstatewide. Approximately 650 copies are mailed directly to political, business, institutional and civicleaders. Subscriptions are available for $15/yr.

Editorial submissions and news releases on topics of interest to persons with disabilities, or personsserving those with disabilities, are welcomed.

Paid advertising is available at rates ranging from $14 to $18/column inch, depending on size andfrequency. Classified ads are $8.00, plus 35 cents/word over 20 words.

Advertising and editorial deadlines are the 30th of the month preceding publication; special schedulingavailable for camera-ready art.

ACCESS PRESS is available on tape. Call MN State Services for the Blind, 651-642-0500 or 800-652-9000.

Inquiries should be directed to: ACCESS PRESS • 1821 University Ave. W. • Suite 185N • St. Paul,Minnesota 55104 • (651) 644-2133 • Fax (651) 644-2136 • E-mail: access@mninter.net.

Welcome Tim Benjamin, Next Access Press Editorby Jeff Nygaard

Just one week before hedied, Access Press

founder, editor, and publisherCharlie Smith asked TimBenjamin to take over aseditor of Access Press in caseCharlie was unable to returnto the job. Charlie and theAccess Press Board of Direc-tors had previously agreedthat Tim would be the first

choice to take on the job.Charlie had known Tim formany years, and had recentlyhired Tim to work at the paperon a part-time basis. So, whois Tim Benjamin? I talkedwith Tim and asked him to tellour readers a little bit abouthimself.

Tim was injured the summer

of 1974 in a diving accident.At the time, Charlie’s father,Bill Smith, was the vicepresident of the bank whereTim’s family did their bank-ing. Tim’s father becameclose to Bill, and Tim can stillremember his dad telling himabout this guy at the bankwhose son had injured him-self in an accident similar toTim’s and “was doing great.”Bill became a mentor to Tim’sfather, teaching him “how tobe the father of a Quad.” In1975 Tim met Charlie inrehab over at the University ofMinnesota. To Tim, Charliewas “the veteran,” and itseemed to Tim that Charlieknew everything there was toknow about “how this disabil-ity thing worked.” So, Timbegan watching the veteran.

After a brief period ofactivism in the disabilitycommunity during the early’70s, Tim took a 15-yearbreak from activism. Hebegan to learn about comput-ers at St. Paul TechnicalCollege in 1986, with addi-tional training later on at theCourage Center. In 1996 Timbegan his studies at MetroState University in the techni-cal writing program, earninghonors for writing poetry.

(“Not exactly technical writ-ing,” Tim notes.) After real-izing his real interest was inSocial Science and Govern-ment, Tim moved into theSocial Science program, andnow has only a couple ofsemesters to go to get his B.S.in Social Science, with aminor in Philosophy.

In the mid-1990s Tim decidedto get active again, which ledhim to make a fateful call to“the veteran,” who was nowthe editor of Access Press –Charlie Smith.

Tim says that Charlie was oneof the few who had encour-aged him to stay in school. Inlate 1999, Charlie suggestedthat Tim start coming withhim to meetings of the

Consortium of Citizens withDisabilities (CCD). In Janu-ary of this year, Charlie hiredTim as advertising salesmanager for Access Press. AsCharlie’s illness got worse,we got to talking about whathad to happen in case Charliedid not recover sufficiently tocome back to the job. That’swhen Charlie suggested thatTim might be the first editor inthe post-Smith era. The boardapproved, and the officialhiring took place on April17th.

Over the next few months,Tim will be teaming up withme to learn the “tools of thetrade,” and get to know someof the many advocates andsupporters of Access Presswith which Charlie had such

1953 – 2001

Scholarship Opportunity ForWomen With Disabilities

The Ethel Louise Arm-strong Foundation (ELA)

Foundation is announcing theirannual scholarship for womenwith disabilities who are pur-suing a graduate degree at anycollege or university in theUnited States. The applicationprocedure and form can befound on the ELA website atwww.ela.org under Grants/Scholarships. All applicationsmust be received by June 15,2001.

The ELA Foundation will beawarding two scholarships

worth $2000 in August, 2001.The scholarship money is con-tingent upon the winner’s ac-ceptance to or continuation inan accredited college or uni-versity graduate school pro-gram and will be made pay-able to the educational institu-tion for tuition. Additional in-formation on the ELA Foun-dation can be found on thewebsite at www.ela.org.

The Ethel Louise ArmstrongFoundation was founded byMargaret Staton in 1994 to“Change the Face of Disabil-

ity on the Planet.” Named af-ter her maternal grandmother,the ELA Foundation supportsthe work of organizations inadvocacy, education. leader-ship development, mentoring,and the arts for people withdisabilities. The ELA Foun-dation seeks especially to sup-port the work of organizationsthat are led by or support thework of women and girls withdisabilities, encouraging dis-tinctive projects that make asubstantial difference.

strong relationships over theyears. Tim is well aware ofthe strength and value of thefoundation that Charlie hasput in place for the paper, andstates that his goal is to get toknow the “WWCD” of thejob: “What Would CharlieDo?”

We invite all of the readers ofAccess Press to drop by theoffice and introduce yourselfto Tim, and offer him yourthoughts about the paper. Inthe coming months he will becounting on all of the friendsand supporters of AccessPress to offer ideas andencouragement as he works tocarry on the legacy of Charlie,Bill, and Renee Smith.

Welcome, Tim!

We’ll miss Charlie andhis strong voice in

the community.

612-529-5019

651-296-6785 or 1-800-945-8913

Voice or TTYEmail: council.disability@state.mn.us

Website: www.disability.state.mn.us

Quality • Dignity • Independence

In Memoriam

The passing of Charlie Smith,editor and publisher of AccessPress, concludes an era unpar-

alleled in disability issue journalism. His devo-tion to and partnership with his father and theircommitment to the disability community willcontinue as their legacy to benefit us all. Ourhearts go out to Charlie’s family and friends.

Charlie, you truly were a man among men.Rest in peace.

The Minnesota State Council on Disability.”

While I have written the pasttwo Editor’s Columns atCharlie’s request, I hadalways hoped that I was just“filling in” for the REALeditor until he licked thiscancer and got back in thesaddle. Now I am the “real”editor, and will do my best tocarry on the tradition thatCharlie has established.

It seems strange to me to seeCharlie’s picture still here inthis space, but I had to leave itthere, for two reasons. Thefirst is that, in a real sense,Charlie still is the editor forthis issue. Even as his illnessprogressed, he was heavilyinvolved in discussions withme about the content andshape of the May 2001 issue

of Access Press. As it hasbeen since Charlie asked meto step in back in January,Charlie’s voice is still themain voice you will hear asyou read Access Press.

The other reason Charlie’spicture is still here is that Icouldn’t bring myself to takeit out yet. While it is true thatall of us soon need to acceptthe reality that the founder,publisher, editor, and theheart and soul of Access Pressis gone, we don’t need to do itquite yet. Next month, hispicture will be gone, but hisspirit, his energy, and hisvision will live on.

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Since Charlie’s death, many

people have asked me aboutthe future of the paper. Thefuture looks bright! Thepaper is in a strong financialposition – probably the stron-gest it’s ever been – and thetraining of the next editor,Tim Benjamin, is already inprogress, as you see in thearticle elsewhere on this page.I believe I have a firm grasp ofwhat Charlie had in mind forthe coming months and, as Itold Charlie, I will be aroundfor as long as it takes for Timto feel comfortable in thedriver’s seat.

As you can imagine, this pasttwo weeks – really, the pastfive months – have been verydifficult and stressful in theAccess Press office. Iapologize for any confusion

or mistakes I may have madeas I have tried to steer the shipthrough Charlie’s absenceand, now, his passing. Manythanks to our advertisers andsupporters for sticking with usthrough these trying times.Those wishing to make dona-tions in memory of Charliecan make them either toAccess Press, or to the “SmithFamily Cancer Fund.”

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There is a big differencebetween compassion and pity,as disability activists havebeen saying for many years.In her excellent column thismonth on page 5, NicoleRoberts explains preciselywhy we need more of theformer and less of the latter.

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Another of our columnists,Pete Feigal, is suffering fromcomplications of a recentbout with pneumonia thathas traveled to his heart.Even though he turned in hisusual high-quality column(Right on schedule!) he isnonetheless quite ill. Bestwishes, Pete, and take care ofyourself. The communityneeds your strong voice!

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The legislative session shouldbe nearing its end as you readthis. See page 6 for some ideasabout what you can do to in-fluence the fate of some im-portant bills down the stretch.

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3May 10, 2001

IN BRIEF . . . .Opportunity Partners Opens

Mental Health Month Observed

MNCare Forms In Multiple Languages

Headwaters Conference In June

Opportunity Partners, a localnonprofit agency servingadults with disabilities, hasexpanded its services in AnokaCounty. The new program,“Anoka Partners,” will offercommunity-based employ-ment and personal develop-ment services to people withdisabilities throughout thecounty.

Tasks Unlimited is sponsor-ing a “May is Mental HealthMonth” Educational series.These presentations are freeand open to the public. Alltalks will be held at CalvaryLutheran Church, 3901 Chi-

The Headwaters Fund Alliesfor Justice Institute trainingconference for leaders, orga-nizers, staff, and volunteers oforganizations working for so-

Located at 10301 UniversityAvenue North in Blaine, theoffice is licensed to serve up to25 people. Opportunity Part-ners also operates a residentialservices office across the hallfrom the Anoka Partners of-fice.

Clients interested in obtainingthe services will go through a

personal planning and assess-ment process and then selectfrom a menu of services. Op-portunity Partners staff are alsoavailable to discuss with areabusiness people how hiringindividuals with disabilitiesmay benefit them. For moreinformation on the new pro-gram or hiring people with dis-abilities, call (763) 792-4435.

cago Avenue, Minneapolis.The church is located on thecorner of 39th and ChicagoAvenue. Time: 7 to 8:30 pm.Park in the rear parking lot andenter through the back door.The presentation on May 14

MinnesotaCare programforms are now available onlinein translations for several lan-guages at: www.dhs.state.mn.us/Forms/default.htm. At thesite, a person will find theHealth Care Programs Appli-cation, Renewal Form, and the

will be “Recovery is Possible,”with Maynard Goff, Ph.D.,MJ Wagner, and Bruce Ario.On May 21 will be “How aShrink Thinks,” with psychia-trist: Ellen Grosh, MD.

Household Report forms inmany translations. Printed cop-ies of these forms are avail-able at DHS Forms Supply at(651) 296-9116.

A person also has the choice ofmultiple languages when call-

ing Minnesota Care’s auto-mated phone system at (612)297-3862 or (800)657-3672.The system provides the callerwith a chance to speak to anoperator who can assist withMinnesotaCare questions inmany languages.

cial justice will occur June 11-13 at Augsburg College inMinneapolis. The program,“The Political Moment and thePower of Organizing” will dis-

cuss organizing issues andstrategies, management topicsand team building. More in-formation is available at (612)879-0602.

ArcHennepin-Carver Site

Arc Hennepin-Carver is intro-ducing new information re-sources for people with men-tal retardation and related de-velopmental disabilities, theirfamily members, profession-als and others with the launchof its new web site at www.archennepincarver.org.

The new information resourcesare featured in the site’s Mem-bers Only section, which in-cludes a bulletin board en-abling Arc members to con-nect with each other to discussissues of common interest andto share information and ex-periences, an extensive re-

source library, and an on-lineversion of the quarterly ArcTimes newsletter.

The site also contains detailedinformation about ArcHennepin-Carver’s programsand services, membership,volunteer opportunities, Arc’sValue Village Thrift Stores,links to other pertinent websites, and more.

Developmental Disability“Mall” on the Web

QualityMall.org is a newwebsite with information onoutstanding disability-relatedservices and programs, publi-cations, videotapes, trainingcurricula and more. The site

showcases promising practicesand innovations that promoteperson-centered approachesand quality of life for personswith developmental disabili-ties. This non-commercialWeb site points users to infor-mation housed in virtual“stores” within the “mall.”Stores represent topic areasincluding: Person-DirectedServices; Family Place; Com-munity Center; and many oth-ers.

Developed by the Researchand Training Center on Com-munity Living at the Univer-sity of Minnesota, the NationalAssociation of State Directorsof Developmental DisabilitiesServices, and Human Services

The Women’s Cancer Re-source Center (WCRC)

has recently received a grantfrom the Susan G. KomenFoundation (Race for the Cure)to gather information and dataabout the scope of servicesand the special needs of womenwith disabilities in relation tobreast health education andbreast cancer screening, andto identify strategies to meetthese needs.

Today, the WCRC serves over18,000 women and their fami-lies through numerous pro-grams. The WCRC is a one-stop shop that will provide in-dividualized information andsupport through a toll-freephone line, eight different sup-port groups, one-to-one sup-port, a quarterly newsletter, aresource library, and the Car-ing Hands Touch Program thatprovides free hands-on heal-ing for women with cancer.

The WCRC is committed toserving ALL women. It isthrough this strong commit-ment that the Breast HealthAccess for Women with Dis-abilities Project was devel-oped. Ceci Shapland, the ex-ecutive director of WCRC,spoke to women with disabili-ties and began to ask commu-nity health and disability ad-vocacy organizations abouthow women with disabilitieswere being screened for breastcancer. The answers she re-ceived indicated that there areprobable disparities related tobreast cancer screening be-tween women without disabili-ties and women with disabili-ties.

In an attempt to try to learn

how women with disabilitiesare being screened for breastcancer, WCRC developed thisproject to begin to answer thesequestions and to better servewomen with disabilities. Somequestions that are being askedare:·Has anyone ever spoken toyou about breast health andbreast cancer screening?

·Has anyone ever taught youabout breast self exam?

·Has your primary doctor evergiven you a breast exam?

·Does your doctor talk withyou about breast care?

·Have you ever had a mam-mogram? (Every womanover 40 should receive amammogram, unless a lumpis found on examination andthen a woman should get amammogram sooner.)

·How does a woman with se-vere physical disabilities doa breast self-exam?

·How accessible are healthcare facilities?

