October 2002 Issue

1October 10, 2002

Inside■■■■■ Work Incentives— p. 3■■■■■ Superman Walks— p. 4■■■■■ Fall At Interact— p. 10

Directoryof

Organizations— Page 8

Volume 13, Number 10 SOURCES RESOURCES October 10, 2002

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Tricomo’s CandidacyStatement

TODAY’S GENETIC TESTING:A MODERN EUGENICS?by Rebekah Orr

Eugenics - cont. on p. 14

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In the September issue, weprinted statements from

the four Minnesota candi-dates for Senate. As thatissue went to press, theGreen Party replaced EdMcGaa with Ray Tricomo(after the primary). In theinterest of fairness, we pre-sented Candidate Tricomowith the same opportunity tospeak to the disability com-

For those who thought thepractice of eugenics was

ancient history, Ed Larson,J.D., Ph.D., is here to tell youthat history may well berepeating itself. Larson, aTalmadge Professor of Lawand Russell Professor ofhistory at the University of

Georgia, addressed a largegroup of scientists, students,community members, anddisability rights activists atthe University of Minnesotaon September 17. Larson’stalk was part of the LunchSeries on the Societal Impli-cations of the Life Sciences

cosponsored by theUniversity’s Consortium onLaw and Values in Health,Environment, and the LifeSciences and The JointDegree Program in Law,Health, and the Life Sci-ences. Larson’s presentationdescribed the modern prac-tice of genetic testing in thecontext of the eugenicsmovement of the early 20th

century, and its implicationsfor society.

Eugenics is the practice ofeliminating heritable humandisabilities through selectivebreeding. The movementbegan in England in the late1800s under the direction ofFrancis Galton and wasbrought to the United Statesby scientist Charles Daven-

port and H.H. Goddard, apsychologist. Eugenics tookon two forms: positiveeugenics and negative eugen-ics. The former encouragedthe procreation of individu-als with desired heritabletraits. The latter discouragedthe procreation of disabledindividuals, or those withundesirable heritable traits.Eugenicists targeted thosepeople who had inheritableforms of retardation, mentalillness, and physical defor-mity along with those whoexhibited undesirable socialbehavior that was thought tobe heritable, including crime,prostitution, and alcoholism.

History

The most notorious programs

stemming from the eugenicsmovement were the segrega-tion and compulsory steril-ization of those that societydeemed unfit to reproduce.During the 1920s, all 48states had laws that built andmaintained institutions tosegregate people with dis-abilities, and 32 states en-acted compulsory steriliza-tion laws. Ultimately, over60,000 people in the UnitedStates were forcibly steril-ized beneath these laws.

Aside from the public poli-cies that institutionalized eu-genics, the movement alsofostered a public educationcampaign aimed at coercingthe public to voluntarilypractice eugenics. Thesemore subtle efforts to pro-

mote selective breeding areof greater importance tomodern society.

Eugenics was taught in highschool biology classes, writ-ten about in popular maga-zines, promoted through trav-eling exhibits, and discussedin the movies. The mostnotable example of eugenicspropaganda was a full-lengthfeature film from the early1900s entitled “Are You Fitto Marry?”

The film encouraged couplesto be tested for disabilitiesbefore they married andbegan having children. In-spired by a Chicago physi-cian who euthanized “defec-tive” newborns, the film used

munity. Here is his state-ment, reproduced as re-ceived:

My dear relatives,

One of the great tradgeties,which will be our society’sundoing, provided we don’tsurgically do away with, isthe habit of labeling people.In doing so, they becomestigmatized & limated. Asociety such as ours—whichhas always been in the fastlane—has fallen into thehabit of marginalizing awhole range of people fromthe overweight to people inwheel chairs. As a result ofspoken & unspoken bigotry,we cannot begin to calculatethe damage, the loss ofproductivity, & the loss of

possibility for the evolutionof all of us. There are thosefew who have beenmislabeled “disabled” whohave achieved monumen-tally, & we all know who weare. I am a student &advocate of indigenous teach-ings. One of the things Ilearned many years ago wasthat, in healthy tribal cul-tures, blind people are notonly not babysat, but more isalso required of them. Forexample, the best drummaker or tracker in thevillage may be a blindperson. My relatives, I’msaying all of that to say this: itought to be the goal of everydisabled person in society tobe an integral part of society.As a blind person, I am morethan a little troubled by the

prospect of a kind of“dissability’s ghetto” or theuse of such terms as“dissability’s culture.” Over20 years ago, I broke with anacquaintance of mine overthis very issue. As citizens ofsociety, we must not trapourselves in a one-issuelifetime. We must berenaissance women & men.Of course I support the ADA& other measures designed tomake life possible for every-one with their respectivedisabilities. But let us look tothe day when we won’t haveto deal with labels or thediscrimination those labelsmake possible.

Yours in the struggle,

Brother Ray Tricomo

October 10, 2002 2

TimBenjamin

Editor

Access PressCo-Founder/Publisher (1990-1996) ....................................................... Wm. A. Smith, Jr.Co-Founder/Publisher/Editor-in-Chief (1990-2001) ............................ Charles F. SmithBoard of Directors ...................................................... Mary Kay Kennedy, Steve Kuntz,

Lolly Lijewski, Bridget Smith, Joani Werner, and Linda WolfordEditor .............................................................................................................. Tim BenjaminAssistant Editor .......................................................................... Laurie Eckblad AndersonCartoonist .......................................................................................................... Scott AdamsProduction ........................................................... Ellen Houghton at Presentation Images

Access Press is a monthly tabloid newspaper published for persons with disabilities by Access Press,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, andcivic leaders. 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.

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Martha Hage Retires From Radio Showby Jeff Nygaard

THE MINNESOTA STATE COUNCIL ON DISABILITY

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I’m not opposed to moneybeing spent on research butwe need to be cautious not tolose the progress and momen-tum we’ve made in care forthe disabled. The SCSbelieves that with enoughmoney spent on research, inthe very near future there willbe no need for care for thedisabled with spinal cordinjuries. If this is true, wehave to remember there aremany others in the disabilitycommunity that this research

will not affect and who willstill need care. I am a proudmember of the disabilitycommunity and would con-sider myself a part of it underany circumstances—whethermy spinal cord were repairedor not.

This month, John Tschida’scolumn offers another per-spective on the topic ofChristopher Reeve.

We also welcome yourthoughts on this issue.

***

Access Press wishes MarthaHage the best. Her radioshow, Disabled and Proud,has kept us informed on somany people and issues overthe years, that it’s hard tocount. We look forward toseeing what Martha’s newendeavors will bring the

disability community.

***

Thanks to Sue Wolf and AnnHagen of the University ofMinnesota Law School forrecruiting Rebekah Orr, astudent at the school, to writean article for AP on EdLarson’s lecture. Larson, aPulitzer Prize-winning au-thor, lectured on eugenics andthe effects of gene therapy inthe disability community.Rebekah did a superb job andwe appreciate her efforts. Wehope that she will be willing towrite again on medical andlegal topics of concern to thedisability community.

***

Employment is always abig issue in the disabilitycommunity. Derek Vander-Veen offers us a look into the

world of retail and some of hisexperiences there. We thankhim for sharing his views.

***

Ellen Houghton has beenfilling in as our spiritualitycolumnist and offers a newangle on the subject. If youhaven’t read one of hercolumns yet, now is the timeto take a moment and see ifyou can relate to her insights.Ellen, all your time andpatience is very much appre-ciated.

***

The Green Party candidate forsenator, Ed McGaa, wasdefeated in the primary byRay Tricomo. Mr. Tricomowas sent the same questionthat Access Press askedColeman, McGaa, Moore,and Wellstone. To make an

informed decision on theTricomo candidacy, youneed to read his response onthe front page.

***

Terry McAuliffe, Chairmanof the Democratic NationalCommittee (DNC), recentlyannounced a new website(www.democrats.org/dis-ability) that is intended toallow the DNC to speakdirectly to the disabilitycommunity on issues ofconcern. McAuliffe said:“We remain committed toensuring that individualswith disabilities have thefacts on the issues thatimpact them... and this newwebsite will provide thosefacts with a click of amouse.” We should book-mark this new site forpolitical insight into theDemocratic Party. ■

Disability AwarenessMonth is a good time

to discuss differing opin-ions. The article written byMr. Janssen and Mr. Ryanon behalf of the Spinal CordSociety (SCS) about Chris-topher Reeve is their opin-ion on research. As many ofyou know there’s a split inopinions within the commu-nity on Cure vs. Care. Thistopic needs much morevisibility and discussion inthe community. Personally,

Since going on the air inOctober of 1993 on Twin

Cities community radio sta-tion KFAI, the show Disabledand Proud: It’s NOT anOxymoron has brought listen-ers “insights into, ideas about,and discussions of disabilityculture.” That’s what MarthaHage says at the top of eachshow. Now, after nine yearsbehind the microphone, thefounder and host is steppingdown.

In an interview last monthwith Access Press, Hageconfessed that the idea for theshow came to her in a dream.

In the summer of 1993, afterbeing laid off from her job,Hage says she dreamt about aradio station which “wasdevoted to disability issuesand disability culture.” Ofcourse, there was no suchstation, but she began to askaround the community to seeif there was one that might beinterested in having a pro-gram with a disability focus.

Upon learning that part of themission of KFAI CommunityRadio was to represent the un-represented, Hage thought,“Who could be more unrepre-sented on the radio than

people with disabilities?”Soon, Disabled and Proudtook to the air as a monthlyfeature on KFAI. After threeshows, DAP went to a weeklyformat, and has been a fixtureon the Twin Cities airwavesever since.

When I asked Hage what she,personally, had gotten out ofher years as host of theregion’s only radio programon disability culture, shelaughed and said, “Exhaus-tion!” Then she got seriousand spoke of how much shehad learned. “I have met justsuch a wide variety of people

from all avenues of thedisability community. And Ipersonally have gained suchan understanding of all dis-abilities.” She added, it hasbeen wonderful to learn howmany different things peoplewith disabilities are doing inthe community!

Asked to recall highlights ofthe past nine years, Hagelaughed and said, “Well, theone where my heart flutteredwas when I interviewed JohnHockenberry.” Interviewinga fellow journalist, and oneinternationally known, was“terrifying,” she admitted.Hage also told of her inter-view with the late Justin Dartand how amazing it was,“after the tape recorder wentoff, and we just startedtalking.” The opportunity tomeet and talk to such people,she said, has been one of thegreatest things about hostingthe show.

Hage pointed out that it is stillnot uncommon, when talkingabout the show, to hear peoplesay, “Disability culture?What in the world is that?”But she is clear that the idea ofdisability culture has been atthe center of Disabled andProud since the beginning.By interviewing people with abroad range of disabilities,who are engaged in a broadrange of activities and occu-pations, Hage said the showhas attempted to “get a senseof what disability culture isand also what it may become.”This, she says, is importantfor people both within thedisability community and forpeople who don’t have dis-abilities.

Hage’s last show will beOctober 29th, after which shewill turn over the reins to her(“Excellent!”) producer andcohost, Sam Jasmine.

Disabled and Proud: It’sNOT an Oxymoron can beheard every Tuesday nightfrom 7:00 until 7:30 on KFAICommunity Radio, 90.3 FMin Mpls, 106.7 FM in St. Paul.■

SupportKFAI

Pledge Weeks at KFAIRadio in the Twin Cities runfrom October 14-29. Thebest way to say “Thankyou” to Martha and “Goodluck!” to Sam is to send in apledge for Disabled andProud. It is also a great wayto thank KFAI for theirsupport of the program.Martha stresses that itdoesn’t need to be a largesum of money—five dollarswould be great! Theimportant thing is that youshow your support for oneof the very few radio showsin the United States devotedsolely to exploring disabil-ity identity, culture, andpride. You can send yourcheck, made out to “KFAI,”to:

KFAI Radio1808 Riverside AvenueMinneapolis, MN 55454

Make sure you write “Dis-abled And Proud Pledge”on the check.

