May 2002 Issue

12
Inside Grant Conference — p. 3 Outstate Reports — p. 6 Sports — Page 7 Volume 13, Number 5 SOURCES RESOURCES May 10, 2002 To Clone Or Not To Clone by John Tschida Non-profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Mpls. MN Permit No. 4766 WHEELCHAIR-ACCESSIBLE TAXICABS by Tim Benjamin He who has done his best for his own time has lived for all times.—Johann von Schiller F or many in the disability community, being spon- taneous on a Friday night used to mean having a pizza delivered rather than eating the frozen one out of the refrigerator. Calling a friend and making impromptu “plans” was not an option. Now it can be, because there is an alternative to calling 24 hours ahead of time to plan a ride for every occasion: wheelchair-accessible taxis. Thanks to years of advocacy by many dedicated members of the disability community, county commissioners, and state legislators, spontaneity can play a larger role in the lives of people with disabili- ties. History In 1976, the Metro Transit Commission (MTC) initiated para-transit services for per- sons with disabilities in Minneapolis. By 1986, the program had grown to cover 980 square miles of the St. Paul/Minneapolis metropoli- tan area. By that time the program was no longer being run by the MTC—it had been decentralized and preap- proved contractors were pro- viding the service. The program cost had increased from 1.7 million to 5.6 million. In 1993, Metro Mobility collapsed due to a lack of experienced drivers and unreliability of ride arrivals. The governor called in the National Guard to keep the buses running. A New Era On April 10 th at Courage Center, our new option was unveiled: 12 brand-new minivans pulled into the parking lot and dropped off wheelchair users. Ted Mondale, Metropolitan Council Chairman and over- seer of Metro Mobility, was introduced by Eric Stevens, CEO of Courage Center, to cut the ribbon for this new fleet. Mondale said, “We’re very proud to be part of this. It will make a huge difference in the disability community.” Several other dignitaries and advocates echoed these sen- timents. These vans will operate as regular taxicabs but fulfill all ADA regulations and are fully equipped for occu- pancy by one wheelchair user and 4 to 6 companions. Consumers will have access to these vans anytime at regular taxicab rates: $2.00 base fare and $1.60 per mile, with no added fees. A customer will be able to call and expect a taxi within two hours—and most times much sooner. There are about 30 more vans from three differ- ent cab companies—Rain- bow Taxi, Yellow Taxi (see ad on page 2), and Airport Taxi—that will soon hit the streets. Metro Mobility Enhancements In 2001, the Metro Mobility fleet was increased by ap- proximately 10 percent and S hould the cloning of human embryos to aid in the development of medical therapies be permitted? For two leading stem cell re- searchers, Dr. Catherine Verfaillie and Dr. Austin Smith, the answer is an emphatic “yes.” Verfaillie, director of the University of Minnesota Stem Cell Insti- tute, and Smith, director of the Centre for Genome Re- search at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, ad- dressed this and other contro- versial subjects during a recent speech at the Univer- sity of Minnesota. Smith acknowledged that cloning is a hot-button issue, but called the furor “more emotional than logical,” not- ing there is often a failure to distinguish between thera- peutic and reproductive clon- ing. While he called the latter “irresponsible,” many coun- tries in Europe are moving toward the production of embryonic stem cells for therapeutic purposes. The U.S. House of Representa- tives has voted to ban both types of cloning. President Bush has indicated he would sign the proposal should it reach his desk. “Scientists have always been accused of playing God,” Smith said, adding that the job of science is to use the natural world to improve people’s lives. “We don’t want to clone Saddam Hussein. We want to help sick people.” Recent discoveries in the area of stem cell research have brought much attention to the U of M. Verfaillie and her colleagues announced last year that adult stem cells have demonstrated the po- tential to differentiate into other types of cells. “Your discovery will fundamentally Stem Cells - cont. on p. 8 incentives were put in place to increase the benefit for private vendors such as the three taxi companies men- tioned above. The state has increased funding by 11 percent for the 2002-2003 biennium for Metro Mobil- ity. The new cabs will also enhance Metro Mobility ser- vices. If an eligible user is denied services or a Metro Mobility vehicle is not avail- able, he or she can request a voucher that will allow reim- bursement for up to $16 of the taxi ride. This means more flexibility for Metro Mobility, which will improve their ability to provide more scheduled trans- portation. The largest per- centage of Metro Mobility trips are for medical appoint- ments; going to work ranks second. With this new option, maybe going to work will move up into the first place spot. In turn, working can improve quality of life, increase tax revenue, and maybe break down some of the stereotypes of people with disabilities not being productive citizens. We all know having reliable trans- portation can be the key to finding and maintaining a good job. And we’ve just made a big step in that direction. change the way people think about this subject,” Smith said. “Adult stem cells are not as restrictive as we thought.” The goal with both embryonic and adult cells is to purify or “coach” them into becoming other types of cells. Neural cells would be ideal, said Smith. “We are nowhere near where we need to be” for clinical application, he said. “We need purification technol- ogy” to target the cells for development. “The chal- lenges are not insignificant, but they are approachable.” Ironically, little attention has been paid to another source of stem cells that faces no limits or prohibitions: aborted fetuses between 8-12 weeks gestation. Dr. Carol Tauer, senior scholar at the Minne- sota Center for Health Care Ethics, said virtually no public debate has occurred in this area. “Much of the energy has been focused on the creation and destruction of embryos for research purposes,” she said. Last August, President Bush lim- ited the use of federal funds for embryonic stem cell research to the 64 lines of cells that have already been developed. Pro-life organizations and politicians have seized on Verfaillie’s adult stem cell discovery to say there is no need to focus on embryonic research. Both Verfaillie and Smith said it was too early to limit any efforts in this budding field. Both agree that embryonic cells must be compared to adult stem cells and studied. “It is too early to cry victory for one type of cell,” Verfaillie said. She is now recruiting two embry-