WCRC is collaborating withseveral community and stateorganizations for the BreastHealth Access for Women withDisabilities Project, includingthe Metropolitan Center forIndependent Living, ARC ofAnoka, Ramsey and Suburban,Inc., Stratis Health and theMinnesota Department ofHealth, Breast and CervicalCancer Screening Program.Each partner will gather infor-mation and data from theirconstituency about their expe-riences in receiving breasthealth education and breastcancer screening. Women withdisabilities, health profession-als and service providers willreceive a questionnaire abouttheir experiences and personalinterviews will be done. Thegoal is to obtain some insightinto the education and infor-mation needs of women withdisabilities, as well as the

people who serve them.

How to ParticipateThe WCRC is very interestedin talking with more womenwith disabilities about theirexperiences with breast healtheducation and breast cancerscreening. If you would like tobe interviewed or fill out aquestionnaire, please contactthe project coordinator, Lau-rel Collins, at the WCRC at612-822-4846 or e-mail atwcrc@mr.net. We also hopethat any woman with disabili-ties who has been diagnosedwith cancer will call us so wecan provide services to youand your supporters. Also, ifyou know anyone with cancer,please put them in touch withus here at the Center.

The Women’s Cancer Re-source Center was founded in1993 by Barbra Wiener.Barbra had thyroid cancer andher mother and sister both diedof breast cancer. Barbra gath-ered together women who’dhad cancer and identified ser-vices they needed while goingthrough their cancer experi-ence that were not available.Thus the WCRC was born.

Another important part of themission of WCRC is to pro-vide information, educationand activism around issues ofenvironmental links with can-cer. The WCRC has a com-munity education program,Take Charge of Your Health,which provides informationabout safe household cleaningproducts, safe lawn and gar-den care, and how to create ahealthier environment in yourhome and community.

Ceci Shapland is the Execu-tive Director of the Women’sCancer Resource Center. Findout more about WCRC on theweb at www.givingvoice.org

Breast Health Access ForWomen With Disabilitiesby Ceci Shapland

New Web Resources

Research Institute, Quality-Mall.org seeks to make newideas and information moreavailable to more people com-ing together in a single loca-tion. For further info. aboutQualityMall.org, contact JohnSmith at (612)624-0219 or atsmith144@tc.umn.edu.

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May 10, 2001 4

On Mental Illness/Brain Disorders

The Last Place On Earthby Pete Feigal

HOUSING AND PERSONAL CARE SERVICES

Accessible Space, Inc. (ASI) offers subsidized one and two bedroomapartments for individuals with physical disabilities. We have housingin the Twin Cities metropolitan area, St. Cloud, Brainerd, GrandRapids, Hibbing, Austin, Marshall, Willmar, and Duluth.

The apartments are fully wheelchair accessible and each building hasa central laundry room, large community room, secured entry and anon-site caretaker.

ASI also offers shared personal care services 24 hours a day, at mostlocations, for adults with a physical disability and/or traumatic braininjury who qualify for Medical Assistance.

For more information call (651) 645-7271 or (800) 466-7722. Forservices or housing call Cami, for employment as a personal careattendant call Al or Angie.

Accessible Space, Inc.

Two years ago, Dr. JerriNielsen, the physician

responsible for the health ofthe Amundsen-Scott researchstation at the South Pole,perhaps one of the mostremote and dangerous places,the “last place on earth” asthey call it, diagnosed herselfwith cancer during the middleof the brutal Antarctic winter.She started herself on a courseof chemotherapy, and the restof her research team andofficials back home,strategized on how to rescueher quickly. The station istotally cut off during thewinter, with temperaturesreaching -90°, cold enough toturn jet fuel into jello.

The brave crew of a NationalGuard transport planevolunteered to make thealmost suicidal flight, Jerri’sfriends bulldozed a make-shift runway, and – at the costof millions of dollars and atthe risk of dozens of lives –the miracle was pulled off: Dr.Nielsen was rescued, returnedto the States and to effectivemedical care. It was a wonder-ful story, a testament to thecourage and generosity of thehuman spirit.

One of the most lastingmemories I have of myhospitalization in a closedmental ward in Rochester in

’71, was of waiting for rescue.I was only 15, I hadn’t beenviolent, wasn’t usingsubstances, had done nothingwrong, as far as I could tell. Iwas a depressed kid whosegrades had dropped, whosespirit was hopeless, who felttotally alone and worthless.Some terrible mistake hadhappened, some paperworkwas obviously lost, and I hadbeen sent to the wrong place, alocked ward where the nextyoungest patient was 4 yearsolder than I was. I was on “D”status: no visitors, phonecalls, passes, or privileges.And because I objected tobeing there, I remained on thisstatus for months. My chartread, “Will not conform to thetherapeutic community.”

This “community” was astone-cold 24-bed unit, withscreens on the windows, ametal door, and securityguards at every corner.Recreation consisted of a 15-inch TV set that was old when“Lucy” was new, a stereolounge with a broken stereo, a“library” the size of a broomcloset with paperback novelsand old Reader’s Digests, andan isolation room, completewith the proverbial padding.It was as cold and remote asAntarctica, but I knew that Iwouldn’t be there long. Themistake would be discovered,

the truth would come out, mypleas, first frantic, then quietand thoughtful, then franticagain, would finally be listenedto, and my parents, my family,some kindly doctor, “60Minutes,” would have mereleased. If I put my face rightup against the screen on thewindow in the lounge, right inthe corner and scrinch myneck as far as I could, I couldsee an inch of blue skybetween the buildings. Helpwould come. Rescue wouldarrive.

But as the months went by, Islowly realized the truth.There was no help. No rescue.The guards, the doctors, myfamily, the rest of the world,were all touched by grace. ButI was one of the damned. Istopped looking at that inch ofblue sky. I learned a wholenew set of survival skills,skills learned in poverty, inbitterness, in discrimination,skills learned from the outcastswho believe they are banishedfrom God’s sight. I learnedhow to hide what I felt, untileven I didn’t know what wasinside, to shield what wasprecious, so it couldn’t beused as a weapon against me. Ilearned to preemptivelydestroy whatever was soft orloving within myself, so that itcouldn’t be destroyed byothers. I learned to play thegames of deception with thedoctors or anyone in authority,a skill that I utilized for yearsafterward with police,teachers, social workers. Andlike every man with his foot ina trap, I became a liar, tryingto think as they did, say whatthey wanted to hear, be what Ihad to be.

A cat stuck in a tree was ofmore value than I was, andthis sense of worthlessness,and the shame that comes withthis emptiness, was perhapsthe worst residual wound thatI carried – a wound thatpoisoned my life and other

attempts at effective medicaltreatment. And I wandered inthe cold, in the dark, fordecades.

This was thirty years ago andit still breaks my heart, stillcauses me to reflexivelywince in certain conditionsand events. What also breaksmy heart is knowing howmany now, in 2001, are stillliving in cold isolation, trappedin the arctic winter of theirillness, the lack of long termmedical care, the stigma ofsociety, the loneliness ofbeing one of “The Damned.”

Stalin said, “A single death isa tragedy, a million deaths area statistic.” Why is a singledoctor at the South Pole morevaluable than a man withschizophrenia living in a dirtyresidency in St. Paul? Therescue of that doctor was theright thing to do, but whatabout the millions with mentalillness living lives just as life-threatening, just as cold, injail cells, half-way houses,crummy low-rent apartmentsin the worst parts of town?What about the people self-medicating themselves intooblivion with alcohol? Or theseemingly “normal” people,struggling with OCD ordepression, burning theirenergies and stomach liningsto hide their medical conditionfrom the world?

Each of us, in our own smallways, must tell the truth everyday about this illness. Wemust each, in our own enor-mous ways, find somebodywho’s suffering and call them,write them, e-mail them,today. Nobody else will do it.Only us. And if we go to theirrescue, and tell the stories,others will follow. All of usmust keep a candle in thewindow so that maybe somenight, the lost ones, the ones inthe cold, in the dark, will seethe light, and they’ll find theirway home.

In an effort to identify theneeds of people with dis-

abilities in the MinneapolisJewish community, the Min-neapolis Jewish Federationwill hold a series of focusgroups in May. By conductingthis research, the Federationhopes to determine what needs

Religion and Disability

Springby Jean M. Gregg, LICSW Catholic Charities Counseling Division

Lent, Holy Week andEaster are often a time of

reflection for people of par-ticular religious beliefs and,coming as they do in theseason of Spring, even thoseof us with less attachment to aspecific church may find ourthoughts turning to themes ofnew beginnings. Our new-found energy (commonlyknown as Spring Fever)makes itself felt as we take uptasks and experiences forwhich motivation has beenseverely lacking. Sometimesthese tasks can include somepersonal reflection (innerhouse-cleaning) as we struggletowards individual re-birth. Iknow that I am always grate-ful for this season, as I do noteasily take up the question ofwhich parts of my life coulduse some restoration.

The scripture story which seesus through the Easter seasontells us clearly that the burst ofnew life, the glorious, affir-mative “I AM alive!” onlycomes upon the heels ofhorrid, frightening pain anddeath (of some sort) and aterrifying period of lonelinessand despair. While I amcomforted and hopeful aboutthe resurrection piece, I amscared silly by the path to it.And yet, in my own life and inthe stories I have beenprivileged to hear from thepeople I work with in counsel-ing, I consistently see thatthere is a correlation betweenthe two. That doesn’t mean Ilike it. In fact, I really don’t. Ikeep thinking about the ’70smusical called Purlie! Do youremember it? It was the storyof a black minister whopreached that people shouldnot have to wait for heaven to

feel good - he believed thatyou got to feel good right hereon earth. I don’t rememberhim saying much about all thesuffering you had to gothrough first. Now that I like.So, how do I reconcile thesetwo views?

Well, I say to myself, let’sthink about this. We all knowthat things change, that we areconfronted with many painfulsituations, and that thosetimes are hard…very hard.But still, if I can keep my“eyes on the prize”’ – remem-ber that all birth is precededby labor – at least I can try tomaintain an attitude that canconceivably lessen the dis-tress the pain might cause. Iwant to believe, like thepreacher, that I can behappy . . . but I’m getting tothe point where this happinessmay be in spite of the painrather than instead of it. Isn’tthat part of the Buddhistview? That is, that whiledifficulties are inevitable, theamount of suffering is op-tional. It has taken me a whileto really understand this, and Idon’t always get to it rightaway in the midst of trouble.Still, I find that I keep comingback to it, and that helps. Inthe meantime, I put on mysoundtrack of Purlie!

Focus Groups To Formare currently being met forthose with disabilities andwhere changes must be madeto ensure that everyone canfully participate in all aspectsof Jewish life.

Anyone interested in partici-pating in this important project

may choose from the focusgroups listed below. To attenda session, please call the Inclu-sion Project Hotline at 952-417-2370.

General Community:Monday, May 147:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.Edina Community CenterThursday, May 176:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.JCC MinneapolisTuesday, May 22 6:00 p.m. -8:00 p.m. JCC Minneapolis

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5May 10, 2001

Hello Nicole:

Question? Complaint?Comment? Write to

Nicole: % Access Press,1821 University Ave. W,

#185 N;St. Paul, MN 55104;

HelloNicoleAccess@yahoo.com

Dear Nicole,

I always end up having peopletell me “God bless you”! Whatam I supposed to say to that?Oh, I know they’re trying to benice. But I don’t like completestrangers saying it as I pass byon the street. They don’t knowme. Why should I need anymore blessings than anybodyelse? God has blessed megreatly. I guess it’s not thecomments themselves thatbother me as much as beingsingled out. Of all the peoplepassing by, they feel they needto say something to me. I don’tlike being seen as “the personin the wheelchair.” I just wantto be Me. I’m only 16 yearsold and my mom would killme if I didn’t act all fake andsmiley like she does to therudest, stupidest people.

Sincerely,Get Real

Dear Real,

The reason these encountersare frustrating is because youhave been singled out with theimplication that something is“wrong” with you. Thesepeople do not see You butyour disability, which for themis so dreadful that it obscuresyour very personhood. I thinkyour feelings of anger are notonly justified but healthy!Although people who bestowthese “blessings” mean well,the reason it bothers you (andme too!) is because underneaththe smiles and nice words youfeel the truly negative influ-ence of their pity.

Pity is a tricky emotion, oftenmistaken for it’s opposite:compassion. Compassion is aselfless desire to help, moti-vated by a feeling of love, com-radeship, equality and connec-tion with others. People whoare compassionate think interms of: “how would I want to

be treated? “ For this reason,people who are compassion-ate toward the disabled life areoften ardent supporters of ourcivil and human rights.

Conversely, pity is a selfishemotion motivated by fear andthe desire to protect oneselffrom the hardships of others.People feeling pity often un-consciously see themselves asbetter than those they are pity-ing; this sense of superioritycreates a feeling of invulner-ability to the suffering theyimagine others endure. Any“kindness” bestowed out ofpity only adds more conde-scension by increasing the do-gooder’s superiority for beingso kind to a lesser human be-ing. There is a real multidi-mensional element of insultwhen someone pities us. Yet,it is such a confusing emotionbecause so much of the nega-tivity is hidden or unconsciousthat a pitied person can be leftwondering why they feel an-gry rather than grateful towardthe “well-meaning” person.

I think pity may be one of themost deeply oppressive influ-ences on people with disabili-ties. Throughout history, pityhas been such a prevalent re-sponse to disability that manypeople still do not support ortake seriously our equal andcivil rights. Likewise, pity isso underhanded that some ofus who have been pitied ourwhole lives begin to believethe underlying message thatthere is something wrong withus. We may not feel secureadvocating for ourselves be-cause deep within we feel un-comfortable with the idea thatwe are deserving or capable oftruly equal opportunities in life.I think this accounts for muchof the reason that people withdisabilities are the largest mi-nority group in America, andyet the most unheard andunderrepresented.

So what should we say topeople who show us their pity?The natural and even healthyresponse is to reply with an-ger. I certainly would not op-pose anyone who respondedto pity with an angry or insult-ing comment. I find it muchmore disturbing when pity isresponded to with the socially-expected gratitude. If we goalong with pity without some-how pointing out that it is ri-diculous and false, we are en-couraging our own oppression.It’s really important that welearn to hold our ground andassert our equality. If you needto do this by saying, “Take aflying leap, you *%&!” so beit! But since you are under thewatchfulness of your motherfor a few more years, you mightwant to try another approach:compassion.