You can also pledge on-lineat www.kfai.org. Click on“Pledge Now” and followthe instructions. ■

3October 10, 2002

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Breakthrough: AnEmployment Opportunityby Laurie Ann Hobbs

Breakthrough - cont. on p. 14

The MN Work IncentivesConnection: Service,Outcomes, Challengesby Anita Boucher

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In 1998, the disabilitycommunity encouraged

state officials to pursue a five-year grant from the SocialSecurity Administration(SSA). This effort led to thecreation of the MinnesotaWork Incentives Connection,a statewide project serving alldisability groups. As theConnection enters its fifthyear, we’d like to update thecommunity on our progressand plans for the future.

The Minnesota Work Incen-tives Connection helps peoplewith disabilities determinehow work affects their SocialSecurity and other benefits.The Connection’s core ser-vice is Benefits Analysis, acustomized, written planshowing the financial impactof taking a job or workingmore. Since January 2000,the Connection has com-pleted almost 350 BenefitsAnalysis plans.

As part of a national SocialSecurity Administration re-search project, extensive datais collected on Benefits Analy-sis participants to determine ifthe services help them workmore and reduce their depen-dence on government ben-efits. Preliminary data show a7.4 percent increase in em-ployment, a 23 percent in-crease in hours worked, and a34.3 percent increase inearnings of participants fromintake through 6-month fol-low-up. This is significant,given the U.S. General Ac-counting Office’s finding thatless than 1% of SSA benefi-ciaries leave the rolls eachyear as a result of paidemployment. We applaud themany people who’ve over-come very legitimate fearsabout losing benefits, andhave increased their level ofemployment, despite the manyobstacles in their way.

The Connectionalso responds to avariety of inquiriesvia a statewide, tollfree hot line. Sincethe spring of 1999,over 5,500 infor-mation & referraland problem-solv-ing cases have beenhandled. In addi-tion, the Connec-tion has conductedover 400 outreachsessions with 5,000people attending.Outreach sessionsare held in loca-tions across Minne-sota to informpeople about spe-cific work incen-

tives or changes in workincentives. Intensive trainingis also offered on SSI, SSDI,and Medical Assistance rules,and the work incentives asso-ciated with each program.The Connection has con-ducted 37 training sessions inlocations throughout Minne-sota, with over 1,100 attend-ees. Training activities werecut back this year so staffcould focus on direct servicesto individuals, but the Con-nection expects to resumesessions in early 2003.

In 2001 and 2002, theMinnesota Work IncentivesConnection conducted “Satis-faction Surveys” to determinehow Minnesotans felt aboutthe services offered. Thenumber of people who re-turned the surveys far ex-ceeded expectations. Over90% of those responding inboth years indicated theywere either “satisfied” or“very satisfied” with theConnection. A surprisingnumber of people took thetime to include written com-ments with their survey re-sponses. These commentshave helped the Connectionfine-tune services to bettermeet needs identified by thecommunity.

What Doesthe Future Hold?

When the Minnesota WorkIncentives Connection waslaunched in 1999, it wasintended to be a long-termresource for Minnesotans withdisabilities, rather than ashort-term project that woulddisappear at the end of thegrant period. The Connectionis now faced with the chal-lenge of determining whether,and how, to sustain itsservices in the future.

The initial State PartnershipInitiative grant received bythe Connection is expected toend September 30, 2003. In2001, the Connection re-ceived a second grant fromthe Social Security Adminis-tration—Benefits Planning,Assistance and Outreach—but it funds only a smallportion of the Connection’sactivities. Any funding fromstate government is likely tobe limited at best given thebudget deficit. The resourcesof private funders are alsostretched, making it difficultfor them to assist, no matterhow positive the Connection’soutcomes may be.

Working with others, theConnection recently pursueda U.S. Department of Laborgrant that would help sustainthe Connection for severalmore years. We are gratefulfor the many organizationsthat wrote letters of supportfor this proposal. Only sevenproposals will be fundedacross the country, so itremains to be seen if theConnection will be selected.

While funding is pursued, theConnection is also exploringthe feasibility of moving tononprofit status. Despite themany challenges, we areoptimistic that we will be ableto sustain the serviceslaunched four years ago. Weare encouraged by the manyindividuals and organizationsthat have expressed theirsupport and their hope that wewill continue. We welcomeyour input and ideas as weplan for the future. ■

To reach the Minnesota WorkIncentives Connection, call651-632-5113 or 1-800-976-6728, or TTY 651-632-5110or Minnesota Relay - 711.

Finding qualified and ca-pable employees is one

of the largest challenges anorganization faces today. Yetthe U.S. Department of Laborestimates that nearly one outof two people with a disabil-ity—with a college degree—is unemployed. Some cre-ative companies have discov-ered that this large, untappedpool of educated individualswith disabilities can fill avariety of positions. Tofacilitate such connectionsbetween employers and work-ers, an innovative pilot pro-gram called Breakthrough isunderway in Minnesota. Itgives people with disabilitieswho are still in college theopportunity for meaningfulcorporate experience via in-ternships.

Spearheaded by The Disabil-ity Institute, the program isalso different in that it isforging new partnerships be-tween various organizationsin the public and privatesectors. Sponsoring partnersof Breakthrough include theMinnesota Business Leader-ship Network (BLN), Minne-sota State Colleges and Uni-versities, Minnesota Job SkillsPartnership, Disability Ser-vices at the University ofMinnesota, Minnesota Asso-ciation of Higher Educationand Disability, and the Min-nesota State Council on Dis-ability.

Companies participating inthe early stage of this programinclude 3M, Northwest Air-lines, Blue Cross & BlueShield, and Deluxe Corpora-tion—all members of theMinnesota Business Leader-ship Network. Richard Ander-son, Northwest Airlines CEO,leads the BLN in its efforts topromote competitive employ-ment opportunities for indi-viduals with disabilitiesthrough programs such asBreakthrough.

Making a Difference

Students who participated inthis pilot year of the Break-through internship programagree that they obtainedworthwhile corporate experi-ences that increased theirvalue as competitive candi-dates for employment. Theprogram participants workedin a wide range of areasincluding finance, engineer-ing, human resources, andinformation technology. Theyhad meaningful work andmade positive contributionsto the companies where theywere employed.

One example is SteveWiderski, an ambitious St.Paul Technical College stu-dent, who worked with North-west Airlines in the company’sinformation services depart-ment providing computer helpdesk support to employeesaround the world. During histhree-month internship, it isestimated that Widerski per-sonally helped more than3,000 Northwest Airlines em-ployees with computer ques-

tions, including password re-sets and problems related to e-mail and Internet usage.According to his Northwestcolleagues, Widerski is veryconscientious, willing, andeager to learn and take onadditional responsibilities.

“Steve Widerski is a greatexample of how Breakthroughworks,” said Wendy S.Brower, executive director ofThe Disability Institute. TheBreakthrough program takesthe focus off disability, andputs the focus on obtainingvaluable skills. This processhas helped Steve grow profes-sionally while helping North-west Airlines benefit from anoutstanding contributor.”

Brower added, “With hispositive attitude, hard work,and support from people andprograms in public schoolsand higher education, Steveproves that a person with adisability can make a majorpositive contribution in cor-porate America.”

October 10, 2002 4

Superman Walks!by Mike Janssen and Rick Ryan

Superman - cont. on p. 15

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Anyone watching the Sep-tember broadcast of

ABC’s documentary Christo-pher Reeve—CourageousSteps was able to see “Super-man” in one of his best rolesyet. Seven years aftersuffering a spinal cord injurythat left him with almost nofunction at all, he is experi-encing what many personswith disabilities only dreamof. Through an extensive andintensive (and no doubt,expensive) program of physi-cal and electrical therapy, hehas apparently regained asmall amount of movement inhis hands and legs along withclaiming a fair amount ofsensation throughout his body.

It was incredible to seesomeone with such a severeinjury get movement backafter seven years. We not onlysaw him move his finger oncommand, but when he was inthe swimming pool he wasable to move his legs in spiteof having five-pound weightsattached. On top of that, whensupported by a harness in thepool he was actually able totake a few small steps withminimal assistance.

This return of function is

attributed to his therapeuticregimen, but Reeve himself isquick to point out that thesource of a complete cure stilllies in the biologic repair ofthe damage done to his spinalcord. This is evidenced by hiscontinual push for govern-ment funding of embryonicstem cell and therapeuticcloning research. He hasappeared before Congressnumerous times to influencecurrent legislation regardingstem cell research.

We at the Spinal Cord Society(SCS) couldn’t agree morewith Reeve’s actions on thislast point. Two of ourmembers were interviewed byChannel 5 news in conjunc-tion with the CourageousSteps program. Unfortu-nately, the reporter failed togive us adequate credibilityby not acknowledging ourconnection with SCS and thefact that we have been deeplyinvolved in cure research for along time. In the interview,we stressed the fact that whilea therapy program may be auseful tool, it still doesn’taddress the root of theproblem. At best it is just anadjunct to the real work ofrepairing the cord.

Fixing the damage is whereChristopher Reeve, and ev-eryone else searching for acure, should be putting all oftheir time and money. Therapyand other types of care mayhave beneficial effects, but weknow that repairing the cord isthe one thing that will bringabout a cure. This will benefitmillions with spinal cordinjury as well as those withother central nervous systemdisorders.

As Dr. Chuck Carson, founderof SCS, once said: “To theuninformed, curing spinalcord injury looks like a bigjob, almost ‘impossible.’ Butso have many other things inthe past: moon rockets, atomicpower, and—once upon atime—probably the wheel.”

So take heart, because greatstrides are being made in thisarea. From studying stemcells and olfactory ensheath-ing cells to blocking growthinhibitors and building matrixbridges, we are steadily find-ing the tools we need to makecure a reality. What was oncedeemed impossible could nowbe just a few years away.

We at SCS, with over 200chapters around the world,know this because since 1978we have been a driving forcein the cure process. We havelearned some valuable les-sons, which most others haveyet to realize. One is: don’texpect cure to come from thegovernment as they will neverbe able to single out spinalcord injury as a priority case.Another is: don’t just putyourself in the hands of theresearchers and hope theyhave the same integrity andsense of urgency that you do.

Most importantly, if cure isyour objective, then it must beyour only objective. That’swhy our motto is: “CURE—NOT CARE!” It emphasizes

The Extra Mile: Part Oneby Derek VanderVeen

It was April 2, 2001 when Istarted my job in a southern

Minneapolis suburb. At noother time in my life can Iremember being more ner-vous. Actually moving toMinneapolis from Michiganwasn’t even as nerve-wrack-ing. I knew what I was in for,making the transition fromthere to here. I was familiarwith the culture of the area inwhich I’d planned to find anapartment, and was preparedfor, even anticipated, thechange. But my “new” jobwas different. Even thoughI’d come from another store inthe same chain and had a goodhandle on store workings andthe basic expectations ofsomeone in my position, Iknew the people I’d work withand the patrons of this newenvironment would be vastlydifferent.

I’m very much a peopleperson—I mean, I like peopleand people like me. Butbecause of my disability, Itend to be shy at first, afraid ofwhat people will think whenthey initially encounter me.My voice, especially, is a biginsecurity as I suffer from animpairment called dysarthria.It’s probably the most promi-nent aspect of my disability,and certainly the one on whichI’m judged the most.

Strangely enough, it wasn’tthe customers I was mostscared of; I knew they’d be asdemanding as the ones I knewfrom my old store—it’d bejust a matter of breaking in theregulars. It was my cowork-ers. I’d hired on at my oldstore before it opened so theentire staff had pretty muchstarted together and they’dseen and gotten to know myabilities along with every-body else’s. But what werethese big-city folk going tothink of some handicappedkid trying to fit in to theirestablished workplace? Istarted with an extremely

heavy heart and a swarm ofbutterflies in my stomach,wondering if I had made thebiggest mistake in my life.Would I succeed? Would Imake friends like I had backin Michigan? I’d givenmyself twelve months—oneyear to make it, with the safetynet of moving back home.