description

—Johann von Schiller Non-profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Mpls. MN Permit No. 4766 by Tim Benjamin by John Tschida cells that have already been developed. Metro Mobility Enhancements In 2001, the Metro Mobility fleet was increased by ap- proximately 10 percent and History In 1976, the Metro Transit Commission (MTC) initiated para-transit services for per- sons with disabilities in Minneapolis. By 1986, the program had grown to cover 980 square miles of the St. Paul/Minneapolis metropoli-

Transcript of May 2002 Issue

Page 1: May 2002 Issue

1May 10, 2002

Inside■■■■■ Grant Conference — p. 3■■■■■ Outstate Reports — p. 6

Sports— Page 7

Volume 13, Number 5 SOURCES RESOURCES May 10, 2002

To Clone Or Not To Cloneby John Tschida

Non-profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDMpls. MN

Permit No. 4766

WHEELCHAIR-ACCESSIBLETAXICABSby Tim Benjamin

“He who has done his best for his own timehas lived for all times.”

—Johann von Schiller

For many in the disabilitycommunity, being spon-

taneous on a Friday nightused to mean having a pizzadelivered rather than eatingthe frozen one out of therefrigerator. Calling a friendand making impromptu“plans” was not an option.Now it can be, because thereis an alternative to calling 24hours ahead of time to plan aride for every occasion:wheelchair-accessible taxis.Thanks to years of advocacyby many dedicated membersof the disability community,county commissioners, andstate legislators, spontaneitycan play a larger role in thelives of people with disabili-ties.

HistoryIn 1976, the Metro TransitCommission (MTC) initiatedpara-transit services for per-sons with disabilities inMinneapolis. By 1986, theprogram had grown to cover980 square miles of the St.Paul/Minneapolis metropoli-

tan area. By that time theprogram was no longer beingrun by the MTC—it had beendecentralized and preap-proved contractors were pro-viding the service. Theprogram cost had increasedfrom 1.7 million to 5.6million. In 1993, MetroMobility collapsed due to alack of experienced driversand unreliability of ridearrivals. The governor calledin the National Guard to keepthe buses running.

A New EraOn April 10th at CourageCenter, our new optionwas unveiled: 12 brand-newminivans pulled into theparking lot and droppedoff wheelchair users. TedMondale, MetropolitanCouncil Chairman and over-seer of Metro Mobility, wasintroduced by Eric Stevens,CEO of Courage Center, tocut the ribbon for this newfleet. Mondale said, “We’revery proud to be part of this.It will make a huge difference

in the disability community.”Several other dignitaries andadvocates echoed these sen-timents.

These vans will operate asregular taxicabs but fulfill allADA regulations and arefully equipped for occu-pancy by one wheelchairuser and 4 to 6 companions.Consumers will have accessto these vans anytime atregular taxicab rates: $2.00base fare and $1.60 per mile,with no added fees. Acustomer will be able to calland expect a taxi within twohours—and most times muchsooner. There are about 30more vans from three differ-ent cab companies—Rain-bow Taxi, Yellow Taxi (seead on page 2), and AirportTaxi—that will soon hit thestreets.

Metro MobilityEnhancements

In 2001, the Metro Mobilityfleet was increased by ap-proximately 10 percent and

Should the cloning ofhuman embryos to aid in

the development of medicaltherapies be permitted? Fortwo leading stem cell re-searchers, Dr. CatherineVerfaillie and Dr. AustinSmith, the answer is anemphatic “yes.” Verfaillie,director of the University ofMinnesota Stem Cell Insti-tute, and Smith, director ofthe Centre for Genome Re-search at the University ofEdinburgh in Scotland, ad-dressed this and other contro-versial subjects during arecent speech at the Univer-sity of Minnesota.

Smith acknowledged thatcloning is a hot-button issue,but called the furor “moreemotional than logical,” not-ing there is often a failure todistinguish between thera-peutic and reproductive clon-ing. While he called the latter“irresponsible,” many coun-tries in Europe are movingtoward the production ofembryonic stem cells fortherapeutic purposes. TheU.S. House of Representa-tives has voted to ban bothtypes of cloning. PresidentBush has indicated he wouldsign the proposal should itreach his desk. “Scientists

have always been accused ofplaying God,” Smith said,adding that the job of scienceis to use the natural world toimprove people’s lives. “Wedon’t want to clone SaddamHussein. We want to helpsick people.”