Even though pity is annoying ,most likely the strangers whoapproach you honestly feel sadthat you are disabled, and theirblessings are the only way theyknow how to show their con-cern. We can start to cultivateour own compassion by ask-ing, “If I were making the mis-take of accosting people withpity on the street, how would Iwant someone to try and pointthis out to me?” Every situa-tion may call for a differentresponse. It’s not so impor-tant what you say but that yourattitude conveys that you don’taccept pity. With self-assuredpower you can bypass theirpity, look them in the eye, andas one human being to another,simply wish them well as theycontinue on their way.

Nicole

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Then, when I went to get myfirst Seeing Eye Dog, Idiscovered there were otherswho had the same experienceof being separated from thepeople who could best under-stand my life’s experience.

Context

The mainstream movementbegan in the 50’s and most ofthe baby boomers that areblind had experiences similarto mine. As we developed theconcept of Candle, we foundthere were many blind folkslooking to build relationshipswith other blind and visuallyimpaired people. Over thethirteen years I was involvedwith Candle, I heard repeat-edly how people who wereblind and had been main-streamed hadn’t really devel-oped relationships with otherblind people until they gotinto their thirties and forties.There were two exceptions tothis: people who went toresidential schools for theblind, and people who choseto join one of the organiza-tions for the blind, such asThe National Federation ofthe Blind or The AmericanCouncil of the blind. By far,many more people chose notto affiliate with either organi-zation, and mainstreamingwas the growing trend in theeducation of people who wereblind. This meant peoplewent without developing thosesignificant relationships.

Common Ground

Candle In The Window pro-vided a place for people tocome together and talk abouteverything from technologyto spirituality. It was a placewhere participants knew thattheir needs would be met.They would have materials inalternate format; they wouldbe oriented to the conferencesite and to the lodge theywould call home for five daysso that they could be indepen-dently mobile; they would beprovided with tactile maps of

the grounds; even the trashcans were marked with brailleto distinguish between trashand recycling. Everythingwould be handled down to thesmallest detail, and all of thiswould be done without theirhaving to ask. It was likehaving their own desert islandget-away. This was done toreduce the external stresses aperson with a disability faceson a daily basis.

With all of these details takencare of by the Candle Board,who were all blind them-selves, participants could fo-cus on the reason for beingthere: to learn and grow. Thiskind of community buildingproved quite valuable formost Candle participants.

Statistics

Approximately 2.5 million ofthe population in the U.S. isconsidered to be blind orvisually impaired. In Minne-sota, approximately 120,000people are considered to havea visual impairment, and thatnumber is expected to growby 25 to 30 percent by the year2030, according to the 2030study conducted by TheCitizens League. In addition,many of those acquiringblindness as a disability,along with those who arealready blind, may experiencesecondary or tertiary disabili-ties as a result of the agingprocess. During the year2000, Minnesota State Ser-vices for the Blind served4,927 individuals with visualimpairments and 2,147 ofthose people were age 55 orover.

Editor’s Note: Next month, inPart 2, Lolly gives somehistory on the friction be-tween people in the blindcommunity and those in thelarger community of peoplewith disabilities, and suggestssome ways to reduce thatfriction and work togethersuccessfully.

The current dialoguearound the potential

merging of services for peoplewith disabilities, and particu-larly State Services for theBlind, has caused me to thinkabout several questions. Isthere a “one size fits all,”solution to this discussion?How will consumers with alltypes of disabilities be bestserved? Why has there beenan historic separation ofservices for people who areblind or visually impaired?Are the original reasons forthe separation of services stillvalid? What concerns andfears exist within the blindcommunity that motivatespeople who are blind orvisually impaired to remainseparate?

Personal background

As someone who is blind, Ihave a unique perspectivegained from years of experi-ence. I have been a consumerof Minnesota State Servicesfor the Blind since I was achild, I co-founded and ran anorganization of and for peoplewho are blind and visuallyimpaired for 13 years, and Ihave done cross-disabilitywork for over 10 years, andhave worked in a Center forIndependent Living for sixyears. I am one of a smallnumber of people who areblind who have chosen to liveand work in the cross-disability community. Thisdoes not mean that I don’tassociate and have friend-ships with other people whoare blind, to the contrary, Ilong ago recognized the needto spend time only with otherpeople who are blind. It is thereason I co-founded CandleIn The Window with twoother blind women in 1986.Candle, as it came to becalled, was an organizationsolely for people who areblind and visually impaired.The organization providedpersonal growth and culturalprogramming for blind andvisually impaired men andwomen from all over theUnited States.

Throughout my schooling Iwas mainstreamed and hadminimal contact with otherblind and visually impairedpeople. In fact my “sightsaving” teachers discouragedme from associating withother blind folks and encour-aged association with sightedpeople in an effort to ensurethat I could integrate intosighted society when I gradu-ated from high school. Itworked, and until my thirties Ihad little contact with otherblind people.

Disability Culture

Disability Services:Does One Size Fit All?by Lolly Lijewski

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May 10, 2001 6

Paid for by the Sayles Belton for Mayor Volunteer Committee. Vernon Wetternach, Treasurer, POBox7617, Mpls, MN 55407

Legislature In Home Stretch: Call Your Representativesby Jeff Nygaard

Minnesota Consortium For CitizensWith Disabilities (MN CCD)from Bill Blom; UCP MN; 1821 University Ave. W., #219 S; St. Paul, MN 55104; (651) 646-7588

As this issue of AccessPress goes to the printer,

the Minnesota State Legisla-ture is nearing final decisionson many bills that will affectthe lives of people withdisabilities. Below are a fewvery brief summaries of someof the areas where thelegislature is expected to takesome significant action.

After reading these briefsummaries (which, unfortu-nately, cannot be more de-tailed because things arechanging so fast as weapproach the end of thesession), you may wish tocontact your elected represen-tative to let she or he knowwhat you think on theseissues. Don’t worry that youare not an “expert” on thesethings. The important thing isthat legislators hear frompeople with disabilities andtheir allies as they prepare forfinal votes on programs andfunding that we will have tolive with for a long time. Wecan’t afford to be invisibledown the home stretch!

Elsewhere on this page is alisting of the members of theConsortium for Citizens withDisabilities. Many readersmay be members of oraffiliated with some of theseorganizations. If so, you maywish to contact the organiza-tion of the list with which you

are associated before youmake your calls, or send yourletters and e-mails. They cantell you about the latestdevelopments in the 2001leg-islative session.

Don’t delay! The session isscheduled to end May 21st!

Some of the Issuesand Prospects

1. Special Ed: The House &Senate K-12 proposals con-tain no new formula changesor increased funds forspecial education for thisbiennium. We are workingto put more money into theformula to address thebacklash that is occurringagainst special education.Visit the PACER Centerwebsite <pacer.org> or call952-838-9000 for moreinformation.

2. Transportation: The leg-islature seems to be movingin a positive direction, inline with the Governor’sproposal. However, thereis some concern that theparatransit funds are notadequately protected, rais-ing the fear that fundingshortfalls in other parts ofthe transit system couldbring pressure to re-allo-cate some of the money setaside for Metro Mobility.

3. Workforce Crisis: Pro-posals have been put for-ward in both houses to raiseprovider rates, which wouldinclude caregiver wage in-creases, between 3 percentand 3.5 percent. Whilethese increases would bewelcomed, the percentagesare lower than advocateshad hoped for. Theincreases would take effecton July 1st in each of thenext two years. In addition,proposals have been madeto provide dependent healthinsurance for caregivers, toprovide scholarships forhome health aides to pursueeducational opportunities,and to provide loan forgive-ness for nursing studentswho plan to work in long-term care and home care.These fate of these propos-als is far from certain.

4. Medical Assistance forEmployed Persons WithDisabilities: Due to anoutrageous premium sched-ule plan offered by theGovernor’s office, advo-cates had to work hard tocome up with an alternativethat was believed to be themost fair option for allpersons regardless of theirability to work. The pre-mium now proposed willrequire all participants topay a monthly premium ifthey are on the MA-EPDprogram, ranging from$8.00 at the low end to$188.00 at the upper end.This proposal if passed willtake effect September 1,2001. All of you who are onthis program will pay addi-tional premiums than previ-ously. Unfortunately, if wedo nothing, critics of this

program will do much moreharm to those who can leastafford it. Stay tune to thenext issue for an update andfinal outcome of this pro-gram.

5. Medical Assistance In-come standard: Currently,in order to be eligible forMedical Assistance, Min-nesota residents must havean income of only 67 per-cent of poverty or lower.Both the Minnesota Senateand the Minnesota Houseare discussing different ap-proaches to this problem.Both approaches have seri-ous problems, and advo-cates have decided to sup-port the Senate position inconference committee.Contact your legislator andtell them that no one shouldbe required to live on less

than a poverty level-incomein order to get neededhealth care.

7. Housing: Under the lead-ership of freshman legisla-tor Senator Julie Sabo,Visitability design stan-dards were attached to theMinnesota Housing FinanceAgency (MHFA) depart-ment bill, and had reachedthe floor of the Senate byApril 30th. The languagealso contains waivers re-lated to affordability andtopographical conditions.Unfortunately the Visit-ability language did notmake it into the companionbill in the House so theultimate fate of theVisitability language willbe decided in ConferenceCommittee. (See relatedarticle on page 13)

The MN CCD is a broad-based coalition of organizations of persons with disabilities, providers and advocates, dedicatedto improving the lives of persons with disabilities. Current members include:

Access PressAccessible Space, Inc.ACT - Advocating Change TogetherAlliance Health CareArc Anoka, Ramsey, and SuburbanArc Hennepin-CarverArc MinnesotaARRM - Association of Residential Resources in MinnesotaAt Home, Ltd.A+ Home CareAXIS HealthcareBecklund Home Health Care, Inc.Brain Injury Association of MinnesotaCEND (Community Education Network on Disabilities)Courage CenterThe Disability InstituteEpilepsy Foundation of Northeastern Minnesota & NorthernWisconsinKris FlatenFraser Community ServicesGillette Children=s Specialty HealthcareGoodwill Industries B DuluthHome Free, Inc.

Independence CrossroadsCindy JohnsonLifetrack Resources, Inc.The Metro Center for Independent LivingMetro Work Center, Inc.Minnesota Disability Law CenterMinnesota HomeCare AssociationMinnesota School Psychologists AssociationMinnesota State Council on DisabilityMinnesota Tourette Syndrome AssociationMNDACAMultiple Sclerosis Achievement CenterNational Multiple Sclerosis Society B MN ChapterOpportunity PartnersPACER CenterPaulsen and Company, Inc.Productive Alternatives, Inc.REM Minnesota, Inc.Service Enterprises, Inc.Social Security Administration, St. Paul PASS CadreUnited Cerebral Palsy of MNSouthern MN Independent Living Enterprises & Services(SMILES)

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7May 10, 2001

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Accessible PerformancesThe following performanceswill be Audio Described (AD)for people who are blind orhave low vision, or Interpretedin American Sign Language(ASL) for people who are deafor hard of hearing.

“Tiger Tales” AD—Tues-day, May 15, 11:00 am - AD:Mari Griffin; ASL—Sunday,May 20, 2:00 - ASL; Step-ping-Stone Theatre, at Land-mark Center, (651) 225-9265

“Pippi Longstocking” Trans-lated by Thomas W. Olson &Truda Stockenstrom; AD/ASLWed., May 16, 10:00; Fri.,May 25, 7:30 - AD: Mari Grif-fin; ASL: Anthony Verdeja,Jan Radatz; Children’s The-atre Co., (612) 874-0400; Thereturn of Astrid Lindgren’s taleof a feisty, rule-breaking lasswho makes life one breathlessnonstop adventure, with mu-sic by Roberta Carlson.

“Palace of Dreams... 21stCentury Vaudeville” ASLFriday, May 18 - Interpreter:Mary Beth ElchertShawnMcConneloug and Her Or-chestra at the Heights MovieTheatre, (612) 822-1275

“The Near-Sighted Knightand the Far-SightedDragon” by Eleanor & RayHarder; * ASL/AD Saturday,May 19, 2:00 — show runsMay 18-19; Fargo-MoorheadCommunity Theatre, (701)235-6778; This delightfulmusical features the adven-tures of an out-of-work knight,a career-minded princess anda philosopher dragon wholearn to see things from each

other’s point of view.

“Identidad!” * ASL Satur-day, May 19, 7:30 - Interpreter:Stephanie Meyer; YoungDance, at E.M. Pearson The-atre, Concordia University,(612) 827-0650; Identidad!celebrates flavorful dancestyles of salsa, Brazilian dance,puppetry and modern dancecreated by guest artists.

Donny Osmond ASL Sun-day, May 20, 7:00 - ASL:Stephen Medlicott; State The-atre, (612) 373-5650

“Five Women Wearing theSame Dress” by Alan Ball; *ASL/AD Thursday, May 24— show runs May 24-26;Fargo-Moorhead CommunityTheatre, (701) 235-6778; Fivebridesmaids at a wedding re-ception all hate the bride andhave more fun than they oughtto. Mature language and sub-ject matter.

“Biography” AD/ASL Sat,May 26, 8:00 — AD: CynthiaHamre; ASL: Susan Masters& Stephen Medlicott; ParkSquare Theatre, (651) 291-7005

Koch International Child-ren’s Festival ASL Sat., June2, 11:30 - Tir Na N-Og(McKnight Theatre; ASL Sat.,June 2, 11:30 - Ayub Ogada(Butler Room); ASL Sat., June2, 1:00 — Ache Brasil (DrakeRoom); AD Sat., June 2, 1:30- Red Balloon (WeyerhaeuserTheatre, Landmark Center);ASL Sat., June 2, 2:00 —Swan’s Down (McKnight The-atre); ASL Sun., June 3, noon- Ayub Ogada (Butler Room);AD Sun., June 3, noon —Swan’s Down (McKnight The-atre); ASL Sun., June 3, 1:30 -The Stones (Ramsey Room);AD Sun., June 3, 2:00 - Tir NaN-Og (McKnight Theatre);ASL Sun., June 3, 4:00 —

Ache Brasil (Drake Room);ASL Sun., June 3, 4:30 - RedBalloon (Weyerhaeuser The-atre, Landmark Center); ADSun., June 3, 4:30 - Cirque Eos(Main Hall); Ordway Centerfor the Performing Arts, (651)224-4222, TTY (651) 282-3100

“Silver Follies 2001” * ASLSunday, June 3 — show runsMay 30 - June 10; Fargo-Moorhead Community The-atre, (701) 235-6778; Thisannual review by, about andfor seniors promises to be big-ger and better than ever.