I really can’t remember howLeslie and I met; the first daykind of blurs in my memory. Ionly know we met somehow.She cracked some smart-assed remark and I retaliatedwith, of course, a moreintelligent response that wasequally witty, and we’ve beencompletely inseparable eversince. And her best friend,Michele, welcomed me withequal warmth. My disabilitywasn’t even noted in theireyes, or in the eyes of theother booksellers. They allsaw immediately that I knewwhat I was doing, and that Idid it well. For them, nofurther evidence of my com-petence was needed. It gaveme the confidence and thebackup to jump into thishighly expectant communityand show ‘em what I wasmade of. The entire staff waswarm, welcoming, caring,and proved to be a family—asupport network that wouldhold me up in times when Ineeded it. It showed me thatpeople are people whereveryou go, and that I need notworry about how I appear tobe. I just need to worry abouthow I am.

Physically speaking, the worldof books isn’t the simple job Ithought I was going into out ofcollege. When I first applied,I remember thinking: “Work-ing in a bookstore. What anamazingly easy job!” It’sactually very physical work.Even now I come home withlegs that throb and feet thatare so swollen that I canbarely get them out of myshoes. To begin with, I’m

literally on my feet for themajority of an eight-hourshift. I walk a good four milesa day within the walls of thatstore. And books are heavywhen you’re dealing withstacks of them by the truck-load. I carry piles of books upand down the escalator, some-times with the aid of a cart,sometimes without. Slidingshelves of books down to fitone more title in, back andforth, over and over, is hardon the back and the arms.

In many respects, I think of itas a huge jigsaw puzzle—onefor which I have no guide.Fitting pieces together inhopes that I’ll find a few thatactually work; squeezingbooks onto shelves or dis-plays that are alreadyoverstuffed. And there’sanother puzzle: it’s having tobalance my responsibilitieswith my abilities. Sometimesmy body just won’t do what Iwant it to, so I have toimprovise ways to get my jobdone with methods that mybody can relate to. It’s achallenge, and one that so farI’ve taken head-on, emergingvictorious. My work has thisdynamic quality of constantlypresenting me with newchallenges to overcome, caus-ing me to evolve with the joband stretch my abilities,invariably finding out that Ican do more than I thought.

A lot of people think workingin a split-level store would bea challenge for me with mylimp. It’s not really. I actuallydo very well with stairs. Yes,we have escalators, but mostof us walk up and down themto save time, so it’s just liketaking a stairway, albeit a bitshorter. And shorter meansless time from top to bottom.Timing is a very crucial thingin my world.... ■

Part Two will be printed inour November issue.

5October 10, 2002

The 2002 RBC Dain Rauscher Celebration of CourageCelebrates Advances in

Employing People with Disabilities

In its seventh year, Courage Center’s Celebration of Courage event honors the professionalachievements of Minnesotans with disabilities. The gala awards ceremony, celebrated on Saturday,Oct. 12 at the Medtronic World Headquarters in Fridley, anticipates an audience of over 700 people.

National Courage Award Winner

This year’s National Courage Award is presented to Twin Cities corporateexecutive, Vernon Heath. Heath, co-founder and former CEO ofRosemount, Inc., is well known for his business expertise and a lifetime ofoutstanding support to non-profit organizations. Heath contracted polio atage eight. An advocate for disability awareness and access, he served onthe boards of Courage Center and Sister Kenny Institute and has beeninvolved with Gillette Children’s Hospital and the MS Society. His personalexperiences, business skills and talents contributed greatly to the lives ofbusiness leaders and people with disabilities.

For more than 20 years, Courage has presented this award to people whohave made a significant contribution to the health, welfare and rehabilitationof people with disabilities. Other national recipients include StephenHawking, Dr. I. King Jordan, former Senator Bob Dole, John Hockenberryand Itzhak Perlman.

Other awards which will be announced at the event include theRose and Jay Phillips awards.

Check www.courage.org for more information on these winners.

Rose and Jay Phillips Award WinnersSince 1964, Courage Center has presented its annual Phillips Awards to people with disabilities who have succeededin their careers. In addition to career success, it recognizes community involvement and advocacy efforts. Throughthe years, the award has helped employers recognize the benefits of hiring people with disabilities. This year’s awardwinners are:

••••• Jay Johnson••••• Damon Leivestad••••• Jeff Mickle••••• Jenny Peterson••••• Mark Siegel

Courage would like to thank the following sponsors:

Event SponsorRBC Dain Rauscher

Major SponsorsABRA Auto Body and GlassAllianz Life Insurance Company of North AmericaThe Hubbard Broadcasting FoundationMcGough ConstructionMerrill Corporation

National Courage Award SponsorMedtronic, Inc.

Vern Heath

October 10, 2002 6

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Disability Culture

The Ubiquitous Reeveby John Tschida

Christopher Reeve’s fifti-eth birthday has come

and gone and the Man of Steelremains permanently seated.This is no surprise to me and Isuspect it comes as no shockto him either. The date isremarkable only becauseshortly after he was thrownheadfirst from his horse sevenyears ago, Reeve vowed thathis potent mix of celebrity,political clout, and the effectof these factors on increasedresearch funding would lifthim from his wheelchair bySeptember 25, 2002. I do notdoubt his resolve. Nor do Iquestion his motivation. With-out question, Reeve is aubiquitous and controversialfigure in the world of disabil-ity politics. Say what you willabout his quest for a cure, it’shis ubiquity that we all shouldadmire. The guy is every-where, and he’s got the mediaplaying by his rules, whichbenefits the cause of peoplewith disabilities everywhere.

It’s easy to criticize ChrisReeve, and many do. In anutshell: he’s got it easy up inWestchester County in acustomized accessible homewith round-the-clock carethat, according to Reuters,clocks in at $420,100 eachyear. His Hollywood buddieshelp him raise oodles of cashand lobby Congress to boostresearch dollars. His researchbuddies and cutting edgedoctors are vying for Reeve’sattention to try a variety ofnew land and water-basedtherapies. And many believehe doesn’t do enough to helpthe Average Joe with adisability just live better dayto day.

What Reeve is best at ismarketing Christopher Reeve.I can think of very few thingsas filled with irony andmelodrama as a strappingHollywood superhero stilledin the prime of his life andnow strapped to a sip-and-

Mental Illness/Brain Disorders

Why Don’t They Just TakeTheir Meds?by Pete Feigal

I am alive today, after 30+years of serious mental

illness, because of threethings: effective medication;good cognitive therapy; andbuilding new dreams, mean-ing, and purpose.

I also know that the issue ofmedication noncompliance isone of the greatest problemsthat faces consumers and theirloved ones. The choice ofwhether to take or not takemeds is at the core of manybroken hearts, lives, andfamilies. On the surface, itseems to be a no-brainer: ifyou have a biochemical dis-ease, take the pills to help withthe symptoms. It seemssimple, but it’s not. 20-28%of people quit taking theirmeds after one month. 40%quit after 3 months. And thereare reasons why. There areissues and frustrations con-nected to medication thatmany family members andprofessionals perhaps aren’taware of. Issues they need toknow.

In my own struggle with MI,there were many reasons whyI didn’t take medications.

Sometimes I couldn’t affordmedications and doctor ap-pointments. The disabilityhoops you have to jumpthrough are so tough andshaming, that it makes it hardto receive financial help—and the illness itself makes itimpossible to have a steadywork history, with a steadysalary and good insurance.

There were times I was sodepressed and discouraged,and had been that way for solong, that I didn’t believe Iwas sick. I thought that thiswas just the way I was, andtaking medication seemedlike a waste of time.

Through the years, the issueof side effects has been acrucial one. The drugs didhelp the 2 or 3% of the brainneurotransmitters that wereeffected by the illness, butwere toxic to the other 97% ofthe brain that ran everythingelse. Fatigue, numbness, drymouth, constipation, the“shakes,” drowsiness, loss ofsexuality, loss of concentra-tion, and loss of sense of selfonly begin to cover the gamutof side effects from psychiat-ric medicines. One of myfriends was once on sevendifferent meds at the sametime: one for depression andthe other six to counteract theside effects of the others.Reading about the side effectson a pill bottle isn’t the sameas having to live with them,24-7. Sometimes we who’vehad to take these medicinesover the years, have won-dered what’s worse: theillness or the cure? Eventhough the meds are becom-ing more and more refined,many of us are still hit withthese residual problems—many of us have been burnedso many times that it’s hard totry something else, to trustagain.

Trust is at the heart of anotherimportant factor: with theshortage of psychiatrists, ittakes an average of six weeksto get an appointment. Whenyou finally get to see a doctor,he spends an average of 6-8minutes with you. Not muchtime for him to get to knowyou or your history. Not muchtime to decide which power-ful brain-chemistry-alteringmedication he’s going to askyou to take. Not much time todevelop a trusting relation-ship. One of the mosteffective ways to have peoplestay on their meds, is byhaving the time to build

trust—and for the doctor togive us options, let us havesome decision on what goesinto our bodies and brains.

The world is facing a medicalcrisis because certain staffinfections have become anti-biotic resistant. This isbecause antibiotics have be-come so overprescribed andmisused. If someone had asore throat, they would takethe pills 4 or 5 days, until theyfelt better, and then put therest of the antibiotics back inthe medicine cabinet. If a“normal, healthy” person can-not finish a week’s course ofantibiotics, imagine how hardit must be for someonestruggling with schizophre-nia, OCD (obsessive-compul-sive disorder), or bipolardisorder to take pills everyday for the rest of his or herlife. New delivery systemsfor the meds could substan-tially help this.

For much of my struggle withMI, I didn’t want to be well. Iwas afraid that I would losethe most important piece ofmy creativity, of my “color,”ofwhat made Pete, Pete. I wasafraid that if I got “well,” Iwould become a “normal,”ordinary, boring person—unmotivated or unable tocreate. I was afraid thatwithout my MI, I wouldshrivel up like a dry leaf, andthe wind would blow meaway.

Sometimes I was so frustratedand angry at the medicalsystem that seemed so help-less to help me, that seemedsometimes as if they weretrying to make me sicker, thatI refused to take the meds—aclassic “cut off your nose tospite your face.”

Feigal - cont. on p. 13

puff chair, carefully timingthe beats of his respirator toall but eliminate pauses in hisspeech. His is a powerfulpresence and Reeve knowsthis best of all. In fact, he sellsit: to Congress, to payingguests at fund-raisers, to theviewing public with everyBarbara Walters interview,and to book buyers who viewhis pre-paralyzed physiqueand curly locks on theslipcovers of his books. Andwhile some may view this ascrass, I thank the guy for it.He is a constant reminder toall, not only of what could be,but of the challenges peoplewith severe and visible dis-abilities face each day. Reeveisn’t banking on pity. Insteadit’s a more complex and con-frontational challenge thatinvites us into his world. Thisdemands a comparison to hispre-accident self, which is astory of death, rebirth, andredefinition—death of move-ment, freedom, independence;and a re-creation of relation-ships, mission, and purpose.

All of these elements werepresent in the recently broad-cast ABC television special,Courageous Steps, directedby Reeve’s 22-year-old son,Matt. I marveled not at hisnewly recovered, albeit lim-ited, movements and medicalbreakthroughs, but at thefleeting moments of intimacyand sadness. Without words,the sight of him being lifted bythree men from bed towheelchair, and the discom-fort evident on his face as ithappened, was commonplacefor him, but revealing to thoseunfamiliar with such basicneeds. I was also struck by hiscontinued loss of hair, and hisneed to comment on it (it’scaused by medication), andthe fact that he just plainlooked old (which drew nocomment or explanation).

Most powerful was the reac-tion of Reeve when he failed

his diaphragm test—designedto measure whether any of thenecessary muscles, needed tofree him of his ventilator andthe 24-hour watch of a hiredhand that accompanies it,were firing—it was gut-wrenching. As much asReeve wants to walk, it is theventilator that is his albatross,and this brief, awkward inter-action with his doctor madepublic his failure. Despite allthe hype of Reeve’s unprec-edented physical advancesand his enduring strength ofspirit, at the end of the dayReeve goes to bed tethered toan air hose that gives him life,and he hates it. Taken alone,this snippet of reality is thestuff of living with a disabilityat one point or another.Whether you’re fighting forthe cure or fighting against itbecause having a disability isan integral part of who youare, there are those momentsthat creep up on you whenlimitation, failure, or lack ofindependence is just too muchto bear. These moments aremostly hidden, tucked awayand private. I did not envyReeve’s sadness at this mo-ment, but I do credit his sonfor sharing it with America.

The marketing of ChristopherReeve will continue, and itwill be equal parts inspirationand revelation. He will con-tinue to be a lightning rod fora number of moral andpolitical constituencies andevolve as an activist andadvocate. I am thankful thatas time has passed, Reeve hasshared more of his challengesas well as his triumphs. Hiscontinued media presence—in print, on film and the smallscreen—gives us opportuni-ties to both educate anddebate our colleagues andfriends, regardless of disabil-ity status, and defend our sideof the philosophical divide asto whether he is friend, foe, orboth. In my mind, suchubiquity ain’t a bad thing. ■

7October 10, 2002

A Revolutionary Approach for People with Disabilitites

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Spirituality and Disability

It Ain’t Necessarily Soby Ellen Houghton

How strong are yourconvictions? How do

others perceive the way youlive those convictions? Howoften does truth turn out to bedifferent than initial percep-tions? I found myself won-dering about these questionsafter seeing the video, A CryIn The Dark. It’s about anAustralian couple who takestheir family—including a new-born baby—on holiday toAyers Rock, a national park inAustralia. One night, whilethey were socializing arounda campfire a few yards away, adingo snuck into their unat-tended tent and stole theirbaby. The true story thatunfolded received nationalnews coverage.

My first reaction to themother’s reaction was to notehow cold she seemed. Evenlater, while the father wasfalling apart, she appearedstoic. I, in fact, interpretedthis to be “another dysfunc-tional person stuffing theirfeelings.” But it never fails—as soon as I judge someone,I’m shown the true value ofjudging others. Nothing!

In actuality, she was a veryspiritual person and wasliving her trust in her HigherPower. When I removed myjudgmental glasses, I couldsee that she and her husbandwere really hurting from theloss of their daughter, but theyleaned on their faith andcontinued forward. Theypressed on to the point wherethey felt it essential to gopublic and warn others—hoping to prevent them fromexperiencing their kind ofpain.

Then you discover they be-longed to a religious faithforeign to most of the peopleof the area—they were thosestrange people with the weirdbeliefs. Unfortunately, hu-mans have a tendency to strike

out at what we don’t under-stand. After all, it may forceus to take a good hard look atour own opinions, fears,convictions, and so on—when it’s “easier” to go on thedefensive and lash out, therebydiverting our attention awayfrom ourselves and the needfor our own internal work.

This woman was actuallyconvicted and served time,probably because her “cool-ness” made the jury think shehad harmed the baby andblamed it on the dingo. Butfor the mother, her appear-ance of “coolness” was actu-ally a demonstration of herconviction to her faith. Yearslater, when a prime piece ofevidence surfaced and hercase was retried, the inaccura-cies of the first trial showedjust how prejudiced the juryof “her peers” had been. Howoften in life have people beenpunished for what they be-lieve? It’s sad that we can’tallow others to walk their ownpath of discovery. Andsadder yet that we just don’tseem to learn from history.

Two personal examples deal-ing with my strong spiritualbelief come to mind. Yearsago, I joined the UnityChurch. I was raised as aPresbyterian and consider it avery positive, joyful part ofmy childhood. Another partof my Kansas childhoodincluded regular Sundaydrives with the family. Occa-sionally we would go to UnityVillage where that religionbegan. I remember it as thisweird place that had beautifulrose gardens (our reason forgoing), where we would eat ina cafeteria my father didn’tparticularly like because theydidn’t serve much meat (as invegetarian). Generally, therewas a mystery about thisplace—I had a feeling therewas something that my familydidn’t quite approve of, yet

we visited it to see itswonderful gardens. Talkabout mixed messages!

Now here I am, years later,changing from one of the mostsupportive, positive aspectsof my childhood to one joinedto this place of childhoodmystery. This happenedbecause I got more facts—Ifound out personally whatUnity was all about and it fitvery well with my beliefs.

The story doesn’t end here.After I joined the church, mynext hurdle was telling mymom. As expected, she wasnot pleased. However, after ayear or so, we had a verywonderful, intimate conver-sation about my switch toUnity. This brings up mysecond example. It startedwith Mom finally sharing thatshe was having difficulty withmy reference to God as myHigher Power. Now to meGod is a concept/faith/beliefwith lots of names. Whatname I use doesn’t changehow I feel. But I’ve learnedthrough life that people oftenhave difficulty with personaldefinitions of particular wordsand that the best way to beheard is to be cognizant ofothers’ feelings about thosewords, especially if it does notharm my own self-esteem.Since this allows me tocommunicate better withpeople and reach a commonground, why not? It takes intoaccount others’ feelings andmakes us partners—and isn’tthat what true communicationis really about?

So here we were, back againto perception. At a time in mylife when I felt more con-nected to God than I ever had,my mother was expressingconcern about my beliefs.This came as such a shock tome. After all, couldn’t she seehow strong my faith was by

Making Your HouseAccessibleby Jeni Mundl

If you are a person with adisability, the dream of

owning your own house ispossible. There are manyadaptations that can increaseyour independence and abili-ties. Creativity is a must,along with a good contractorwho will assist you in con-structing your perfect home.

Assessing Your Needs

Starting out can be difficult.Standard universal designconcepts such as wider doorsand ramps can be a beginning.Beyond that, there are manyother resources available tohelp you meet your personalaccessibility needs.

The Center for UniversalDesign is a national research,information, and technicalassistance center. Their web-site is a great starting point:www.design.ncsu.edu/cud.Print information may beobtained by calling 1-800-647-6777.

CASPAR is a comprehensiveassessment tool that assistswith identifying problems(doorways, lighting, appli-ances, and so on) in both pre-existing homes and newplans, and providing a sum-mary of recommendations.Their website can be found atw w w . e h l s . c o m / c a s p a r /caspar.html. The assessmenttool is extensive and allows aperson to think beyond simpleadaptations to create an ac-cessible home.

Another good resource isfound through the RESNATechnical Assistance Projectat www.resna.org/taproject/policy/community/HMRG.htm or by calling 703-524-6686. This resource guideprovides information aboutassistive technology (AT) andhome modifications. It cov-ers definitions; laws andguidelines; initiatives from

the Assistive Technology Actgrantees (such as the FairHousing Act); advocacy, fi-nancing, modification, andresearch resources; accredita-tions; on-line courses; and abibliography.

The American Association ofRetired People (AARP) alsooffers information on univer-sal design and home modifi-cation at www.aarp.org/universalhome/, includinguseful information for peoplewith disabilities.

Finally, IDEA Center, Uni-versity of Buffalo (http://ap.buffalo.edu/~idea) is asite dedicated to universaldesign. It contains links, use-ful resources, publications,general standards, and a freeCD ROM of examples ofmodifications and new hous-ing that is more accessible.

Seeing the Possibilities

Recently, Habitat for Human-ity and Courage’s AssistiveTechnology Initiative part-nered in building an acces-sible home. The house wasbuilt for Lisa Baron and ScottDehn, both of whom havecerebral palsy. The projectincorporated assistive tech-nology products and featuresavailable for use by peoplewith disabilities. The projectis an excellent example ofcommunity-wide collabora-tion and partnership. Assistivetechnology vendors, donors,manufacturers, and volun-teers teamed to achieve mea-surable outcomes (affordablehousing with technology,learning accessible housingimplementation and design)for both consumers and par-ticipants in creating an afford-able, accessible home.

By combining Habitat’s af-fordable housing programwith Courage Center’s exper-tise in assistive technology,

this pilot home project show-cases some of the assistivetechnology features availableto meet the needs of home-owners with disabilities.Hopefully, this unique part-nership will continue to allowmore people with disabilitiesto realize the dream of owningan affordable, accessible homethat incorporates assistivetechnology such as aids fordaily living, environmentalcontrols, and mobility de-vices. Examples of suchitems include: a ceiling track-ing system, specialized tele-phones, and proper placementof common items used in thekitchen and throughout thehome.

Scott and Lisa’s home wasjust dedicated on Saturday,October 5. For more informa-tion, please take a look at theTwin Cities Habitat forHumanity’s website at www.tchabitat.org. Read the on-line journal of Scott and Lisa,which includes photos of thehome.

Also, in this year’s Parade ofHomes, Regel has a $649,560demonstration barrier-freehome which features up-to-date technology. The housecontains a variety of high- andlow-tech accommodations.For example, by speaking intoa cell phone, you can tellwindows to open, blinds toclose, lights to turn off and on,and the television to changechannels. A push-buttonceiling monorail-style slinglift carries a person from thebed to the oversized bathtub.When the doorbell rings, thetelevision switches to a viewof the front door. When itrains, sensors automaticallyclose windows.

Funding

Funding for AT features in thehome is always an issue. In

Houghton - cont. on p. 13 Mundl - cont. on p. 13

October 10, 2002 8

Directory of Organizations forPersons with Disabilities

ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONSACT-UP MN, Robert Halfhill, 612-870-8026Advocating Change Together, Kathy Sanders, 651-641-0297ARC - Anoka/Ramsey Co.s, Marianne Reich, 763-783-4958ARC - Hennepin/Carver County, 952-920-0855,

archennepincarver.orgARC - MN, Bob Brick, 651-523-0823, 1-800-582-5256,

[email protected] - Suburban, Marianne Reich, 952-890-3057ARRM, Bruce Nelson, 651-291-1086Justice for All, 202-488-7684, Justin and Yoshiko DartMN Consortium for Citizens With Disabilities, Tom Brick,

651-296-3478MN Developmental Achievement Ctr Assoc, 651-647-9200North Suburban Consumer Advocates for the Handicapped

(NSCAH), Jesse Ellingworth, 763-783-4708, 763-783-4724 TTY

Ombudsman for Mental Health & Mental Retardation, 651-296-3848, 1-800-657-3506, www.ombudmhmr.state.mn.us.

BRAIN INJURY SERVICESA Chance to Grow, Bob DeBour, 612-521-2266, newvisions

@mail.actg.orgBrain Injury Assoc. of MN, Stephanie Weiss Lake, 612-378-

2742, 800-669-6442, [email protected] Brain Injury-TBI Metro Services, 612-869-3995

COMMUNITY-LIVING SERVICESCommunity Bridge Consortium, Pat Svendsen, 651-748-7437

V/TTY, [email protected] Involvement Programs, 612-362-4400Help Yourself, Sara Meyer, 651-646-3662Henn. Co. Lib. Homebound Serv., Becky Mobarry, 952-847-

8850Metro Ctr. for Independent Living, 651-646-8342 V, 651-

603-2001 TTYSE MN Ctr for Independent Living (SEMCIL), 507-285-1815,

507-285-0616 TTYSILC-Statewide Independent Living Council, Bill Bauer, 651-

296-5085 V, 651-297-2705 TTYSo. MN Independent Living Enterprises & Serv. (SMILES),

Alan Augustin, 507-345-7139West Henn. Commu. Services, Mary Perkins, 952-988-4177

EDUCATION ORGANIZATIONSAdaptive Recreation & Learning Exchange, Kristen Abel,

612-861-9361 V/TTY, [email protected] Basic Ed/Special Needs, Betty Sims, 651-290-4729Center for Learning & Adaptive Student Serv. (CLASS),

Robert Doljanac, 612-330-1648, [email protected] Community Services, Diane Cross, 612-861-1688,

[email protected] Disabilities Program (Family Services of St. Paul),

Jan Parkman, 651-767-8321Learning Exchange, Lynn Dennis, 952-885-8531, TTY 952-

885-8590MELD (MN Early Learning Design), 612-332-7563 V/TTY,

[email protected]. Community and Technical College, Office for Students

w/ Disabilities, Melissa Newman, 612-341-7000 V/TTYMN Higher Education Services Office, Sarah Beth Mueller,

651-6420533PACER Center, Inc., Pat Bill, 952-838-9000 V/TTY, tbill

@pacer.orgParent Support Network (EBD/ADD/ADHD/LD), 763-783-

4949POHI District Consultants-Mpls. Public Schools, Jim

Thomas- Anwatin Coord., 612-668-2450Project Compass, Adult Disability Program - Winona Comm.