“A Midsummer Night’sDream” * ASL Friday, June 1& 8 - Interpreters: Mary Holteand Susan Nelson; * AD Fri-day, June 8 - Describer: SusanHamre; Nine Mile Creek The-ater youth ensemble at theCharlotte Lehman Theater, inthe Bloomington EducationCenter, 8900 Portland,Bloomington. $10 ($8 seniors/students), $5 Access to The-atre tickets.

“Sylvia” by A.R. Gurney;AD Thurs., June 7, 7:30 - AD:Mari Griffin; ASL Thurs., June14, 7:30 - ASL: Mary Holte;Jungle Theater, (612) 822-7063; A husband’s career iswinding down, a wife’s iswinding up, when along comesSylvia, a dog who comes be-tween two people to vie foraffection.

“Gulliver” * AD Friday, June15, 8:00 - AD: Rick Jacobson;Theatre de la Jeune Lune, (612)333-6200

* Selected performances areeligible for Reduced Admis-sion Prices through Access toTheatre. For more info con-tact VSA arts of Minnesota,mn@vsarts.org, (612) 332-3888 or statewide (800)801-3883 (voice/TTY).

EEOC Settles ADAGenetic Bias Suit

WASHINGTON -- The U.S.Equal Employment Opportu-nity Commission (EEOC)announced today that is hassettled its first court actionchallenging the use of work-place genetic testing under theAmericans with DisabilitiesAct (ADA). EEOC had soughta Preliminary Injunctionagainst Burlington NorthernSanta Fe Railway (BNSF) toend genetic testing of employ-ees who filed claims for work-related injuries based oncarpal tunnel syndrome.

“EEOC sought the prelimi-nary injunction to preventirreparable harm to employ-ees who faced the impossiblechoice of potentially losingtheir jobs or revealing theirgenetic makeup,” said Com-mission Chairwoman IdaL.Castro. “Our swift action in

this case allows BurlingtonNorthern employees subjectedto genetic testing to continueto work free of retaliation andfuture invasions of privacy inviolation of the Americanswith Disabilities Act.”

According to EEOC’s Peti-tion, Burlington Northern’sgenetic testing program wascarried out without the knowl-edge or consent of its employ-ees, and at least one workerwas threatened with termina-tion for failing to submit ablood sample for a genetictest.

EEOC Commissioner PaulSteven Miller stated: “Em-ployers must understand thatbasing employment decisionson genetic testing is barredunder the ADA’s “regardedas” prong, as stated in

EEOC’s 1995 policy guid-ance on the definition of theterm “disability.” Moreover,genetic testing, as conductedin this case, also violates theADA as an unlawful medicalexam.”

The Agreed Order enteredtoday is enforceable by theU.S. District Court for theNorthern District of Iowa,Western Division, located inSioux City, Iowa, and willremain in place until theEEOC completes its investi-gation.

Further information aboutEEOC, including its ADApolicy guidances, is availableon the agency’s website atwww.eeoc.gov.

This article is based on info.provided by EEOC.

large agency with a mandateto serve all parts of the diversecommunity of people withdisabilities.

In addition, they point out thata multi-faceted agency wouldprovide “one-stop shopping”for services, which would beof particular benefit to theincreasing numbers of peoplewith multiple disabilities inthe state. Some people withmultiple disabilities are nowforced to seek state servicesfrom several different officesor agencies, which sometimesresults in inconvenience andbureaucratic inefficiencies.

Other advocates support lo-cating programs for peoplewith disabilities in a variety ofstate agencies, arguing thatthe services they provideshould be available throughthe same agencies that servenon-disabled people. Theysay a consolidation of ser-vices would create a “disabil-ity ghetto,” which would besubject to political attack andwhich would force togetherprograms which really don’thave anything to do with eachother.

Some activists point out thatmany in the general popula-tion still have a hard timeunderstanding the value ofprograms that serve peoplewith disabilities. They alsospeak of the fact that the tax-cut fever which is gripping thenation has raised demandsthat funding be cut for someprograms that are (wrongly)perceived as “costly specialinterest” budget items, such asspecial education. A “superagency,” in this view, wouldjust make disability programsa bigger target.

REORGANIZE - Cont. from p. 1

Speaking against the “super-agency” proposal, one long-time activist said, “We old-timers well remember when‘our’ programs got low prior-ity in the budget process. Weshould remain scatteredaround, where we are adiffuse target,” thus making itmore difficult to cut fundingfor needed programs.

In addition to the practicalobjections, some advocatesoppose a consolidation ofservices on principle. “Aren’twe all about integration?”said blind advocate TomLijewski at the April 11th

meeting. “How can we modelthat if we are all bunchedtogether, off to one side?”

Lijewski also questioned thevalue of cross-communityknowledge, stating that “blindpeople know little aboutissues facing deaf people,who know little about wheel-

chairs.” From this perspec-tive, Lijewski pointed out,there would be little advan-tage to a consolidation ofdisability services.

Regardless of which bill orbills eventually pass, theseworkforce reorganization pro-posals will have significanteffects on the provision ofservices for people withdisabilities throughout thestate for some time to come.This leads some advocates toadvise caution. Toward theend of the April 11th meeting,a proposal was made that theCCD recommend to thelegislature that they refrainfrom taking any action fornow, to allow for morediscussion with the grassroots.

To this, Yates responded thatit was likely too late to slowthis down. “The Governorwants this, and nothing willstop him from working on this

over the summer,” she stated.

The message seemed to bethat “the train has left thestation” on this issue due tothe Governor’s insistence onfast action. Advocates forpeople with disabilities arehoping that their voices willbe heard in the process, so thatthey can attempt to influencehow far that train will travel,and in which direction.

First Commission Legal Action ChallengingWorkplace Genetic Testing under ADA

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May 10, 2001 8

RememberingCharlie

AdvocatingChange Together

Advocate, Teacher,

Leader, Friend

Thank You Charlie

WHERE ABILITIES AND DISABILITIES BECOME POSSIBILITIES

Ingrateful memory

of

Charlie Smith

Association of Residential Resources in Minnesota

CharCharCharCharCharlie,lie,lie,lie,lie,FlFlFlFlFly Highy Highy Highy Highy High

and Prand Prand Prand Prand Proud.oud.oud.oud.oud.JaimeJaimeJaimeJaimeJaime

The staff members of the Minnesota Work Incentives Connectionwish to express our condolences to Charlie’s family, the staff ofAccess Press, and the entire disability community. His death is a

tremendous loss for us all.

Charlie was a wonderful supporter of the Minnesota Work Incentives Connec-tion, and a wise and gentle soul. He was a tireless advocate for removing thepolicy barriers that discourage people with disabilities from working. Last Fall,Charlie succeeded in arranging a rare, face-to-face interview with Kenneth Apfel,Commissioner of the Social Security Administration. He politely, but persistentlyfollowed up on several issues of concern that the Commissioner agreed toaddress.

Through Access Press, Charlie raised awareness of all the key issues affectingMinnesotans with disabilities, their family members and friends. Thereis no question that Charlie made a significant difference in theworld.

We’ll miss you, Charlie...

In celebration of the life and work of Acc

CharlieCharlieCharlieCharlieCharlie

ACCESS PRESS will sponfeaturing speeches, songs,

All who wish to do so will have

Phalen Park Pavilion Phalen Park Pavilion Phalen Park Pavilion Phalen Park Pavilion Phalen Park Pavilion • 1530 Pha

Sunday, June 3Sunday, June 3Sunday, June 3Sunday, June 3Sunday, June 3rdrdrdrdrd • 5

THE PUBLICTHE PUBLICTHE PUBLICTHE PUBLICTHE PUBLIC

After the program, there will be an informby Charlie’s friends. A limited assortm

otherwise, feel free to bring yThe party will conclude at 9:00

Sign language interpreters and PCAs will contact Tim Benjamin at 651-644-213

Those wishing to make memorial dAccess Press or to the “Ch

Donations to the “Charlie Smith Ca

Thank you Charlie,for your service

and commitment.

You willb e

missed .

Paid for by the Sayles Belton for Mayor Volunteer Committee. Vernon Wetternach, Treasurer, PO Box7617, Mpls, MN 55407

*

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9May 10, 2001

St. Louis ParkIn Home Personal Care

(952) 929-5757Home Care With A Personal Touch Since 1991

We feelWe feelWe feelWe feelWe feelhonored to havehonored to havehonored to havehonored to havehonored to have

known and workedknown and workedknown and workedknown and workedknown and workedwith Charlie as a client, here atwith Charlie as a client, here atwith Charlie as a client, here atwith Charlie as a client, here atwith Charlie as a client, here at

In Home Personal Care. His completeIn Home Personal Care. His completeIn Home Personal Care. His completeIn Home Personal Care. His completeIn Home Personal Care. His completededication to improving the lives of personsdedication to improving the lives of personsdedication to improving the lives of personsdedication to improving the lives of personsdedication to improving the lives of personswith disabilities will be missed as well as hiswith disabilities will be missed as well as hiswith disabilities will be missed as well as hiswith disabilities will be missed as well as hiswith disabilities will be missed as well as his

great “matter-of-fact” sense of humor.great “matter-of-fact” sense of humor.great “matter-of-fact” sense of humor.great “matter-of-fact” sense of humor.great “matter-of-fact” sense of humor.

Kevin, Amy, Karen, Veronica, Jeanne & JenniferKevin, Amy, Karen, Veronica, Jeanne & JenniferKevin, Amy, Karen, Veronica, Jeanne & JenniferKevin, Amy, Karen, Veronica, Jeanne & JenniferKevin, Amy, Karen, Veronica, Jeanne & Jennifer

We will allmiss you,Charlie.

ACCESS IS FREEDOM!National Handicap Housing Institute, Inc.

Affordable/Accessible HousingFor

Mobility ImpairedPhysically Disabled Adults

Community Enrichment Through Housing Diversity

CALL 651-639-9799

So long, Charlie, and thanksfor making this world better

while you were here.

We bill M.A., Medicare, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Medica and many other insurances

Handi Medical will dearly miss Charlie;he was supportive of us,

helped us fight coverage issues andwas a client with us

for more than a decade.

HANDI MEDICAL SUPPLY

Handi Medical Supply2505 University Avenue West

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Thank you Charlie,Thank you Charlie,Thank you Charlie,Thank you Charlie,Thank you Charlie,forforforforfor youryouryouryouryour leadershipleadershipleadershipleadershipleadershipininininin ourourourourour community,community,community,community,community,

andandandandand forforforforfor youryouryouryouryour demonstrationdemonstrationdemonstrationdemonstrationdemonstration ofofofofofconfidence confidence confidence confidence confidence in AXIS Healthcare.in AXIS Healthcare.in AXIS Healthcare.in AXIS Healthcare.in AXIS Healthcare.

A REVOLUTIONARY APPROACHFOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

651-641-0887

cess Press founder, publisher, and editor

e Smithe Smithe Smithe Smithe Smith

nsor a memorial programand memories of Charlie.a chance to pay their respects.

alen Drive • St. Paul, Minnesota

5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

C IS INVITEDC IS INVITEDC IS INVITEDC IS INVITEDC IS INVITED

mal party at the same location, sponsoredment of refreshments will be provided;your own food and beverage.p.m. Park closes at 10:00 p.m.

be provided. For additional information,33, or Lolly Lijewski at 651-603-2022.

donations can make them either toharlie Smith Cancer Fund.”ancer Fund” are not tax-deductilbe.

*

* *

May 10, 2001 10

The Disability Institute

Will Miss

Charlie SmithHe Made A Difference

Private PayHOME CARE

Homewatch Living Assistance763-546-8899

Thanks for the goodwork,

Charlie.You’ll be missed!

METROPOLITAN CENTERfor INDEPENDENT LIVING

MCIL offers services for people with disabilities, their familiesand friends, service providers, and interested community members

in the seven-county metro area.

In Memory of...CharlieCharlieCharlieCharlieCharlie SmithSmithSmithSmithSmith

for his dedicated service to thedisability community and to the Board of Directors of

MCIL.

Board of DirectorsBoard of DirectorsBoard of DirectorsBoard of DirectorsBoard of Directors StaffStaffStaffStaffStaff

Jaime Becker, Sec. Alice Oden Joe Ascheman Ann RoscoeTimothy Benjamin J.M. Shephard Sue Bronner Dennis StrawEllie J. Emanuel Frances Strong Jeanne Crowe Carol StreasickJoAnn Cardenas Enos, Tr. David Swanson Marisol Chiclana-Ayala Tanya SwedoStephanie Hall Christopher J. Syltie Betty Culver Jim WilliamsRoberta L. Juarez, V-chair Rachel Wilcox Paula Grodecki Karina WohlfeilDan Klint, Chair Elizabeth Young David Hancox Jean RieckLiz Latts Jerry Millette Eva Hansen Linda LeachWilliam S. Lipkin Cathy Meyer Dave Larson Lolly LijewskiMary Mack

1600 U1600 U1600 U1600 U1600 UNIVERSITYNIVERSITYNIVERSITYNIVERSITYNIVERSITY A A A A AVENUEVENUEVENUEVENUEVENUE W W W W WESTESTESTESTEST, #16, S, #16, S, #16, S, #16, S, #16, STTTTT. P. P. P. P. PAULAULAULAULAUL, MN 55104-3834, MN 55104-3834, MN 55104-3834, MN 55104-3834, MN 55104-3834651-646-8342 V651-646-8342 V651-646-8342 V651-646-8342 V651-646-8342 VOICEOICEOICEOICEOICE · 651-603-2001 TTY · 651-603-2006 FAX · 651-603-2001 TTY · 651-603-2006 FAX · 651-603-2001 TTY · 651-603-2006 FAX · 651-603-2001 TTY · 651-603-2006 FAX · 651-603-2001 TTY · 651-603-2006 FAX

HTTP:HTTP:HTTP:HTTP:HTTP://////////WWW.MCIL-MN.ORG

Charlie Smith,

a true pioneerin improvingthe lives ofpeople withdisabilities.