Educ., Helen Newell, 507-454-9450 Voice/TTY,[email protected]

Reuben Lindh Learning Center, 612-721-5111

GOVERNMENT SERVICESDakota Co. Social Services, 952-891-7400, www.co.dakota

.mn.usDivision for Persons w/Developmental Disabilities, 651-282-

2086Mpls. Advisory Commitee for People with Disabilities,

Margot Imdieke Cross, 651-296-6785, [email protected]

GOVERNMENT SERVICES continuedMN Children with Special Health Needs, 651-215-8956, 1-

800-728-5420 V/TTYMN Dept. of Human Services, Traumatic Brain Injury

Program, 651-582-1938MN Gov. Council On Dev. Disabilities, Deborah Tompkins,

651-296-4018 V, 651-296-9962 TTYMN Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, 1-800-

722-0550, 507-333-4828, [email protected] State Council on Disability, 651-296-6785MN State Services for the Blind, 651-642-0500, 800-652-

9000St. Paul Advisory Commitee for People w/Disabilities, Roger

Schwagmeyer, 651-266-8891Social Security, St. Paul PASS Cadre, 651-290-0304

HEALTH ORGANIZATIONSAXIS, Diana MacLennan, 651-556-0865, www.axishealth.comChildren’s United Hospital, 651-220-8000Gillette Children’s Hospital, Lynn Carpentier, 651-229-3845Health Psychology Clinic, U of M, 612-624-9646Methodist Hosp. Ctr. for Senior Services, 952-993-5041Methodist Hosp. Parkinson Center, 952-993-5495Methodist Hosp. Stroke Supp. Grp., 952-993-6789Shriner’s Hospitals for Children, Karen Boyer 612-596-6105Sister Kenny Rehabilitation Institute, Access and Referral

Department, 612-863-4457, www.sisterkennyinstitute.com

HEARING IMPAIRMENT SERVICESDeaf Blind Services MN, Jean Greener, 612-362-8454 V/

TTY, [email protected] & Hard of Hearing Services Metro, Marie Koehler, 651-

297-1313 TTY,651-297-1316MN Assoc. of Deaf Citizens, Inc., Douglas Bahl, 763-757-

5998 TTYMN Commission Serving Deaf & Hard of Hearing People,

651-297-7305 TTYMN Relay Service, 1-800-627-3529, sprint.trscustserv@mail.

sprint.comSelf Help for Hard of Hearing (SHHH), Leslie Cotter, 651-

772-4931 V/TTYSight & Hearing Association, 651-645-2546

LEGAL SERVICESLegal Advocacy for Persons with Dev. Disabilities, 612-332-

1441, mnlegalservices.orgLegal Aid Society of Mpls, Laurie Moser, 612-332-1441MN Disability Law Ctr., 612-332-1441

MENTAL HEALTH SERVICESAlliance for Mentally Ill - Wash. Co., Bob Rafferty, 651-439-

3800Alliance for Mentally Ill of MN, 651-645-2948Centre for Mental Health Solutions, Tamera, 952-922-6916,

www.tcfmhs.orgHenn. Co. Mental Health Ctr., Joel Pribnow, 612-348-4947Mental Health Association, 612-331-6840, 1-800-862-1799,

www.MentalHealthMN.orgMental Health Consumer/Survivor Network, 651-637-2800,

1-800-383-2007, [email protected] Health Law Project, Pat Siebert, 612-332-1441MN Assoc. for Child. Mental Health, 651-644-7333, 1-800-

528-4511, [email protected] Depressive & Manic Depressive Assoc., 612-379-7933Pilot City Mental Health Center, Sy Gross, 612-348-4622Tasks Unlimited, Natalie Trockman, 612-871-3320,

www.tasksunlimited.org

RECREATIONAL SERVICESAccess Outdoors/Wilderness Inquiry, Mike Passo, 612-676-

9416, 800-728-0719 V/TTY, www.accessoutdoors.org orwww.wildernessinquiry.org

Achilles Track Club-Uptown, Kay Christianson, 612-822-7872

Boy Scouting for People w/ Spec. Needs, Jan Bovee, 651-224-1891

Camp for Child. & Teens w/ Epilepsy, Deborah McNally, 651-646-8675, 1-800-779-0777

Camp Winnebago, Kathy Geely, 507-724-2351, [email protected]

RECREATIONAL SERVICES continuedCapable Partners, Jonathan Leslie, 763-542-8156Friendship Ventures (Camp Friendship, Eden Wood Center,

Ventures Travel Service), 952-852-0101, www.friendshipventures.org, [email protected]

Ski for Light, 612-827-3232US Electric Wheelchair Hockey Association, Craig McClellan,

763-535-4736

REHABILITATION CENTERSCourage Center, 763-588-0811, www.courage.org.Functional Industries, Don Tribyl, 763-682-4336Lifetrack Resouces, 651-227-8471, TTY 651-227-8471Metro Work Center, Inc., 612-729-7381, mwc@onvoy

mail.comMidwest Special Services, Lyth Hartz, 651-778-1000North Memorial Rehabilitation Services, North Memorial

Medical Center, 763-520-5690Opportunity Partners, 952-938-5511, 952-930-4293 TTYOwobopte, Inc., 651-686-0405Rehabilitation Centers, MRCI - Burnsville, 952-894-4680

MRCI - Carver/Scott 952-445-6811MRCI - Chaska, 952-448-2234MRCI - Fairmont, 507-238-4388MRCI - Industrial Operations, 507-386-5600,

[email protected] - Lakeville, 952-898-5025MRCI - New Ulm, 507-233-2700

RESIDENTIAL SERVICESAccessible Space, Inc., Stephen Vanderschaaf, 651-645-

7271, www.accessiblespace.orgAltern. for People with Autism, Inc, Mike Amon, 763-560-

5330, [email protected] Metro Reg. Treatment Ctr., Judith Krohn, 763-712-

4000Homeward Bound, Inc., 763-566-7860Nat’l Handicap Housing Inst., Inc., Mike Bjerkesett, 651-639-

9799, [email protected] Phoenix Residence, Darlene M. Scott, 651-227-7655

RESOURCE CENTERSAccess for All, Mike Chevrette, 651-481-4062ALS Assoc. (Lou Gehrig’s Disease), 612-672-0484Alzheimer’s Association, John Kemp, 952-830-0512Am. Behcet’s Disease Assoc., 1-800-723-4238Am. Cancer Soc.- MN Div., 612-925-2772, 1-800-227-2345Am. Cancer Soc. (Ramsey Co.), 651-644-1224American Diabetes Assoc., Lee Johnson, 763-593-5333American Heart Assoc., Betty Young, 952-835-3300, www.

americanheart.orgAmerican Lung Assoc., 651-227-8014, 1-800-642-5864 (in

MN), [email protected] Syringomyelia Alliance Project Inc. (ASAP), 1-

800-ASAP-282, www.asap4sm.orgApollo Resource Center, Leah, 651-227-6321Arthritis Foundation, Deb Dressely, 651-644-4108Catholic Charities, Program for People with Disabilities, John

Schatzlein, 651-222-3001Chemical Injury Resource Assn., 651-647-0944Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Association of MN, 651-644-4975Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Molly Boyum, 651-631-3290,

[email protected] Institute, Wendy Brower, 952-935-9343Down Syndrome Assn. Of MN, 651-603-0720,

[email protected] Consumer & Family Regional Resource Center, 218-

728-3531East Suburban Resources, Sue Schmidt, 651-351-0190 or

MRS 800-627-3529ELCA Committee on Disabilities, Linda Larson, 612-788-

8064Epilepsy Found., John Thompson, 651-646-8675, 800-779-

0777, [email protected] Foundation of MN, 763-323-7406Independence Crossroads, Rob Olson, 612-854-8004,

[email protected] Family Service, Maggie Spears, 612-348-5788KDWB Variety Family Center, Elizabeth Latts, 612-626-

3087 www.allaboutkids.umn.edu

Editor’s Note: Please let us know if there are any errors in your listing or if you would prefer your organization be in a different category. Thank you!

Directory - cont. on p. 9

9October 10, 2002

RESOURCE CENTERS continuedLeague of Women Voters, 651-224-5445, [email protected] Society of America, MN Chapter, 952-545-3309Lupus Foundation of America, MN Chapter, 612-375-1131,

[email protected] Disease Coalition, Linn Olivier, 651-64-7239,

[email protected] Disease Network of MN, Linn Olivier, 651-644-7239MN AIDS Proj., MAP AIDSLine 800-248-2437 or 888-820-

2437 V/TTY, www.mnaidsproject.orgMN Stroke Association, 800-647-4123, www.strokemn.orgMuscular Dystrophy Assoc., Health Care Service Dept, 952-

832-5517 (Mpls. district), 952-832-5716 (St. Paul district)National Ataxia Foundation, Donna Gruetzmacher, 763-553-

0020, [email protected]’l. Multiple Sclerosis Society, MN Chapter, Jill Retzer,

612-335-7900, 1-800-582-5296 V/TTY, [email protected]

People, Inc. Epilepsy Services, Anne Barnwell, 612-338-9035, www.orgsites.com/mn/epilepsy

Spina Bifida Assoc. of MN, Lisa Schaffee, 651-222-6395Stroke Center, N. Memorial Medical Center, 763-520-5900Twin Cities Autism Society, 651-647-1083United Cerebral Palsy of MN, JoAnn Erbes, 651-646-7588, 1-

800-328-4827, ext.1437, [email protected]

SERVICE DOGSHearing and Service Dogs of MN, Alan Peters, 612-729-5986

V, 612-729-5914 TTY, [email protected] Paws Of MN, 952-988-9359, [email protected]

SOCIAL SERVICESCapella Management Group, Gerald Glomb, 651-641-0041NW Henn Human Services Council, 763-493-2802 V/TTY

SUPPORTBrain Injury Support Group, North Memorial Medical Center,

Susan Keeney, 763-520-5090Emotions Anonymous, 651-647-9712, [email protected] and Lesbian Helpline, 612-822-8661 V/TTYSpinal Cord Support Group, North Memorial Medical Center,

Twyla Misselhorn, 763-520-1449

If your organization would like to be included in theDirectory of Organizations, contact Access Press at

Suite 104S, 1821 University Ave. W. St. Paul, MN 55104 • 651-644-2133 • [email protected]

DIRECTORY- Cont. from p. 8

SUPPORT continuedSpinal Cord Injuries Help Line, Roger Hoffman, 651-464-

7559

TECHNOLOGYClosing the Gap, MaryAnn Harty, 1-507-248-3294,

[email protected]

TRANSPORTATIONMetro Mobility, 651-602-1111, 651-221-0014 TTY

U of M AFFILIATED PROGRAMSInstitute on Community Integration, Vicki Gaylord, pub

[email protected], 612-624-4512U of M Disability Services, 612-626-1333 V/TTY, web

[email protected] of M Disabled Stud Cultural Ctr, 612-624-2602, 612-626-

7003 TTY

VISION IMPAIRMENT SERVICESAm. Council of Blind Services, James Olsen, 612-332-3242BLIND, Inc., Joyce Scanlan, 612-872-0100Candle in the Window, Kathy Szinnyey, 1-502-895-0866Deaf Blind Services MN, Jean Greener, 612-362-8454 V/

TTY, [email protected] & Hearing Association, 651-645-2546State Services for the Blind:

Aids & Devices (The STORE), Duane Troff, 651-642-0777Audiotape Transcription Services, Ellie Sevdy, 651-642-

0849Braille Transcription Services, Mary Archer, 651-642-0852Employment Services, Joe Pattison, 651-642-0515Radio Talking Book and Dial-In News, Stuart Holland, 651-

642-0503Self-Sufficiency Services, Linda Lingen, 651-642-0504

United Blind of MN, Inc., 763-391-3699Vision Loss Resources, 612-871-2222

VISION IMPAIRMENT SERVICES continuedVolunteer Braille Services & Large Print, 763-971-5231

VISUAL/PERFORMING ARTSInteract Center for the Visual and Performing Arts, 612-339-

5145 V, 612-339-6465 TTY, [email protected] MN, 612-332-3888 V/TTY, [email protected]

VOCATIONAL SERVICESAccessAbility, Inc., Darren Mack, 612-331-5958,

[email protected] to Employment, Lori Sterner, 763-543-6980V/TTYEmployment Action Center, 612-752-8800, www.eac-

mn.orgGoodwill Industries/Easter Seal, Lynette Bergstrom, 651-646-

2591 V, goodwilleasterseals.orgHennepin County Vocational Services Program, Shanna

Melton, 612-348-8370, [email protected]

Kaposia, Inc., Jon Alexander, 651-224-6974, [email protected]

Lifeworks Services, Susan Sczcukowski, 651-365-3732,[email protected]

Midway Training Services, Barbara Kale, 651-641-0709Minnesota AgrAbility Project/Rural Rehab Technology, Beth

Zabel, 507-354-5380, [email protected] Resource Center, Kim Feller, 612-752-8102, kfeller@

resource-mn.orgMN Work Incentives Connection, 651-632-5113 or 1-800-

976-6728 (voice), 651-632-5110 (TTY)Rehab Services Branch, 651-296-5616 or 800-328-9095, 651-

296-3900 TTYRise, Inc., 763-786-8334, [email protected], Inc., Phil Saari, 651-489-2595Vinland Center, Carol Jackson, 763-479-3555 V/TTY,

vinland @vinlandcenter.org

October 10, 2002 10

Wings

“A musical that matters deeply.”— NY Times

director Peter Rothsteinmusic director Denise Prosek

starring Janis Hardy

October 4 ~26The Loring Playhouse

(612) 343-3390 or ticketworks.com

The following performances will be Audio Described (AD) for people who are blind or have lowvision, or interpreted in American Sign Language (ASL) for people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing.

Accessible PerformancesInteract’s Fall Season

Hapgood; runs 9/13-11/3;AD Thurs., 10/24, 7:30;Jungle Theater; Mpls.;612-822-7063; www.jungletheater.com. An ingeniousspy thriller in a Cold Warworld of double and tripleagents, where everyone issuspect and nothing is as itseems.

Riding the Rails; runs 10/18-11/3; ASL Sun., 10/27, 2:00;AD Tues., 10/29, 11:00;SteppingStone Theatre; St.Paul; 651-225-9265; www.steppingstonetheatre.org.Hop a train with three younghoboes living in the GreatDepression.

A Year with Frog and Toad;runs 8/20-11/2; AD/ASLWed., 10/30, 10:30 a.m. &Fri., 11/1, 7:30; Children’sTheatre Co.; Mpls.; 612-874-0400; www.childrenstheatre.org. This world pre-miere follows two bestfriends—Toad, a worrywart,and Frog, who’s not—andtheir chum, Snail.

Vampires, Revenge of theMariachi; runs 10/24-11/2;ASL Fri., 11/1, 7:30; RosevilleArea Middle School Theatre;Little Canada; 651-415-2146;www.rosetownplayhousephone.The tale of the civatateo,Mexican witches, who en-counter identical twins, bicy-clists, vampire hunters, tur-keys, scientists, and a Mariachiband.

Jekyll & Hyde; runs 10/31-11/24; AD Sun., 11/10, 2:00;

ASL Fri., 11/15, 7:30;Bloomington Civic Theatre;612-825-7667; www.bloomingtoncivictheatre.com.

Two Queens; runs 10/23–11/24; AD Fri., 11/15, 8:00;Mixed Blood Theatre; Mpls.;612-338-6131; www.mixedblood.com.

The Producers; runs 11/12-12/7; AD/ASL Sun., 11/24,1:00; Historic Orpheum The-atre; Mpls.; 612-373-5650 or612-989-5151; www.state-orpheum.com.

University Dance Theatre;ASL Sat., 12/7, 8:00; Univer-sity of Minnesota Theatre,Rarig Center; Mpls.; 612-624-2345.

The Boys Next Door; runs12/4–12/29; AD Fri., 12/13,8:00; Mixed Blood Theatre;Mpls.; 612-338-6131; www.mixedblood.com.

Radio City ChristmasSpectactular; runs 12/13-1/5; AD/ASL Sun., 12/15,2:00; Historic Orpheum The-atre; Mpls.; 612-373-5650 or612-989-5151; www.state-orpheum.com. The worldfamous Rockettes appear forthe first time in the TwinCities with eye-high kicks;precision dancing; and daz-zling lighting, scenery, andcostumes.

The Wizard of Oz; runs11/19-1/11; AD/ASL Wed.,12/18, 10:30 a.m. & Fri.,12/20, 7:30; Children’s The-

atre Co.; Mpls.; 612-874-0400; www.childrenstheatre.org.

Merton of the Movies; runs11/22-12/22; AD Sun., 12/22,2:00; Theatre in the RoundPlayers; Mpls.; 612-333-3010;www.theatreintheround.org.A young innocent from theMidwest arrives in Holly-wood with big dreams.

Between the Worlds—Songsof Dark and Light; runs12/17-12/22; ASL/AD Sun.,12/22, 2:00; In the Heart ofthe Beast Puppet & MaskTheatre; Mpls.; 612-721-2535; www.hobt.org. Awinter solstice celebration ofmusic from around the world,sung by a chorus of 40 womenjoined by singers, dancers,musicians, and puppets.

The 1940’s Radio Hour;runs 11/22-12/22; ASL Sun.,12/22, 2:00; CommonwealTheatre; Lanesboro; 507-467-2525, 800-657-7025; www.commonwealtheatre.org. ■

For updates by phone, callVSA arts of Minnesota at612-332-3888 or statewide800-801-3883 (voice/TTY).

The Interact Center for theVisual and Performing

Arts is the premier visual andperforming arts center forartists with disabilities in thecountry. The exceptionalquality of the artwork in theInside Out Gallery and criti-cally acclaimed work ofInteract Theater have rousednational and international at-tention. This year the InteractTheater Company performedat the KickstArt Festival inVancouver and touredScandinavia to ravereviews. NationalPublic Radiobroadcast a seg-ment on the tourand calls have comein from around thecountry wanting toknow more aboutthe “InteractModel,” an ongo-ing program whereartists with a wide range ofdisabilities come together to“create art and challengesociety’s view of disabili-ties.”

The season promises to beone of the most exciting yetfor Interact. The Inside OutGallery will open with “RedClay/Black Dirt; A North &South Collaboration.” Thiswill highlight the work pro-

duced in the visual arts studiowith visiting self-taught/vi-sionary artists from Geor-gia—Alicia Caban Wheeler,John Moon, HaroldRittenberry Jr.—and Interact’sartists. This project bringstwo disparate cultures to-gether to be inspired by oneanother. In addition, artistswith disabilities can beginforming new alliances withartists from rural, isolated,and marginalized populationsto strengthen bonds with an

enlarged perception of com-munity. This event runs fromOctober 18 through Novem-ber 22, with an openingreception on Friday, October18 from 5-9 p.m.

Interact Theater opens with“Cloud Cuckooland,” a bitingpolitical satire inspired byAristophanes’ The Birds. Achorus of birds, representingthe disabled, have come to

confront a society that hasbecome one of charlatans,greedy CEOs, and warmon-gers led by a dim-wittedleader called Shrub. Thiscomic allegory incorporatesoriginal music and arrestingvisual images, with a cast of30 actors with and withoutdisabilities. Opening night isThursday, October 24 at 7:30.Shows run through Saturday,November 9. There is amatinee at 3:00 p.m. onSaturday, October 26 and

another at 1:00 p.m. onWednesday, Novem-ber 6. Artist apprecia-tion night is Monday,October 28 at 7:30.ASL performances areon Saturday, Novem-ber 2 at 3:00 p.m. and7:30 p.m.

Also this fall: InsideOut Gallery hosts its

Annual Holiday Sale of Out-sider/Visionary art openingNovember 30, 2002.

For more information aboutgroup sales, visit our websiteat www.interactcenter.com orcall 612-339-5145 about ASLand audio description. ■

Information provided byJeanne Calvit, Artistic Direc-tor of Interact.

AwardsGreater accessibility to

the arts and city pro-grams will be recognized onWed., Oct. 16 at the newCrown Theatres in downtownMinneapolis. At 4:00, aprogram cosponsored by VSAarts of MN and the Mpls.Mayor’s Advisory Commit-tee on People with Disabili-ties will present awards toindividuals and organizationsfor their achievements.

The new movie complex’stechnology—enabling patronswho are deaf, hard-of-hear-ing, blind, or have low vision,to enjoy the movies—willalso be introduced. It is thefirst theatre in Mpls. with thistechnology. (In September,the AMC Theatres at EdenPrairie Ctr. began offeringcaptioned movies on a limitedbasis, and audio descriptioncapability will be arrivingthere shortly as well.)

VSA arts of MN, whichpromotes access to the arts forand by people with disabili-ties, will present its 6th annualArts Access Awards (alsocalled the “Jaehny,” honoringJaehn Clare, cofounder ofVSA arts of MN) to: YuriArajs, Mpls. artist; LisaGoodman, former Mpls. CityCouncil member; DennisLamberson, Brainerd theatredirector; Morgan Grayce Wil-low, Mpls. poet and teacher;Awards - cont. on p. 14

“Cloud Cuckooland”

11October 10, 2002

IN BRIEF . . . .ADA Small Business WorkshopInvacare Wheelchair Recall

Grant For Grave Markers

Merger Action Alert

In the September 1, 2002issue of the Cleveland PlainDealer, reporter BeckyGaylord detailed the legalproblems faced by InvacareCorp., a maker of battery-operated wheelchairs. Ap-parently, a flaw in the battery-charging system has caused

fires that have injured andeven killed chair users. Alittle-publicized recall of thedefective chairs began inApril of 2000.

For the complete story, visit:http://cleveland.com/busi-ness/plaindealer/index.ssf?/

Braun Lift Co. is in theprocess of trying to purchaseRicon. If this occurs, it meansthere will be only one manu-facturer of lift equipment forpeople with disabilities in theU.S. It also means that Braunwould control the number &who the dealers of theequipment would be, thusmaking it potentially more

difficult for people withdisabilities to obtain or repairlift-equipped vans. Themerger is before the FederalTrade Commission.

Concerned parties should con-tact: Eric E. Elmore, StaffAttorney, Federal Trade Com-mission, 601 New JerseyAve., N.W., Suite 6108 A,

On November 8, severalMinnesota business and dis-ability organizations are col-laborating to sponsor a half-day workshop targeting busi-nesses in Minnesota with 100or fewer employees. Thisworkshop will address Title Iof the ADA, which concen-trates on employment-relatedissues for people with dis-abilities.

Joyce Walker Jones, SeniorAttorney-Advisor in the ADA

On September 1, 2002 Re-membering with Dignity(RWD) and AdvocatingChange Together (ACT) wereawarded a contract by theState of Minnesota for theplacement of named gravemarkers at Minnesota Re-gional Treatment Center

Former U.S. Surgeon Gen-eral, David Satcher, will bethe keynote speaker at theSAVE (Suicide AwarenessVoices of Education)/NAMI-MN (Nationally Alliance forthe Mentally Ill) fall confer-ence set for November 16 at

xml/story.ssf/html_standard.xsl?/base/business/1030872676100890.xml. Readersmay also contact Gaylord viae-mail ([email protected]) or by phone at 216-999-5029. ■

Washington, DC 20508, 202-326-3104, 202-326-2071(fax), [email protected].

Time is of the essence! Pleaselet the FTC know the impactthis will have on the optionspeople with disabilities willhave in the purchase of vanequipment. ■

SAVE/NAMI-MN Fall Conferencethe Earle Brown Center at theUniversity of Minnesota’s St.Paul campus.