Hennepin County Human Resourceswww.co.hennepin.mn.us/jobs/jobs.htm

Charlie’s leadership in this communityis beyond measure. I am forever grateful

for his tireless contributions.

Our deepest sympathy to his familyand all his friends.

Dan Prose and staff,Better Care Medical, Inc.

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*

* *

11May 10, 2001

Charlie Smith dedicatedhis life to fighting for

equality, dignity and justicefor people with disabilities.He shared his time and heartfreely and his efforts haveimpacted countless lives. Inthis article we have piecedtogether a portrait, or collageof snapshots, in an attempt toconvey what Charlie meant toour lives, in his work and inhis friendships.

Nicole Roberts, AccessPress Columnist & Friend:I’ll never forget in June 1990when I spotted the first issueof Access Press. I called theeditor and told him a newspa-per was just what we neededto organize and harness thestrength of the disabled com-munity. Shyly, the editorasked me what I honestlythought about the paper. Iconfided that it was a littledry. I said it needed some-thing besides all the politics,something fun like horo-scopes, personals or DearAbby. He agreed and askedme if I would write a DearAbby-like column. I really

didn’t feel up to giving adviceand said I was sure he couldfind someone much wiser todo it. Charlie reluctantlyagreed to look for someoneelse but, when the secondissue of Access Press still hadno Dear Abby, I offered togive it a try. “Hello Nicole”began in issue number three.From our first conversation toour last, Charlie has been aloving and supportive friend.Thank you, Charlie, for yourimmense care and for helpingme find my strength.

Jimmie Hanson, Friend:I’ll always remember whenCharlie called and asked if Ihad received a pass for theMill City Music Festival. Itold him no, and he asked,“How would you like to go asthe official Access Pressphotographer?” My responsewas to say, “Yes, but Charlie,you have to understand, Idon’t take photos.” I hadnever taken a picture in mylife. Charlie said, “That’s notan issue, just be sure to bring acamera.” So I borrowed acamera from a friend andjerry-rigged it so I could useit. I decided if I’m going as

the Access Press photogra-pher I might as well TRY totake some pictures. As itturned out, I was so satisfiedwith the first three photos Itook that I entered them in theSister Kenny Art Show. Theywon an honorable mentionaward. I’ve been takingpictures ever since.

Luther Granquist, Attorney,Disability Law Center:

If there is one thing that struckme about Charlie it was hisgood humor. I don’t recall –in all of the times I’ve talkedwith him – him not having asmile. What a good natured,intelligent man. An extraordi-nary advocate.

Martha Hage, Friend:The time I’ll remember iswhen the seven of us were inthe Governor’s office demon-strating against cuts in thePCA program. We were askedto leave. Charlie repeated thatwe were not leaving until wegot to talk to the Governor.Well, we were arrested andthey were going to take us tojail but they couldn’t arrange

transportation – Metro Mo-bility wouldn’t take us be-cause we hadn’t called twoweeks in advance.

Craig Dunn, ExecutiveDirector, VSA arts of MN:“What do you mean, ‘Notesfrom the Editor is ranked#7!’”, said Charlie withfeigned disgust, as he calledme to let me know that I hadwon one of the prizes forresponding to the Reader’sSurvey a couple of years ago.I told him everything else inthe paper was so good I readthe other things first buteventually got back to hissection too. Charlie alwayshad a great sense of humor. Iwill fondly remember thetimes we worked together.The community has lost ahard-working and committedasset and he will be missed.

Nathan Halvorson,Access Press Staff:

One of Charlie’s many gifts isthat he was an awesome uncleto his nephews and nieces. I’llalways remember how hewould perch Alexander on hisshoulders and they wouldzoom down the hall, or his

earnest smile as he would sayhi to Renee.

Jim Ramnaraine, FriendCharlie never took life tooseriously, he always had fun.

Lolly Lijewski, Friend:Interdependence: Charlie andI had gone to see a movie andI needed some money so wefound an ATM. It was toohigh for him to reach and themachine had a touch screenwith no buttons for me to feel.Charlie had to direct mewhere to put my finger on thescreen to perform the appro-priate operation. Charliesaid, “A little farther up.That’s right, now more toyour left, a fourth of an inch tothe left, down a little farther,

about half aninch to theright...” I won-dered whatsomeone whomight be in ear-shot but not ableto see what wewere doingmight think...Thanks, Charlie,for sharing yourlife with me andbeing my friend.Your pas-singleaves a hole inmy soul that onlytime will heal.

Donna MacNamara,Former Access Press Staff:Charlie really lived in thepresent which helped him be agood political strategist, be-cause he could deal with thesituation at hand withoutgetting bogged down in thepast or worrying about thefuture. One of the funnythings I will remember about

Charlie is seeing him whiz-zing out the door at 10:05 fora 10:00 meeting somewhere.He was late for everything!

Tim Benjamin, Friend andAccess Press Editor:

I want to remember Charlie asa kind, intelligent man whowas able to teach through

laughter. Charlie was a lis-tener. I never heard him getloud with his own opinion.However, he did get loudgiving voice to all of us in thedisability community, es-pecially those of us with-out the knowledge, strength,or motivation to speak outfor ourselves. That is whoCharlie was to me.

Rick Cardenas, Friend:Charlie and I would alwaysbump into each other at themusic festivals and bluesfestivals and we would bitchabout how hard it was to get abeer, but how nice it waslooking at the women. So nowI’ll have to work twice as hardfor the beer and look at thatmany more women, ‘causenow I’ll be looking forCharlie, too.

Dorothy Balen, Friend:When I first met Charlie andhis family back in the late‘60’s, he was the “PartyCharlie.” It was his charm, drysense of humor, and greatmusic selection that firstattracted me. I learned how todrink wine at his home. WhenI moved after college, I didn’tsee Charlie for almost 10years. When I ran into him at adisability conference, it wasamazing – we were able toresume our friendship as if notime had passed. But now itwas the dedicated and com-mitted Charlie I got to know.Charlie the editor, Charlie theactivist and advocate fordisability rights. Who wouldhave thought that we’d bothbecome involved in disabilityrights? My favorite latestmemories of Charlie werewhen we would get into aconversation at an Advisory

Committee meeting and thechairperson would threaten toseparate us if we didn’t paycloser attention to the agendatopic. We’d just look at eachother like: “What’s the prob-lem?” I do and will continueto miss Charlie, but I believehis spirit lives on in his family,friends and business associ-

CHARLIE - Cont. from p. 1Portrait Of An Editorby Nicole Roberts and Margot Imdieke Cross

ates, and so Charlie will neverbe far away.”

Steve Kuntz, Friend andAccess Press Board

member:It was my good fortune tohave known Charlie since thelate ‘70’s. Charlie early onwas not going to let the factthat he was in a chair get in theway of living. He was sounique in his understandingand acceptance of his disabil-ity and not using it to feelsorry for himself, but toenergize him. When I thinkof Charlie I think of his smile,his sense of humor, and theendless political discussionsabout disability and socialissues. Charlie had a verystrong sense of right andwrong, and he was willing totake these convictions to thepowers that be and challengetheir thinking. I lovedCharlie’s entrepreneurial soul.Very few people can taketheir passion and interests andmake a business out of it like

Charlie was able to withAccess Press. We all have toface our mortality, but we allhope that we leave a legacy, apositive part of us that willlive on. I have lost a friend andthe community has lost achampion of the underdog.God speed Charlie, GodSpeed.

Margot Imdieke Cross,Friend and Access Press

Board member:His quiet determination, histotal commitment, his humor,

his critical perspective, hisquestioning nature, the sparklein his eyes, his constantpresence, his vast knowledge,Charlie - cont. on p. 12

failed to fully understand thedepth and breadth of hisimpact on people’s lives untilthe last couple of months ofhis life. He received cards,letters, E-mails, phone calls,tapes, and flowers while in thehospital – all from people whowanted him to know they werethinking about him after hewas diagnosed withesophageal cancer. At first itoverwhelmed him, and thenhe began to accept andappreciate the outpouring oflove from the people withwhom he lived and worked.He joked that, “I’m going tohave to keep a social calendarwhen I get out of here.”

Outside of his very public roleof editor and activist in thedisability community, Charliewas an intensely privateperson. He drew supportfrom his family and closefriends. His nieces Katie,Maggie, and Renee, and hisnephew Alexander gave himgreat joy. He took pleasure inwatching them grow. Helooked forward to weekendswhen the family would gettogether. He kept toys in theAccess Press office for thechildren to play with whenthey came to visit. He knewthat he could always count onhis sister Bridget, his brotherBill, and sisters-in-law Jennyand Diane to be there when-ever he needed them. A con-versation with Charlie almostalways included some storyabout one or more familymember.

He came to feel and appreciatethe sense of pride his fatherand mother would have takenin his accomplishments and inwho he had become.

He loved the family cabin andthe long weekend breaks hesometimes took from thepaper and from the clamor ofcommunity noise. He looked

forward to sitting out on hispontoon boat where he’d dropa line in, not caring whetherhe caught anything.

In the spirit of the brotherhoodof quadriplegics, Charlieenjoyed taking wintervacations in warm places likeMexico or Hawaii. LastAugust several advocatestraveled to Chicago for aconference on Social SecurityWork Incentives. The air-conditioning in the room wasturned up too high. One advo-cate related going outside towarm up and seeing Charliethere, trying to get warm,basking in the sun “like aBassett hound,” and smokinga cigarette.

To be counted among hisclose friends was an honorand a privilege. He wasfiercely loyal and would fightto protect those he loved fromany hardship. His quietreserve sometimes hid thedepth of feeling that waspresent behind those deepbrown eyes, but his actionsoften gave way to his unspokenlove and caring. He wasalways there to listen at theother end of the phone. Hisfriendship was a treasuredgift. Just as large as theshadow he cast is the hole heleaves in the hearts of thosewhose lives he touched.

The word hero is too oftenover-used, but the disabilitycommunity has lost a truehero in Charlie Smith. In hishumble way, he would hatebeing singled out for such anaccolade. Oh well, get over it,Charlie! Those of us whoknew and loved him will keephis place at the table as wecarry on the advocacy work toimprove the lives of peoplewith disabilities that we begantogether.

Be at peace, Charlie Smith.

Charlie and friends in the great outdoors.

Charlie and his brother Bill

Charlie’s sister Bridget, friend Harold (Santa), and Charlie

*

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May 10, 2001 12

The Chemical Injury Re-source Association of

Minnesota (CIRA) educates,supports and empowers peoplewho are injured and/or dis-abled by chemicals in the en-vironment. CIRA works toeliminate barriers to the chemi-cally sensitive by fosteringchange in the social, medicaland political communities.

Multiple Chemical Sensitiv-ity/Environmental Illness(MCS/EI) is a disorder trig-gered by exposures to chemi-cals in the environment.Chemicals which cause MCS/EI exist in the clothes we wear,the food we eat, and the air webreathe. Approximately15-25% of the population hasbeen sensitized to commonhousehold and commercialproducts such as pesticides,synthetic fabrics (in furniture,carpeting, and clothes),scented products (soap, fabricsoftener, hair care products,etc), paint, vehicular and in-dustrial exhaust fumes, andmany cleaning products.These products can containlead, mercury, and other heavymetals that cause MCS/EI.Groups at particular risk areworkers in heavy industry,occupants of tight/sick build-ings, and members of commu-

nities exposed to toxic wastedumps, aerial pesticide spray-ing, groundwater contamina-tion, or industrial pollution.People can become exposedby a single exposure or as aresult of the cumulative expo-sure of daily life.

Many of the symptoms MCS/EI sufferers reported are simi-lar to known toxic reactions,but they occur at a lower expo-sure level that is considered tobe safe. Some symptoms areheadache, fatigue, sleep dis-turbances, dizziness, cloudedthinking and difficulty concen-trating, heart palpations, res-piratory difficulties, swollenglands and throat, burningtongue, metallic taste in mouth,gastrointestinal problems, ar-thritis and joint pain, musclepain, loss of coordination, andseizures.

People with MCS/EI may be-come partially or totally dis-abled for several years or forthe rest of their lives. Federallaw now classifies MCS/EIunder the Americans with Dis-abilities Act (ADA) to protectthe disabled from discrimina-tion. This provides for reason-able access to people with dis-abilities and reasonable ac-commodations enable people

with MCS/EI to enjoy accessto work, public facilities andother settings. The US Depart-ment of Housing and UrbanDevelopment (HUD) and theSocial Security Administration(SSA) and Workers’ Compen-sation have recognized MCS/EI as a disabling condition.

Treatment is provided prima-rily by Clinical Ecologists orpractitioners of Environmen-tal Medicine in Denver, Colo-rado. Though, any doctor, chi-ropractor, or other alternativehealth care provider who isknowledgeable about chemi-cal sensitivity can offer somehelp. Treatment usually startswith avoiding chemical expo-sures and creating a “safe”room in your home where youcan be relatively free of trig-gering substances.

The Chemical Injury Associa-tion of Minnesota publishes aResource Guide listing healthcare providers, safe food sup-pliers and safe product suppli-ers in addition to other impor-tant information to help theMCS/EI person recover fromtheir illness. For information,please call the CIRA help lineat (651)647-0944.

CIRA Helps People WithChemicals In Their

Environment

Human Rights AgenciesJoin Forces to “Test”For Discrimination;Volunteers Sought

The Minnesota Departmentof Human Rights, the St.

Paul Department of HumanRights and the MinneapolisCivil Rights Department haveinitiated a joint project togather evidence on discrimi-nation complaints through theuse of testing.