Dr. Satcher greatly raisedpublic awareness in 2000when he became the first U.S.Surgeon General in history to

issue reports on mental illnessand suicide prevention.

For more information, contactNAMI-MN at 651-645-2948or SAVE at 952-946-7998,ext. 19. ■

Policy Division, Office ofLegal Council at the EEOC,will be the workshop pre-senter. She is currentlyspeaking to small employersnationwide about the ADAand the employment of peoplewith disabilities.

Some of the issues addressedwill be: who is protected bythe ADA, employer’s respon-sibilities, hiring guidelines,obtaining medical informa-tion, confidentiality, and rea-

sonable accommodation.Questions will be answeredand networking opportunitieswill be available. All attend-ees will receive the EEOC’sAmericans with DisabilitiesAct: A Primer for SmallBusiness.

To obtain a registration formor further information, pleasecontact Cindy Tarshish atADA MN, 651-603-2015,TTY-651-603-2001. ■

(RTC) cemeteries. Thosewho lived and died in RTCsand were buried anonymouslywill now have graves markedby name, date of birth, anddate of death.

For more information oncemetery renovation plans,

please call Rick Cardenas(ACT) or Jim Fassett-Carman(RWD) at 651-641-0297. Youmay also visit the website at:www.selfadvocacy.com or e-mail Rick at [email protected] and Jim [email protected]. ■

Check us out at accesspress.org

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Please patronize your Access Press Advertisers —and tell them where you heard about them.

They bring you your paper.

October 10, 2002 12

13October 10, 2002

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.

Intrepid USA offerscomprehensive, quality Home

Health Care services. We havethe national resources and the

local knowledge to providespecific solutions to your

needs. Our quality of care isunparalleled, with a

commitment to recruitingthe best talent in today'scompetitive market. Our

Home Health Careservices encourage clients

to live to the maximumlevel of their abilities.

We have 13 locations inMN, ND, and IA.

Austin507-433-4700Golden Valley763-544-0315Forest Lake

651-982-9052Burnsville

952-894-2663Edina

952-920-6060Fairmont

507-238-4300

Rochester507-281-3029

St Cloud320-255-1882

Fargo, ND701-271-0669

Grand Forks, ND701-746-5822

Des Moines, IA515-278-9920

Ames, IA515-233-9730

Mankato 507-625-1553

FEIGAL -Cont. from p. 6

Why I didn’t just take mymeds is because if I did, Iwas admitting to myselfand the world that I wasmentally ill. Even now, in2002, the mystery anddread that still comes withthese diseases makes aban-donment, social disrepute,and financial difficulties—to the point of losing yourjob—all possible. With thestigma from society andyour own “inner tyrants,”your self-image can take aterrible beating, one thatmany never recover from.You feel like your life isover, that you have nocredibility, no gifts, noth-ing to offer.

I believe medications arelifesavers that are becom-ing more effective by theday, and I have seenthousands of people benefitfrom them. But ourdoctors, friends, and familyneed to know that takingthem isn’t such a no-brainer. The more theyknow, the smarter, kinder,and better allies they willbe. ■

MUNDL - Cont. from p. 7

Minnesota, there are severalresources available:

One of the first to investigateis the Minnesota HousingFinance Agency (MHFA).They offer services to personswith low and moderate in-come who need affordablehousing. Through loans orother funding, they can assistwith a purchase or modifica-tions to a home, including ATfeatures and architectural ad-aptations.

Furthermore, Wells Fargoand other banks have pro-grams to assist persons withdisabilities when purchasinghousing and making theadaptations needed to live

observing my actions? Ah,you mean not everyone inter-prets my actions the way I do?

The joy is that we were able totalk it through (thanks to Mombringing it up) and that we are,I think, closer now than ever.To me that’s the key—weneed to talk about things. Wecontinue to form our ownjudgments, often on faultydata, because we don’t searchout the facts, through discus-sion, experiencing, or sharingwith others. Actually, if I’mreally honest with myself, Iknew Mom was uncomfort-able with my new beliefs.Why did I have to wait for herto initiate the conversation?

The idea of how we interpretothers’ actions and often formour judgments on faulty datareminds me of another movie,A Perfect Mind. Here was aman who won a Nobel Prizeand was a genius in math, butdue to mental illness wasmore often perceived as anidiot. What if more peoplehad actually spent timetrying to understanding himby talking to him face-to-face instead of laughingbehind his back?

HOUGHTON - Cont. from p. 7What do you think, is theresomeone or some conceptyou’re judging on faulty factsor limited knowledge? Howabout someone you’re wait-ing for to initiate a conversa-tion? What do we have to loseby letting others be them-selves or by asking them toshare their thoughts? Betteryet, what may we gain? ■

independently.

There are also many otherfinancing resources availableto fund AT devices for yourhome. The STAR programoffers a free listing and guideon funding. An updatedversion will be available fromSTAR this month.

Finding and pursuing theseresources is a challenge, butby being an advocate andbeing resourceful, home own-ership can be a reality formany people with disabilities.■

Jeni Mundl is the AssistiveTechnology Specialist atCourage Center.

No, this is not a bad joke,but what you will hear

when candidates come to yourdoor asking you to vote forthem. And voting is no joke.

The election in Novemberwill be a critical one forMinnesota. Although this issaid of every election, withthe budget deficit facingMinnesotans and with thedownturn in the economy, thisis truer than ever. Services forpeople with disabilities arelikely to face serious anddevastating cuts come Janu-ary 2003.

What can you do to helpprevent this? Action stepseveryone can take are: readabout the candidates in thenewspapers, watch or listen todebates on television and

Knock Knockby Shannon Robins and Lolly Lijewski

radio, attend public policyforums in your district, andform an educated opinionabout the individuals who arerunning for elected office.

As candidates appear atpublic events, or at our doorscanvassing for votes, asking afew well thought-out ques-tions may help in the decisionmaking process. Here are acouple of examples:

1. How do you propose tosolve the budget deficit,and what do you perceivethe impact will be onservices for persons withdisabilities?

2. What steps will you take toensure a more diverseworkforce, inclusive ofpeople with disabilities, in

Minnesota? What actionswill you take to facilitatemaintenance of employ-ment status and encouragevocational growth for per-sons with disabilities?

Beyond these questions, beprepared—think of the issuesof importance to you and haveyour own questions ready.

Also, there are several ways toregister to vote: you cancontact the Secretary of State’soffice or your county auditor(listed in the governmentsection of the phone book), oryou can register when you goto vote with your pictureidentification and proof ofcurrent address (for example,your electric bill). Rememberto make a difference and getout and vote on Nov. 5! ■

publisher of Access Press—owns Presentation Images, acompany assisting others inthe selection, development,and implementation of theproper media needed toconvey their messages. Addi-tionally, she was the pub-lisher/editor of “SteppingUp,” a discontinued newspa-per which helped othersexplore their spirituality.

Ellen Houghton—desktop

October 10, 2002 14

Guzmán & Associates, P.L.L.C.Guzmán & Associates, P.L.L.C.Guzmán & Associates, P.L.L.C.Guzmán & Associates, P.L.L.C.Guzmán & Associates, P.L.L.C.Attorneys and Counselors at Law

Disability LawConservatorships

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Access for All

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www.accessminnesota.org

3680 Victoria St. N. • Shoreview, MN 55126

Office: (651) 481-4062 • Fax: (651) [email protected]

ProfessionalDirectory

Program BenefitsFor students with a disabil-ity: Breakthrough offersindividuals a firsthand under-standing of corporate cultureand the opportunity to im-prove their probability ofemployment after graduation.

For companies: The connec-tion offers employers accessto, and experience with,qualified, career-orientedpeople with a disability, thusenhancing their diversity re-cruitment strategies. In otherwords, employers are able totap into a skilled workforceand address employment bar-riers and attitudinal stereo-types.

For educational institutions:The internship experienceoffers educators and counse-lors valuable insight that willultimately lead to bettereducation, training, and place-ment.

For taxpayers: The morepeople with a disability who

BREAKTHROUGH -Cont. from p. 3

are employed in meaningfulcareers, the fewer the numberof people dependent on socialwelfare programs.

Looking to the FutureProgram leaders, includingThe Disability Institute andthe Minnesota Business Lead-ership Network, hope tosignificantly expand theBreakthrough program byincreasing the number ofemployers and the number ofstudents with disabilities whoparticipate. Although thecurrent program includes em-ployers in or near the TwinCities, plans are underway toexpand the geographic reachof the program as well.Partners will begin workingwith companies during thefourth quarter this year toidentify internship opportuni-ties for Breakthrough in2003. ■

For more information on theBreakthrough program, con-tact The Disability Institute at952/935-9343.

Relevant Statistics

• Today, one out of five Americans has a disability. Thenumber of people with disabilities, ages 17-44, hasincreased by 400 percent over the last 25 years.

• In Minnesota, 19.4 percent of the population has adisability.

• According to the U.S. Department of Labor, 48 percent ofpeople with disabilities—with a college degree—areunemployed.

• To get a job, people with disabilities must, on the average,apply 10 times more than people without disabilities.

• Nearly nine out of 10 employers who have hired peoplewith disabilities would encourage other companies to dothe same.

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

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EUGENICS - Cont. from p. 1

the authority of science andreligion to encourage peopleto voluntarily practice eugen-ics through reproducing onlyif they were deemed fit by thescientific community. Larsonnoted, however, that “most ofthose pronounced unfit tomarry are disabled more forhow people treat them thanfor any actual physical ormental impairments.”

Today

In the beginning of the 21st

century, said Larson, “humangenetic testing is transform-ing conventions for identify-ing and addressing humandisabilities.”

Genetic testing is used inthree basic situations, accord-ing to Larson. First, there is

predictive gene testing, whichinvolves testing people fordisabilities that may becomesymptomatic later in life.Second, there is carrier test-ing, in which at-risk prospec-tive parents are tested forrecessive disabling genes thatmay be passed on to theirchildren. Third, there isprenatal testing for geneticdisabilities.

Proponents of genetic testingcite the differences betweenmodern genetic testing andeugenics. First, they arguethat there is now betterscience underlying the pro-cess of identifying heritabledisabilities. Second, there areenhanced legal protectionsagainst discrimination of thosewith disabilities. Lastly, thereare more sophisticated tech-niques for eliminating un-wanted disability, such asgene therapy.

Larson points out that compli-cations still exist in theprocess of identifying dis-abling genes. The maindeterrent to genetic testing isresistance on the part ofindividuals to get testedbecause of their fear ofdiscrimination on the basis ofthe test results.

Larson quoted Adrienne Ash,a bioethicist at WellesleyCollege in Massachusetts,saying that “as we learn moreabout the role of genes inhealth and disease, ever largernumbers of people who neverbefore were perceived asdisabled will discover thattheir genetic characteristicslead them to be viewed as

disabled by others, mostnotably employers and insur-ers.”

Because people from allclasses will have the potentialto be labeled as disabled,there is hope that widespreaddiscrimination as evidencedin the eugenics era will notrepeat itself. As an addedmatter of protection againstdiscrimination, 44 states haveenacted laws against geneticdiscrimination to supplementthe federal antidiscriminationin employment legislation,the Americans with Disabili-ties Act. Forty-three stateshave also passed measuresdesigned to protect individu-als from discrimination byhealth insurance companies.The problems of genetictesting, however, are muchmore extensive than justdiscrimination by employersor health insurers.

Disabilities are defined byboth medical science and bysocial construction. Theeugenics era put forth amedical model of disabilitythat sought to identify heri-table disabilities and elimi-nate them. In contrast, manydisability rights activists to-day feel that a societal modelof disability is more appropri-ate. According to Larson, thisview holds that “people aredisabled not by their bodies,but by society.”

Some fear that human genetesting will reinforce a medi-cal model for the definitionand remedy of human dis-abilities, which will lead toincreased isolation of those

with genetic disabilities. But,the social model also posesproblems for genetically dis-abled people. There is thepossibility of society judgingpeople against a “sociallyconstructed standard of ge-netic normality,” said Larson,which would discriminateagainst people who lead“lives worth living,” despitetheir disability.