Analogous to the “mysteryshopping” technique somebusinesses employ, testing isused by human rights agenciesto discover if people are beingtreated differently because of

their race, sex, age, disabilityor other protected class char-acteristic.

The technique involves pair-ing individuals who are alikein all relevant respects-exceptfor the characteristic beingtested (such as race, sex, ageor disability)-and comparinghow they are treated by thesame potential landlord, pro-spective employer, or by apublic accommodation such asa bar or restaurant.

The three agencies conduct-ing the tests are currently seek-ing volunteers to act as testersand pose as applicants forhousing or employment, orvisit places of public accom-modation and pose as custom-ers. Those who are selectedwill receive training and a smallstipend.

To apply to be a tester, tele-phone Annastacia Belladonnaat 651-266-8965.

Minnesota FamiliesCan Get Back On

Medical AssistanceThe Minnesota Department

of Human Services is re-instating Medical Assistanceeligibility to thousands of fami-lies statewide that lost Medi-cal Assistance when their wel-fare cases were closed. “TheState should not have cutpeople off Medical Assistanceautomatically,” says RalondaMason, an attorney with St.Cloud Area Legal Services.“It is important for people toknow that even if they weretold they were not eligible forMedical Assistance before,

they may be eligible now. “

If families lost Medical Assis-tance when their MFIP (Min-nesota Family Investment Pro-gram) cash grant ended be-tween January 1, 1998 andMay 31, 2000, Medical Assis-tance may pay their past medi-cal bills. Families can requestreimbursement for paid or un-paid medical bills, co-pay-ments and deductibles, healthinsurance premiums, medicaltransportation, medical meals,and medically necessary over-

night hospital stays. If fami-lies paid medical bills whenthey should have been onMedical Assistance, they areentitled to get that money back.

Women who were pregnant orhad children under the age oftwo when their Medical Assis-tance was terminated shouldhave their Medical Assistanceautomatically reinstated. Le-gal Aid Society of Minneapo-lis will take any concerns thatyou may have at (612)588-2099.

United Way HonorsAdrienne Mason

Adrienne Mason, a High-land Park resident, was

recognized as an Unsung Heroat United Way of MinneapolisArea’s Annual Recognitionand Awards Luncheon heldMarch 14 at the MinneapolisConvention Center.

Mason has been a United Wayvolunteer for eight years. Thishas included reviewing grantrequests; making fundingrecommendations; givingspeeches; serving as co-chairon the committee for support-

ing older people; and workingon a strategic plan for respect-ing diversity and ending dis-crimination.

At first, Mason didn’t realizethe immeasurable value of hervolunteer contributions, “I’velearned I make a difference asa woman of color and as awoman with a disability. Ispeak from my soul and I’m ona roll - both literally and figu-ratively,” she said, noting heruse of her wheelchair. Masonbelieves everyone has a re-

sponsibility to give back.

Mason also serves on XcelEnergy’s Community Advi-sory Panel, on the GreaterMinneapolis Council ofChurches HandiWorks Advi-sory Board, and as a Metro-politan Center for IndependentLiving volunteer. She alsoteaches disability awarenessfor Courage Center, and en-courages youth to considercareers in occupationaltherapy.

his playful nudging, his un-compromising work ethic, hisgood friendship, that incred-ible smile and his inability totake no for an answer.Charlie, you were a remark-able man, I was honored tohave known you and to havebeen your friend.

LeAnne Dahl, Friend:I first met Charlie through hisparents, Bill & Renee Smith.Charlie was only twenty. Hewas cute then too. But I, as anolder person, saw beyond his

CHARLIE - Cont. from p. 11looks. It so happened that agroup of people with and with-out disabilities banded,(TRIPLE I) together to startthe first Group Home for indi-viduals with disabilities inMinnesota. Charlie’s parentsbecame involved right away,but for Charlie, well, it tookhim longer because he wasgoing through Courage Cen-ter at the time, but he came towatch the progress on week-ends.

Triple I received a grant from

Develop Mental Disabilitiesand began searching for a staffperson. As Chairperson ofTriple I, then I had to make thefinal choice of applicants —my choice was none other thanCharlie Smith. So I guess youcould say that I was one of hisbosses.

Charlie, you surpassed ourexpectations as you became aleader in the disability com-munity...Peace, my friend,Le Anne Dahl

*

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13May 10, 2001

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Letters To The Editor . . .Dear Editor:

I really appreciate your legis-lative update.

It seems to me the legislativeprocess really falls short ofprotecting the needs andinterests of those of us withdisabilities. It would be won-derful if we had access toinitiative and referendum inMinnesota (a national refer-endum would be even better),by which citizens could makelaw and policy apart from thelegislature.

Direct democracy is a (poten-tial) form of government inwhich the public could votedirectly on each issue. Ourrepresentaive democracy in-volves voting for others--often career polititians--tomake decisions for us.

Today, many of us are reallyshut out of any meaningful

Under the strong andunyielding leadership of

freshman legislator SenatorJulie Sabo, the nationallyacknowledged Visitability de-sign standards were attachedto the Minnesota HousingFinance Agency (MHFA)department bill, and as ofApril 30th, they had reachedthe floor of the Senate. TheVisitability language wouldrequire all newly constructedsingle-family dwellings, du-plexes, triplexes and multi-level townhouses, funded inwhole or part by MHFA, toincorporate three basic designstandards. The housingwould be required to have oneno-step entrance, 32” cleardoorways throughout thedwelling and a half bath onthe main level. The languagealso contains waivers relatedto affordability and topo-graphical conditions. Unfor-tunately the Visitability lan-guage did not make it into the

companion bill in the Houseso the ultimate fate of theVisitability language will bedecided in Conference Com-mittee.

The Visitability design andconstruction requirements arebeing considered throughoutthe country in an effort toaddress the housing needs ofolder and disabled Ameri-cans. Visitability is currentlyrequired in the states ofGeorgia and Texas, and theCity of Urbana, Illinois. TheState of Vermont has estab-lished partial requirements.

Providing basic access at thetime of construction allows asmany individuals as possibleto remain in their homes afteracquiring a disability. Visit-ability design also providesindividuals with existingphysical disabilities a broaderhousing market. It allowsneighbors, friends and fami-

decision making process.Due to an insufficient publicsphere, we are often pre-vented from hearing perspec-tives that might help us tomake wise decisions.

With our current system, weoften elect people who makeharmful legislative decisionswhich are difficult to reverse,yet they remain in power atleast until the next election(usually longer), sometimesrunning for reelection againstequally negative decision mak-ers. With direct democracy,voter decisions could bereversed much more easily.

John Simcox,Minneapolis

Dear Editor:

I’m writing in response to thequote on the cover of my Dec2000 Access Press: “Never

Visitability Reaches TheMinnesota Legislatureby Margot imdieke

lies to visit one another.Finally, it provides childrenof all physical abilities anopportunity to play and growtogether. Visitability buildsbetter homes and strongercommunities.

The cost of incorporatingVisitabilty access into newlyconstructed homes can varydepending on site, design ofhome and planning. InGeorgia, where several hun-dred homes have been builtwith Visitabilty access, withand without basements, theaverage cost has generallytotaled only two to threehundred dollars per site. Torenovate an existing homeand incorporate the very sameVisitability features wouldcost thousands of dollars. Itmakes sense to incorporateVisitability at the time ofconstruction!!

R.C. SALES AND MFG., INC.14726 Wake Street NE · Ham Lake, MN 55304 · (763) 786-6504

www.rcsalesmfg.com

give up and sit down andgrieve. Find another way.” Istrongly disagree with thisstatement. Grief is a natural,healthy and healing processthat we need to respect andtrust, it is not a “bad” emotionwe need to curtail or avoid.Grief encourages us to haltour lives and turn our attentioninward so that we can processour sadness. It is much likewhen we have the flu and needto rest so that our bodies canrecoup and recover. When weallow ourselves to grieve, weare allowing ourselves thetime, energy and space ourhearts need to truly mend.If we grieve for a lost lovedone, the pain of our griefhonors the enormity of ourlove for the person we havelost. In this way, grief can bebeautiful.

Nicole Roberts,Minneapolis

Arc Minnesota is accept-ing nominations for its

2001 Awards Program, to beheld at Arc Minnesota’s an-nual state convention, Novem-ber 2-3, 2001, in Duluth, Min-nesota. Arc Minnesota’sawards honor outstandingemployers, teachers, volun-teers, media, advocates, and

individuals with developmen-tal disabilities. The awards alsohelp us recognize outstandingcommunity service organiza-tions, recreation programs,public awareness efforts, andchapter achievements in mem-bership development, innova-tive services, and media pro-duction.

Here’s the process for enter-ing nominations (it’s the sameas in previous years if you’vedone this before):

Obtain a nomination form andlist of awards being offered bycalling Arc at (800) 582-5256,ext. 113. Complete a nomina-tion form, and check the ap-

Arc Minnesota 2001Awards Program propriate award category.

Send nominations to ArcMinnesota by June 1, 2001.

Attach supporting materials.These materials should thor-oughly document what thisperson or organization hasdone and why they should berecognized. Supporting mate-rials may include, but are notlimited to, newspaper clip-

pings, nominations materialfrom previous awards re-ceived, letters of support fromthose who know the nomineewell, and photos.

Nominators and nomineesdon’t have to be Arc mem-bers.

Arc will award citizens basedon their achievements in seven

categories: Employment; Rec-reation; Education; VoluntaryService; Self-Advocacy/Ad-vocacy; Media; and ChapterAchievement/Special Awards.Arc has complete informationon awards in these categories.

Nominators and nominees areopen to anyone in the commu-nity. A person need not be anArc member to participate inthe 2001 Awards Program.

Ellen Houghton • 952-404-9981 • ehought@juno.com

Computerized Desktop publishing:Brochures

CatalogsDirect Mailings

FlyersNewsletters

NewspapersProject Mgmt

ResumesScanning ... & more!

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May 10, 2001 14

MARKETINGASSISTANT

Great opportunity below!

Faegre & Benson LLP, a lead-ing Minnesota law firm, has anopening for a Marketing As-sistant. This person will reportdirectly to our Director ofMarketing and Public Rela-tions. Your responsibilitieswould include: coordinatingmaterials & activities for firmseminars; handling ticket re-quests for local events; pre-paring proposal materials forlawyers; maintaining files formarketing and public relationsactivities; updating & main-taining the marketing database,along with a variety of otheradministrative duties.

Our ideal candidate will havearound two years of adminis-trative experience with excel-lent organizational computer& communication skills. Inaddition, our candidate will bepeople, service & action-ori-ented. Faegre & Benson LLPoffers competitive wages andan excellent benefits package,including a discounted busprogram-Metropass. For ad-ditional information aboutFaegre & Benson, visit ourweb site at www.faegre.com.Please send resume and salaryhistory to Human Resources:

FAEGRE & BENSON LLP2200 Wells Fargo Center90 South Seventh StreetMinneapolis, MN 55402

Fax: 612-336-3846Internet: HR@Faegre.com

Equal Opportunity Employer

LEGALADMINISTRATIVE

ASSISTANTS

Ready to make a change?

Faegre & Benson LLP, a lead-ing Minnesota law firm, hasrewarding opportunities forLegal Administrative Assis-tants in our Corporate Financeand floater groups. Ideal can-didates will have at least 3years legal secretarial experi-ence or an executive adminis-trative background; excellentorganizational and communi-cation skills; proficient wordprocessing skills; keyboardingat 60+ wpm; and a team-ori-ented flexible work style.

These positions offer interest-ing and fast paced opportuni-ties in a professional work en-vironment. Faegre & BensonLLP offers competitive wagesand an excellent benefits pack-age, including a discounted busprogram--Metropass. For ad-ditional information aboutFaegre & Benson, visit ourweb site at www.faegre.com.Please send resume and salaryhistory to Human Resources:

FAEGRE & BENSON LLP2200 Wells Fargo Center90 South Seventh StreetMinneapolis, MN 55402

Fax: 612-336-3846Internet: HR@Faegre.com

Equal Opportunity Employer

Administrative

WORD PROCESSING

Are you looking to workevenings (2:30 - 10:00 p.m.)?

Faegre & Benson, a leadingMinnesota law firm, has aopening for a Word Proces-sor. Candidates should havestrong word and advancedword processing skills, as wellas, typing of 70 wpm, excel-lent grammar, spelling andword proofing skills and a teamorientated flexible work style.PageMaker and PowerPointare highly desirable. We offercompetitive wages and anexcellent benefits package,including a discounted busprogram — Metropass. Foradditional information aboutFaegre & Benson, visit ourweb site at www.faegre.com.Please send resume and salaryhistory to Human Resources:

FAEGRE & BENSON LLP2200 Wells Fargo Center90 South Seventh StreetMinneapolis, MN 55402

Fax: 612-336-3846E-mail: HR@faegre.com

Web site: www.faegre.com

Equal Opportunity Employer

ENVIRONMENTALRESOURCES

COORDINATOR

The City of Minnetonka has afull-time opening for an Envi-ronmental Resources Coordi-nator. This position is part of ateam that coordinates and as-sists in planning and imple-menting policies and programsintended to manage, preserve,and enhance the City’s naturalresources. Duties include re-viewing development plansand ensuring compliance ofapplicable environmentalregulations and stipulations;providing educational oppor-tunities, and serving on staffteams to ensure the preserva-tion and enhancement of theCity’s open space and naturalresources. Minimum qualifi-cations include a 4-year de-gree in environmental or natu-ral resource sciences or re-lated field and 4-years of pro-gressively responsible experi-ence in a similar position. Thesuccessful applicant will haveexcellent written, oral and pre-sentation skills, Their back-ground will include knowledgeof the newest developments inwater quality management.

Salary range: $50,080 -$55,644, with excellent fringebenefits.

A city application form mustbe submitted. To obtain anapplication, call the JobLineat (952) 939-8212 or www.ci.minnetonka.mn.us. Applica-tion deadline is May 18, 2001.