It seems far-fetched thatmodern society would em-brace the compulsory eugen-ics practices of the early 20th

century. However, the prin-ciples of eugenics are stillalive and well in the era ofgenetic testing. As Larsonstated, “the meaning of hu-man gene testing for disabilitywill be a matter of individualchoices made within socialcontexts.” How society viewsand treats those with disabili-ties will be increasingly influ-enced by the technology toidentify and possibly elimi-nate these genetic problems.

The challenge for modernsociety is to balance thecompeting interests of elimi-nating to correcting geneticdisability and respecting anindividual’s right to live withor without a genetic disability.

If you would like to viewProfessor Larson’s talk, youmay download it on the web athttp://www.jointdegree.umn.edu/conferences/. ■

Rebekah Orr is a JointDegree Student in Law andHealth Services Research,Policy, and Administration atthe University of Minnesota.

Eric Peterson, Mpls. actorand disability rights advo-cate; and Apollo ResourceCenter, part of People, Inc.in St. Paul.

The Mpls. AdvisoryCommittee’s awards willbe announced on the 16th.Their new Access Mazevideo is expected to begiven a premiere showing,and Mayor Rybak has beeninvited to speak. Block E islocated between HennepinAve. and First Ave. N., andbetween 6th and 7th Streetsin downtown Mpls. (be-tween Target Ctr. and CityCtr.).

AWARDS- Cont. from p. 10

Ellen Houghton • [email protected]

Computerized Desktop publishing:Brochures

CatalogsDirect Mailings

FlyersNewsletters

NewspapersResumes

and more!

15October 10, 2002

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

Mail to: ACCESS PRESS • 1821 University Ave. • #104S • St. Paul, MN 55104FAX 651-644-2136 • E-mail: [email protected]

Full- or Part-TimeSTAFF ATTORNEY

Central Minnesota Legal Services seeks staff atty for its St.Cloud office, full- or part-time. Service areas: fam. law;housing and govt. benes. with emphasis on fam. law. Svc.work incl. litigation, com. legal ed., com. outreach. Travelrequired. Salary: DOE up to $38,830 full-time. Exc. Benes.Employer paid life/full family health insurance. Send resumeto Sarah Shella-Stevens, Mg. Atty., CMLS, 830 West St.Germain, #309, PO Box 1598, St. Cloud, MN 56302.Application deadline: Oct. 1 or until filled. EOE.

ADMINISTRATIVEASSISTANT

Faegre & Benson, a majorMinneapolis law firm, has anexciting opportunity for asecretary or AdministrativeAssistant in our InformationServices group. This personwill report directly to theDirector of Information Ser-vices. Responsibilities in-clude: answering phones forIS administrative staff, main-tenance of department calen-dars, files, invoices, vendorcontracts, service agreementsand software licensing. Thisperson will also be respon-sible for the distribution ofdepartment mail in addition tocoordinating and schedulingdepartment meetings.

Successful candidates shouldhave 1 year secretarial/ad-ministrative experience.Spreadsheet and databaseexperience a plus; keyboard-ing at 50+ wpm; excellentorganizational and communi-cation skills and a team-orientated work style. Weoffer a professional workenvironment, competitivewages and an excellent ben-efits package, including adiscounted bus program -Metropass. For additionalinformation about Faegre &Benson, visit our web site atwww.faegre.com. Please sendresume and salary history toHuman Resources:

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

Fax: (612) 336-3846E-Mail: [email protected]

Equal Opportunity Employer

Legal

CONSTRUCTION LAWPARALEGAL

Litigation

Minnesota’s second largestlaw firm is seeking anexperienced litigation para-legal to work in our GeneralLitigation practice group.Responsibilities include in-vestigation, research, discov-ery, trial support and manage-ment of documents and data-bases. Must be able to travel.Candidates should have 10years of paralegal experiencein complex litigation, strongknowledge of litigation tech-nology software, and excel-lent communication and cli-ent service skills. We prefer a4-year degree or paralegalcertification.

Faegre & Benson offerscompetitive wages and anexcellent benefit package,including generous paid timeoff, Firm-paid sick child careservice, emergency back-upchild care services, retirementsavings plans, transportationdiscounts, etc. To learn moreabout our current job oppor-tunities and for additionalinformation about Faegre &Benson, visit our web site at:www.faegre.com. For con-sideration, please send re-sume and salary history toHuman Resources:

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

Fax: 612-766-1763E-Mail: [email protected]

Equal Opportunity Employer

DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENTAND ALUMNI RELATIONS

General College—University of Minnesota—Twin Cities

The General College at the University of Minnesota—TwinCities invites applications for the full-time position of Directorof Development and Alumni Relations. The director, who willreport directly to the dean, is responsible for the planning,implementation, and evaluation of annual and long-rangedevelopment and alumni relations activities.

Essential qualifications include a Bachelor’s degree; threeyears of experience in formal, direct development or fund-raising; and demonstrated success in major gift prospecting,corporate funding, annual fund solicitation, and planned estategifts. Desired qualifications include experience asdevelopment director within a higher education setting;marketing, sales, or public relations experience; demonstratedsuccess in recruiting, training, and managing staff andvolunteers; evidence of being highly energetic, self-starting,creative, and entrepreneurial in formulating ideas, opportuni-ties, and prospects for development activities; evidence oforganizational and managerial skills; and demonstrated abilityto communicate clearly and persuasively, verbally and inwriting. A complete application consists of (1) a letter ofapplication describing your interest in and evidence ofaccomplishments related to the position, (2) a resume or vita,(3) examples of recent development activities or projects anda description of your role or responsibilities in those activitiesand the project outcomes, and (4) the names, addresses, andphone numbers of at least three professional referencesrelating to your recent development work. Send materials toAnnette Digre, Search Coordinator, General College,University of Minnesota, 240 Appleby Hall, 128 PleasantSt. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, Fax 612 625-0709, [email protected]. The application deadline is 4:00 p.m.,Monday, November 4, 2002.

For a complete position description, call (612) 625-2880 orview the college website at http://www.gen.umn.edu.

The University of Minnesota is committed to the policy that allpersons shall have equal access to its programs, facilities, andemployment without regard to race, color, creed, religion,national origin, sex, age, marital status, disability, publicassistance status, veteran status, or sexual orientation.

DEPUTY DIRECTOR

Mid-MN Legal Assistanceseeks dep. dir. for its Minne-apolis division. Overseeoperations of 3 offices repre-senting diverse pop. includinglow-income, seniors, immi-grants and disabled personswith full range of civil legalprobs. Repres. includesservice work, complex lit.,legis. advoc. & comm’y. ed.Req’d: Real concern forneeds/rights of low-income; 7yrs. legal svces. or sim. exper.Pref’d: Trial, appellate,mgmt exper. Salary DOE;fully-pd. fam. hlth. ins., lib-eral vac. Start: As close to11/1/02 as poss. Resumes:Jeremy Lane, MMLA, 4301st Ave N, #300, Mpls, MN55401-1780. EOE.

RESOURCE CENTERMANAGER

Exciting new opportunity todesign and manage a range ofsupport services for peoplewith disabilities living in anumber of independent livingcomplexes within the TwinCities area. The first complexin Robbinsdale has just re-cently opened. Assess skilllevels, select and orient resi-dents, and assist them inobtaining support services.Manage a variety of issuesand advocate for resident andfamily needs. B.A. in socialwork or related, Master’spreferred, and 2 years casemanagement or human ser-vice management experience.Knowledge of HennepinCounty disability related so-cial services and ability toadvocate. Send resume to:Mary Perkins/NPLHC, c/oReach for Resources, 1001Highway 7, #217, Hopkins,MN 55305. Resumes ac-cepted until position is filled.

ClassifiedsReach 11,000 Active, Interested Readers with

ACCESS PRESS Classifieds. $8 up to 20 words, 35¢/word thereafter. Must be

prepaid. Mail with check to: ACCESS PRESS, 1821University Ave W, #104S, St. Paul, MN 55104

(651) 644-2133

PUBLICATIONS

Now available at iuniverse.com - bookstore: A Portraitof Salespeople by David A.Ross. A collection of funny,bizarre, comical, and amusingstories. Excerpts available atwww.startpress.com. Alsoavailable via www.bn.comand www.amazon.com.

FOR SALE

1986 Dodge Ram van.Sunken floor, automatic trans-mission, air-conditioning.New tires, exhaust, battery,windshield wiring, and carbu-retor. Excellent driving andramp operation. Mint condi-tion. 94,300 miles. MUSTSELL. 651-437-7732.

Bruno wheelchair or scootercurbside lift. Excellentcondition. Used very little.$950 (sells new for $2,300).763-788-7186.

1997 Dodge Ram 2500Maxivan. Automatic, V-8,air, raised roof, Braun auto-matic lift, tie-downs, ADAapproved, good condition.Must sell. $6,500. 763-540-9997 or 763-591-0759.

1993 Dodge Caravan Con-version with remote controlrear entry ramp with droppedfloor. V-6, 4-speed automatictransmission, air-condition-ing, ABS, cruise control,power locks and side mirrors,deluxe light group, AM/FM.SHARP. Must see to appreci-ate. Must sell. 612-866-1758.

Stairway lifts for a splitstaircase (2 units). Can bemodified for a single stair-case. Will separate. Sellingfor $2,200/unit. 651-415-2895.

FOR RENT

Lewis Park Apartments:Barrier free housing withwheelchair user in mind.Section 8 subsidized. One-and two bedroom units. Formore information on avail-ability call (651) 488-9923.St. Paul, MN Equal Opportu-nity Housing.

Holmes-Greenway Housing:One and two bedroom apart-ments designed for physicallyhandicapped persons. Conve-nient SE Minneapolis loca-tion. Call (612) 378-0331 foravailability information. EqualOpportunity Housing.

Seward Square Apartments:We are currently acceptingapplications for our waitinglist at Seward Square Apart-ments in Minneapolis. SewardSquare is barrier-free housingand is federally subsidized.For an application, please call(612) 338-2680. Equal Op-portunity Housing.

MISCELLANEOUS

“Words of Love” is a CD bySnoopi Botten, a musicianwith cerebral palsy whowrites and performs inspira-tional songs using a syntheticspeech system. To order, call(612) 872-7233 or visitSnoopi’s website at http://hometown.aol.com/dectalk/myhomepage/index.html.

SUPERMAN - Cont. from p. 4

the single goal that we’re outto achieve. It also tells ourdonors that, unlike Reeve andthe others, none of our moneyis diverted into care issues.Care is important, yes, andthere are lots of organizationsproviding care services, but atsome point we need to bite thebullet and do what is neces-sary to find a cure.

At SCS we’ve finally beenable to address all theseproblems with the opening ofour own independent researchlab. There our researchers areable to concentrate solely onspinal cord injury cure re-search without the distrac-tions and competing agendas

of universities or other multi-purpose research facilities.

We also know that it’s up tous, the spinal cord injured, topush the envelope for a cure.Most of us don’t have theresources of ChristopherReeve, and we’ll never get toappear before Congress, buteach of us can do some-thing—and if we work to-gether that adds up to a lot. Ifwe don’t, we’ll haveno one to blame butourselves.

Does this make sense toyou? If it does, we’d loveto have you come join us.SCS is the place where what

you can do will make adifference. After all, whatcould ultimately be moreimportant to you than a cure?

It’s your cause, it’s yourfuture, it’s your life—and you don’t have tobe Superman to doit. ■

The Twin Cities Spinal CordSociety can be reached at651-690-5011. Or visit http:

//users.aol. com/scsweb/index.htm.

October 10, 2002 16

------------------------------------- BASIC SPONSOR -------------------------------------Margaret Beier LeAnne Dahl Jesse EllingworthPatricia Guerrero John Hartson David HopkinsDale Janiszeski Beth Jensen Debra JohnsonLuci Kennedy Rosanne Kramnicz Steven McKeeverKathleen M. Miller Cindy Moore Jane & Albert OlsonCarla Reichenberg Gary & Leann Taylor Paul W. Taylor

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October 2002 Issue

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