CITY OF MINNETONKA14600 Minnetonka Blvd.Minnetonka, Mn 55345

An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer

ADMINISTRATIVEASSISTANT

The City of Minnetonka has afull-time employment oppor-tunity available for an Admin-istrative Assistant. This highlyresponsible position supportsexecutive level elected andappointed positions. Essentialjob functions include customerservice support on the phoneand in person; composing/typ-ing letters, memos, reports;transcribing minutes; proof-reading/editing; creating com-puter presentation materials;develop/maintain databases;providing budget & capitalimprovement program sup-port; coordinating meetings,calendars & travel arrange-ments; and general adminis-trative duties.

Minimum job requirements:Energetic and enthusiastic in-dividual with six years of in-creasingly responsible secre-tarial and administrative sup-port work for a top manage-ment team; equivalent of thecompletion of the 12th grade,supplemented by secretarial/office management course-work; intermediate to ad-vanced level of skill in wordprocessing, database andspreadsheet software; a publicservice orientation.

Desired qualifications: Posthigh school course study relat-ing to customer service;Associate’s degree in businessor equivalent.

Annual salary range: $33,995to $37,772, with excellentfringe benefits.

A city application form mustbe submitted. To obtain anapplication, call the JobLineat (952) 939-8212 or www.ci.minnetonka.mn.us. Applica-tion deadline is May 18, 2001.

CITY OF MINNETONKA14600 Minnetonka Blvd.Minnetonka, Mn 55345

An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer

Access To EmploymentEmployment ads are $14 per col. inch; May 31 is the deadline for the June 10 issue.

Mail to: ACCESS PRESS • 1821 University Ave. • #185N • St. Paul, MN 55104 • FAX 651-644-2136 • E-mail: access@mninter.net More adv.s

on p. 15

PRESCHOOL TEACHER(FT) $12.38 to $14.86

(depending upon experience)

Work with diverse cultures;ratios of 1:8. Benefits, tuitionreimbursement & positive wkenvironment, CDA or BA inchild-related field or minimum3 yrs tching exper.

Apply at LNB, 1925 NicolletAve, Mpls, M-Th, 9-4.Agency application required.Questions? (612) 872-2764.

EOE

STATISTICALPROGRAMMER

AGS, a leading publisher oftests and instructional materi-als, seeks a statistical program-mer to perform statisticalanalysis and programming re-quired in the development ofeducational/psychologicaltests in accordance with thedata analysis plans, specifica-tions, and publication sched-ules. College degree in math,statistics, psychometrics, com-puter science or equivalent isrequired, Proficiency in SQL,Fortran, Word, Excel and Ac-cess. Knowledge of statisticalpackages, such as SPSS, de-sired, Ability to perform com-plex data analysis activities,For more information pleasecheck us on the web at www.agsnet.com.

Interested applicants may for-ward resume with cover letterto: AGS — JH; 4201 Wood-land Rd; Circle Pines, MN55014, fax to 763-355-2078or email to jobs@agsnet.com.

AGS is anEqual Opportunity

Employer.

ADMINISTRATIVEASSISTANT

SRF Consulting Group, Inc.seeks an administrative assis-tant to join our growing orga-nization. Duties include wordprocessing, reception, dataentry, and report production.Ideal candidate will have 5-8years experience, including astrong working knowledge ofMS Word and Excel. Goodwritten and verbal skills a must.

We are a locally-owned,well-established transporta-tion planning, engineering anddesign firm providing servicesthroughout the Midwest. Inaddition to competitive payand benefits, we offer a posi-tive work environment andsome flexibility in hours. Sendyour resume to SRF Con-sulting Group, Inc., OneCarlson Pkwy. N., #150,Plymouth, MN 55447; faxto 763-475-2429, or e-mail tohr@srfconsulting.com; EOE

LEGALADMINISTRATIVE

ASSISTANTPatent Prosecution

Minneapolis law firm is seek-ing applicants for a Legal Ad-ministrative Assistant in ourPatent Prosecution practicearea. Candidates should have2 years experience in PatentProsecution; excellent organi-zational skills; team-orientatedwork style and keyboarding of70 wpm. We offer a profes-sional work environment andcompetitive wage and benefitspackage. For additional infor-mation about Faegre & Ben-son, visit our website atwww.faegre.com. Please sub-mit resume and salary historyto Human Resources:

FAEGRE & BENSON LLP2200 Wells Fargo Center90 South Seventh StreetMinneapolis, MN 55402

Fax: (612) 336-3846E-Mail: HR@Faegre.com

Equal Opportunity Employer

ADMINISTRATIVEASSISTANT

A rehab & resource leader forpeople with disabilities has FTopening to support executive& communications dept. In-cludes scheduling, creating/managing files, databases,spreadsheets; writing/editing/proofing letters, newslettersetc. Requires 4 yrs. exp/de-gree, strong typing & PC skills,strong verbal/written commu-nication, interpersonal & or-ganizational skills, ability toself-initiate, prioritize, meetdeadlines & work indepen-dently. Join an employer ofchoice that impacts the livesof many in our community.Mail/fax cover letter, & salaryreq w/resume to Communi-cations Dept, Courage Cen-ter, 3915 Golden ValleyRoad, Golden Valley, MN55422. Fax: 763 520 0562.

EOE. We seek diversity.

Consulting

SENIOR CONSULTANT/PROGRAM MANAGER

The Wilder Ctr for Communi-ties (WCC) currently seeks asr lvl consultant/prog mgr tolead its local org & cmmntycapacity bldg efforts. Respon-sibilities incl:

• Coord & oversee consult-ing, tech asst, & training fororgs, collaboratives & coa-litions.

• Provide training, consulta-tion, & coaching on specificprojs w/ nonprofit orgs, govtagencies & coalitions in StPaul & the region.

• Promote organizational ca-pacity bldg expertise w/ newnonprofit partners & otherorgs seeking tech asst instrengthening &/or stabiliz-ing their org.

• Develop, mng, or coordmulti-yr cmmnty bldg ini-tiatives that promote WCC’smission.

Candidates should combine asmany as possible the follow-ing characteristics:• Min 10 yrs exp in cmmnty

dvlpmnt, org consulting,leadership dvlpmnt, publicaffairs, nonprofit mgmt orrelated field; 5 yrs execmgmt exp pref.

• Have an understanding ofcmmnty, nonprofit, govt, &business orgs; be able towork effectvly w/ leaders inthose sectors & across cul-turally diverse parts of acmmnty.

• Exp in forming multi -orga-nization & cross-sector part-nerships to achieve sharedgoals.

• Have strong leadership,mgmt, & fund dvlpmntskills.

• Formal academic prep in arelated field pref.

Salary is commensurate w/backgrd + exp incl a competi-tive benefits pkg. Send resume& ltr of interest to:

Carol ZapfelAmherst H.

Wilder Foundation919 Lafond Ave

St. Paul, MN 55104

Appls/resumes will be ac-cepted until position has beenfilled.

www.wilder.orgEOE/AA

This Could BeYour Adv. —Reach 11,000

Activeand

InterestedReaders,

Call651-644-2133

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15May 10, 2001

Access To EmploymentEMPLOYMENT ADS ARE $14 A COL. INCH; MAY 31 IS THE DEADLINE FOR THEJUNE 10 ISSUE. Mail to: ACCESS PRESS 1821 University Ave. • #185NSt. Paul, MN 55104 • Fax 651-644-2136 • E-mail: access@mninter.net

More adv.s

on p. 14

Alexandra House, Inc., domes-tic violence services forwomen and families has thefollowing employment oppor-tunity:

HOUSEKEEPERFull time day housekeepingposition opening.

Responsible for the dailycleaning and restocking of sup-plies for 30-40 persons. Assistwith minor repairs. Qualifica-tions include experience incleaning, maintenance andminor repairs. Experience in alarge residential facility help-ful. Must be well organized,self directed, flexible and havethe ability to work with di-verse populations.

Applications will be accepteduntil position is filled:

Send cover letter & resume to:Linda Wells

Interim Executive DirectorAlexandra House, Inc.

P.O. Box 49039Blaine, MN 55449-0039

EQUAL OPPORTUNITYEMPLOYER

Alexandra House, Inc., domes-tic violence services forwomen and families has thefollowing employment oppor-tunity:

ADMINISTRATIVESERVICES MANAGER

This position is part of theManagement Team that is re-sponsible for the mission andaccountability of policies andprocedures, leadership andsupervision. Qualificationsinclude a minimum 5 yearsexperience in non-profit man-agement, fiscal and adminis-trative skills in a team man-agement style. Experience inprogram planning, develop-ment, coordination and evalu-ation. Minimum of 3 yearspersonnel supervisory experi-ence, including bookkeeping,statistical data collection, pay-roll and benefits. BA or equiva-lent combination of educationand experience. Salary BOE.

Applications will be accepteduntil position is filled.

Send cover letter &resume to:Executive Director

Alexandra House, Inc.P.O. Box 49039

Blaine, MN 55449-0039

EQUAL OPPORTUNITYEMPLOYER

ADMINISTRATIVEASSISTANT

Faegre & Benson, major Min-neapolis law firm, has a excit-ing opportunity for a secretaryor Administration Assistant inour Information Servicesgroup. This person will reportdirectly to the Director of In-formation Services. Respon-sibilities include: answeringphones for IS administrativestaff, maintenance of depart-ment calendars, files, invoices,vendor contracts, serviceagreements and software li-censing. This person will alsobe responsible for the distri-bution of department mail inaddition to coordinating andscheduling department meet-ings.

Successful candidates shouldhave 6 months secretarial/administrative experience.Spreadsheet and database ex-perience a plus; keyboardingat 50+ wpm; excellent organi-zational and communicationskills and a team-orientatedwork style. We offer a profes-sional work environment, com-petitive wages and an excel-lent benefits package, includ-ing a discounted bus pro-gram—Metropass. For addi-tional information aboutFaegre & Benson, visit ourweb site at www.faegre.com.Please send resume and salaryhistory to Human Resources:

FAEGRE & BENSON LLP2200 Wells Fargo Center90 South Seventh StreetMinneapolis, MN 55402

Fax: (612) 336-3846E-Mail: HR@Faegre.com

Equal Opportunity Employer

ACCOUNTINGASSISTANT

Faegre & Benson LLP, Min-nesota’s second largest lawfirm, is seeking applicants foran Accounting Assistant. Thisposition will assist the Ac-counting Manager with cer-tain day to day analytical andclerical accounting tasks in theAccounting department. Can-didates should have a 2-yr.accounting degree (minimum);at least 1-2 years experienceworking in a professional firmenvironment; strong typing,10-key and data entry skills;strong spreadsheet experience,and strong analytical/ prob-lem solving skills.

We offer a competitive salary,outstanding benefits package,and exceptional opportunityfor professional growth. Foradditional information aboutour law firm, visit out web siteat www.faegre.com. Pleasesend your resume and salaryhistory to Human Resources:

FAEGRE & BENSON LLP2200 Wells Fargo Center90 South Seventh StreetMinneapolis, MN 55402

Fax: (612) 336-3846E –Mail: HR@Faegre.com

Equal Opportunity Employer

Legal

LITIGATION SUPPORT OPENINGS

Due to growth, Faegre & Benson LLP, a leading Minnesota lawfirm, has several new openings in our Litigation TechnologyServices department.

PROJECT SUPERVISOR

This position provides direct work supervision, training, sched-uling and coordination of workflow for litigation supportprojects involving temporary and regular personnel. Candi-dates should have 1 year exp. in a supervisory or staffingposition; 1 year exp. in coding & other litigation supportactivities; and advanced software and database background;excellent organizational and communication skills; along witha team-oriented, flexible work style. B.A. degree and/or para-legal training helpful.

CASE MANAGER

As a case manager, you will consult with lawyers, paralegalsand project managers to analyze, recommend, design, imple-ment, monitor and support litigation projects; assist lawyersand paralegals with project management on the effective use ofsystems implemented on their behalf and develop case man-agement plans, budgets and schedules. In addition, you willprovide case application specific training with litigation teams;coordinate and support trial presentation systems; monitor casework flow; interact with clients, co-counsel, opposing counseland a variety of other employees. B.A. degree and a minimumof 5 years experience as a litigation paralegal or related workin a legal environment is required. Must have at least 3 yearsexperience working with legal database software, on-line depo-sition/transcript programs and other litigation support tools.

DATABASE TECHNICIAN

Do you enjoy using computers to solve problems & have aninterest in the legal field? Using current industry softwarepackages, you will provide ongoing support to legal teamsusing created databases; assist with database creation and thedevelopment of case-specific user interfaces; assist with ourdata conversion process; along with a wide variety of otherduties. Our ideal candidate will work well under pressure, bedetail-oriented, have exceptional analytical & communicationskills and possess the abilities to multitask, prioritize andexercise excellent judgment. B.A. degree or 1 to 2 yearsexperience required. Prefer experience with word, Excel, Ac-cess, DBTextWorks, Concordance, Summation, Ringtail &Extranets. Please note that this is not a computer programmingposition!

Our ideal candidates will have excellent organizational, com-puter & communication skills. In addition, we are looking forindividuals with a strong sense of urgency who are people,service & action-oriented and have a proactive, flexible workstyle.

Faegre & Benson LLP offers a professional work environment,competitive wages and an excellent benefits package, includ-ing a discounted bus program — Metropass. For additionalinformation about Faegre & Benson, visit our web site atwww.faegre.com. Please send resume, position interest andsalary history to Human Resources:

FAEGRE & BENSON LLP2200 Wells Fargo Center90 South Seventh StreetMinneapolis MN 55402

Fax: 612-336-3846 Internet: HR@Faegre.com

Equal Opportunity Employer

ACCOUNTINGASSISTANT

Person who enjoys workingwith numbers wanted to assistwith a variety of accountingtasks. Duties include purchas-ing and receiving of furnitureand supplies, maintaining in-ventory system of assets andfurniture, copying and filing,invoice verification, makingvarious office deliveriesthroughout building, and as-sisting with monthly billing.Must be detail-oriented, beproficient with 10-key andkeyboarding skills, and havestrong knowledge of MS Win-dows, Word and Excel. Expe-rience with Lotus 1-2-3 a plus.

SRF Consulting Group, Inc. isa fast growing, locally owned,and well-established transpor-tation planning, engineeringand design firm providing ser-vices throughout the Midwest.In addition to competitive pay,and benefits, we offer a posi-tive work environment andsome flexibility in hours. Sendyour resume to SRF Con-sulting Group, Inc., OneCarlson Pkwy. N., #150,Plymouth, MN 55447; faxto 763-475-2429, or e-mail tohr@srfconsulting.com; EOE.

ATTORNEY

Western MN Legal Services seeks atty for civil caseload witha significant focus on domestic violence, public benefits &immigration with outreach to the Hispanic community. Span-ish language ability preferred, but not required. Will consider2/01 or 5/01 graduates. Starting salary: $30,000-35,578 D.O.E.Good benefits, incl full family hlth ins. Start: ASAP. Resume,ref & writing sample by 6/l/01 (apps accepted until positionfilled): Margaret Lauinger, WMLS, P.O. Box 1866, Willmar,MN 56201-1866. EOE.

Gray Plant Mooty, a 130+ at-torney downtown Minneapo-lis law firm, has the followingopen positions:

PARALEGAL -FRANCHISE

Duties include assisting withthe preparation and filing offranchise letters and docu-ments, docketing of renewaldeadlines, file maintenance,updating and maintaining at-torney research database, as-sisting with filing of franchisedocuments; and assisting withmiscellaneous commercial realestate matters for franchiseclients. Paralegal Certificatedesired.

COLLECTIONS/CREDITSUPERVISOR

Duties include managing/ad-ministering credit and collec-tions for our law firm, andproviding supervision for acollections file clerk. A mini-mum of 3 years of related ex-perience and/or training re-quired. Collection experiencein a professional service envi-ronment a plus.

We offer a professional workenvironment educational op-portunities, a culture empha-sizing work/life balance, com-petitive salaries & benefits (in-cluding medical, dental, profitsharing and 401k). Send re-sume with cover letter to HR,Gray Plant Mooty, 3400 CityCtr; 33 S. 6th St., Mpls, MN55402; fax to 612-333-0066;or e-mail to Anne.Weinauer@gpmlaw.com.

Equal Opportunity andAffirmative Action

Employer

HUMAN RESOURCES

Director, Office ofWorkforce Diversity

Minnesota Departmentof Health

$53,119-$69,155

Leads the development andimplementation of equal em-ployment opportunity, affir-mative action and diversityprograms and initiatives to fur-ther the advancement of theDepartment of Health’s mis-sion to protect, maintain andimprove the health of all Min-nesotans.

Ensures a diverse workforceand an inclusive work envi-ronment. Provides expert ad-vice and assistance to all man-agers, supervisors and employ-ees of MDH. Provides leader-ship to fostering work envi-ronment that embraces diver-sity. Investigates and resolvescomplaints. Designs and con-ducts EEO/AA/Diversitytraining. Represents the De-partment in the communitiesand institutions of learning.

For more information on theposition, its qualifications andhow to apply, contact theMinnesota Department ofHealth, Human ResourceManagement Office at 651-215-1240 or visit the websiteat: health.state.mn.us/divs/hrm. The Minnesota Depart-ment of Health is an equalopportunity/affirmative actionemployer with a strong com-mitment to workforce diver-sity.

State Of Minnesota

Alexandra House, Inc., domes-tic violence services forwomen and families has thefollowing employment oppor-tunity:

RECEPTIONIST

Full time position responsiblefor receiving all incoming tele-phone calls and performingclerical support to the Admin-istrative Services Manager.

Qualifications include, abilityto operate a switchboard effi-ciently, excellent communica-tion and organizational skills,basic computer skills and aminimum of 1-2 years recep-tionist/clerical experience.Salary BOE. No phone callsplease.

Applications will be accepteduntil position is filled

Send cover letter & resume to:Executive Director

Alexandra House, Inc.P.O. Box 49039

Blaine, MN 55449-0039

EQUAL OPPORTUNITYEMPLOYER

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May 10, 2001 16

------------------------------------- BASIC SPONSOR -------------------------------------Margaret Beier Patricia Guerrero Beth JensenDebra Johnson Ericka Johnson Rosanne KramniczSteven McKeever Kathleen M. Miller Cindy MooreJane & Albert Olson Carla Reichenberg Paul W. TaylorKelli N-E Wysocki

------------------------------------- FRIEND SPONSOR -------------------------------------Lynda Adams Mary Andresen David BaldwinMarisa Bennett Mike & Karen Bjorgan Susan BlaylockMaynard Bostrom Bob Brick Wendy BrowerCarlyn Bryngelson Susan Bulger Deah CainLynne Corneli Stephanie Cunningham Marty CushingJustin & Yoshiko Dart Jolene Davis LeRoy deBoomNeil Doughty Craig Dunn Mel DuncanLee Ann Erickson Robert J. Geldert Candace/David GislasonTom Gode Rep. Kevin Goodno Nadine & Andy GrovenJohn Hoffman Bradley J. Holmes Ellen & Skip HoughtonJudy Hunt Cindy & Gregory Johnson Deb JohnsonEricka Johnson Linnea Johnson Hoff Barb KaneMary Kay Kennedy Diah Kinion Beth Knutson-KolodzneEugene Kook Sherry Lampman Sue LasoffDavid Larson Linda Larson Dorothy McCoyJim and Cindy Musselman William O’Dowd Margery PilhoferDwight & Chris Porter Barbara Proehl Virginia PuzakKelly Rathcke Kim Rezek Stuart RosenGinger Rudberg Patricia Rydeen Elizabeth SmithAdele Spavin Helen Thompson Gerry and Barb TollaksonCaryl Wattman Mary Frank-Wawokiyawin Teri WelcherCurt Wiehle David WoodAccommodating Care, Inc. Accord Health Care Services All Temporaries, IncAlliance for the Mentally Ill of MNArc of Anoka/Ramsey Cty Arc SuburbanArc Minnesota Best Care Blue Sky Designs, Inc.Brain Injury Assn. of MN Consumer Council of The Alliance for the Mentally Ill Disabled DealerEast Suburban Resources Equity Services-St. Paul Franciscan Sisters of St. PaulForensic Alliance of Mentally Ill Fraser Community ServicesHome Health Care JQ-P, Inc. KaposiaMBW Company Metro Mobility Service Center Staff MN Bio Brain AssociationMN Developmental Achievement Center Assoc. (MnDACA) NAMINew Dimensions Northeast Contemporary Services Kelly RathckeResource RISE Inc. S.M.I.L.E.S.United Cerebral Palsy of MN

THE FRIENDS OF ACCESS PRESSSponsorship levels:Basic (low income): $5.00 Friend: $25.00 & up Bronze: $75.00 & up Silver: $150.00 & up Gold: $350.00 & up Diamond: $500.00 & up Benefactor: $1,000.00 & up

The Friends of ACCESS PRESS are vital to the paper’s success. We need your continued support to keep publishing. Your gift entitles you to a one year complimentary subscription to ACCESSPRESS. ACCESS PRESS is a 501(c)(3) non-profit. Checks should be made out to ACCESS PRESS. Your contribution is tax deductible. Please mail your sponsorship to ACCESS PRESS,1821 University Avenue West, Suite 185N, St. Paul, MN 55104. Your help is crucial if ACCESS PRESS is to continue being the voice for people with disabilities! Thank you.

SPONSORS OF ACCESS PRESS:Thanks to the following sponsors for supporting ACCESS PRESS this year.

------------------------------------- BRONZE SPONSOR -------------------------------------Sue Abderholden Steve Alarik AnonymousSusan Asplund David Baldwin Kathleen BallJeff Bangsberg Jill Bedow Janet BerndtBill Blom Anita Boucher Tom BrickRick Cardenas Michael and Janice Chevrett Margot Imdieke CrossChris Duff Robert Gregory Luther GranquistDoris Groven Roger A. Hoffman Dianna KrogstadLinda Lattin LoRene Leikind Lolly LijewskiChristopher Meyer Cliff Miller Bill NiederlohMichael Otubushin Louise Pattridge Catherine Reid & Liddy RichRick Ryan John Smith Peter & Pamela StanfielMary Jane Steinhagen Eric & Carline Stevens J. Quinn TierneyCandace Warne Jerrold Wood Joe & JoAnn ZwackDept. of Occupat’l Therapy-U of MDiv. MN Rehab. Assoc Job Placement & Dvlpmt FastServMinnesota Work Incentives ConnectionMerrick Companies Pat Siebert, MN Dis. Law Ctr.National Results Council New Ways

------------------------------------- SILVER SPONSOR -------------------------------------Jamie Becker Scott Beers Robert E. BuuckLeAnne & Larry Dahl Catherine Eilers M. Therese GockenbachMartha Hage Judy Haaversen David and Susan HoughtonLynn Noren Michael Otubushin Dean Doering & Lisa ScribnerKevin Sullivan Arc Hennepin County Help YourselfJob Placement and Development Division, MN Rehab AssnMental Health Consumer/Survivor Network Mpls. Advisory CommitteeSt. Paul Mayors Advisory Committee on People with Disabilities Twin City Transportation

Vinland Center

------------------------------------- GOLD SPONSOR -------------------------------------David M. Dreier Shirley Larson Ronna LinrothBridget & Diane Smith

------------------------------------- DIAMOND SPONSOR -------------------------------------Case Management Systems, Inc. Rapit Print

------------------------------------- IN HONOR -------------------------------------Anne Henry by Karen Adamson Cecelia Bilbrey-Baer by Patrick J. BilbreyJaehn Clare by Candice Warne Kyle by Joe & JoAnn Zwack

College of Saint Catherine’s Occupational Therapy Masters Program by Steven AndersonU of M Occupational Therapy Education Program by Erica Stern

------------------------------------- IN MEMORY-------------------------------------Troy Fahlenkamp and Valerie Birosh by David Dreier Mabel Heuer by Dawn Doering Miss Irene MacKaloney by Roger HoffmanBill & Renee Smith by Becky J. Bugbee-Tong Bill Smith by Joe & Peg Figliuzzi Uncle Bill & Aunt Renee Smith by Mary & Henry PattridgeRuth Riggs by Corbin Kidder Bill & Renee Smith by Helen Thompson Bill Smith by Kathy & Paul West

Linda Wolford in memory of Tony Lebahn

CLASSIFIEDS Reach 11,000 Active, Interested Readers withACCESS PRESS Classifieds. $8 up to 20 words,

35¢/word thereafter. Mail with check to:ACCESS PRESS, 1821 University Ave W, #185N, St. Paul, MN 55104; (651) 644-2133

$$$ forclient

or staffreferrals

SERVICES WE OFFER:• Personal Care Attendants/Home Health Aides• On-Call Staff• Company Car For PCAs With... “Car Trouble”...

St. Louis ParkIn Home Personal Care

(952) 929-5757Home Care With A Personal Touch Since 1991

....Sick of not getting your calls returned?

....Tired of constant PCA turnover?

.....Do you just feel like a number?

FOR SALEAmigo electric wheelchair, dualwheels, charger, other accesso-ries, $700.00, OBO, 952-831-6973.

Invacare Storm Ranger X PowerChair w/ Roho and Jay back; greatcondition, good deal. Best offerover $500. Call 612-874-7019.

Two Shower Chairs. One is topof the line $3,000.00 New in thebox, taking best offer. Other is$150.00. Call Brandon for moredetails at (763) 427-0633 or (763)458-7785.

Stair Glide, Bruno, battery-pow-ered, used 4 months. (651) 457-4236.

1995 Chevy 20 White conver-sion van, sport, short wheel base.Full power. LOW MILES 25 M.Full Ricon List. Automatic. EZlocks, power lock for wheelchair,Transfer seat—6 way power.$14,000 firm. (612)379-2629.

MISCELLANEOUSJan Snook’s, Helpful HintsComputer Guidebook” is simpleand understandable. Hard cov-

ered book covers Word, Excel,and tips for the Internet.Jsnook1234@aol.com (612)378-2610 $19.00 Shipping. Also, othercomputer work requests per-formed. Free estimates.

Gary Reyzer’s Lawn Service.Fall and Spring cleanup. Mowingof yards through summer. (763)755-2613.

Charlie’s Cats need new home.2 females, 10 and 11 yrs. Healthy,friendly, want to keep them to-gether. Call 612-970-4048 formore info or to offer suggestions.

“Words of Love” is a CD bySnoopi Botten, a musician withcerebral palsy who writes and per-forms inspirational songs using asynthetic speech system. To or-der, call (612) 872-7233 or visitSnoopi’s website at http://hometown.aol.com/dectalk/myhomepage/index.html.

Summer Work. $14.25 Base—appt. No exp. Nec. PT/FT. Schol-arships Avbl. Conditions exist.Customer Sales/service. Notelemarketing, No multi-level.Apply Now. Call 651-268-0562.

www.workforstudents.com orwww.earnparttime.com

Home with Elevator, Com-pletely Accessible. Built in 1992with 4 BR’s, 3 baths, elevator toall 3 levels, walk out basement toprivate backyard located on aquiet, wooded cul-de-sac in LinoLakes bordering White Bear Lake.Close to freeway access.$246,000. Mike Burth (612) 812-0965 or www.mikeburth.com.Real Estate Masters.

Volunteers wanted. People whohave received occupationaltherapy services and are willingto describe their experiences tohelp a student with his thesisproject. A one-pagesurvey willbe mailed to you, with a SASE forreturn. If you are interested incontributing to this research study,please call Steve Anderson at(952) 593-0381.

Omni Frame, Inc., custom pic-ture framing. Make your picturesstand out with quality mats andframes. Randall J. Almquist (612)788-4330.

FOR RENTHolmes-Greenway Housing Oneand two bedroom apartments de-signed for physically handicappedpersons. Convenient SE Minne-apolis location. Call (612) 378-0331 for availability information.Equal Opportunity Housing.

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

------------------------------------- BENEFACTOR SPONSOR -------------------------------------Medtronic Foundation

Seward Square Apartments: Weare currently accepting applica-tions for our waiting list at SewardSquare Apartments in Minneapo-lis. Seward Square is barrier-freehousing and is federally subsi-dized. For an application, pleasecall (612) 338-2680. Equal Op-portunity Housing.