Recent discoveries in thearea of stem cell researchhave brought much attentionto the U of M. Verfaillie andher colleagues announcedlast year that adult stem cellshave demonstrated the po-tential to differentiate intoother types of cells. “Yourdiscovery will fundamentally Stem Cells - cont. on p. 8

incentives were put in placeto increase the benefit forprivate vendors such as thethree taxi companies men-tioned above. The state hasincreased funding by 11percent for the 2002-2003biennium for Metro Mobil-ity. The new cabs will alsoenhance Metro Mobility ser-vices. If an eligible user isdenied services or a MetroMobility vehicle is not avail-able, he or she can request a

voucher that will allow reim-bursement for up to $16 ofthe taxi ride.

This means more flexibilityfor Metro Mobility, whichwill improve their ability toprovide more scheduled trans-portation. The largest per-centage of Metro Mobilitytrips are for medical appoint-ments; going to work rankssecond. With this newoption, maybe going to work

will move up into the firstplace spot. In turn, workingcan improve quality of life,increase tax revenue, andmaybe break down some ofthe stereotypes of peoplewith disabilities not beingproductive citizens. We allknow having reliable trans-portation can be the key tofinding and maintaining agood job. And we’ve justmade a big step in thatdirection. ■

change the way people thinkabout this subject,” Smithsaid. “Adult stem cells arenot as restrictive as wethought.” The goal with bothembryonic and adult cells isto purify or “coach” theminto becoming other types ofcells. Neural cells would beideal, said Smith.

“We are nowhere near wherewe need to be” for clinicalapplication, he said. “Weneed purification technol-ogy” to target the cells fordevelopment. “The chal-lenges are not insignificant,but they are approachable.”

Ironically, little attention hasbeen paid to another sourceof stem cells that faces nolimits or prohibitions: abortedfetuses between 8-12 weeksgestation. Dr. Carol Tauer,senior scholar at the Minne-sota Center for Health CareEthics, said virtually nopublic debate has occurred inthis area. “Much of theenergy has been focused onthe creation and destructionof embryos for researchpurposes,” she said. LastAugust, President Bush lim-ited the use of federal fundsfor embryonic stem cellresearch to the 64 lines of

cells that have already beendeveloped.

Pro-life organizations andpoliticians have seized onVerfaillie’s adult stem celldiscovery to say there is noneed to focus on embryonicresearch. Both Verfaillie andSmith said it was too early tolimit any efforts in thisbudding field. Both agreethat embryonic cells must becompared to adult stem cellsand studied. “It is too early tocry victory for one type ofcell,” Verfaillie said. She isnow recruiting two embry-

Page 2: May 2002 Issue

May 10, 2002 2

TimBenjamin

Editor

People First Of Minnesota Is Building Strengthby Christen Opsal

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

Lolly Lijewski, Bridget Smith, Joani Werner, and Linda WolfordEditor .............................................................................................................. Tim BenjaminEditorial Assistant ..................................................................... Laurie Eckblad AndersonAssociate ........................................................................................................... Jeff NygaardCartoonist .......................................................................................................... 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.

Advertising and editorial deadlines are the last day of the month preceding publication.

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Inquiries should be directed to: Access Press • 1821 University Ave. W. • Suite 104S • St. Paul,Minnesota 55104 • (651) 644-2133 • Fax (651) 644-2136 • E-mail: [email protected].

THE MINNESOTA STATE COUNCIL ON DISABILITY

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People First of Minnesota,a statewide self-advo-

cacy organization, received a$40,000 grant from the Min-nesota Governor’s Council onDevelopmental Disabilitiesearlier this year. Thegrassroots organization,started in 1991, supports self-advocacy groups statewide(that are led locally by peoplewith developmental disabili-ties), hosts conferences andmeetings on the topic of self-advocacy, and collaborateswith other organizations tocarry out these activities.This new grant will allowPeople First of Minnesotato continue to expand, edu-cate, and collaborate—andstrengthen itself as an inde-pendent organization.

Over the past eleven years,People First of Minnesota hashelped to found more than 20local self-advocacy groupsaround the state, in suchplaces as New Ulm, Willmar,and the Chisago Lakes area.Today—in addition to sup-porting these groups by pro-viding them with informationon issues of current interest topeople with developmentaldisabilities and ways to struc-ture an effective self-advo-cacy group—the organizationsponsors statewide and re-gional conferences to encour-age collaboration among themany local self-advocacygroups. Regional self-advo-cacy meetings, which are newfor the organization, willallow People First of Minne-

sota to encourage local self-advocacy groups to takeaction to make their commu-nities better places to live forpeople with developmental orother disabilities.

In all of its activities, PeopleFirst of Minnesota collabo-rates with organizations thatshare its mission of support-ing people with developmen-tal disabilities to take greatercontrol of their lives and havea stronger voice in theircommunities. Such collabo-rators include Arc Minnesota,local Arc chapters, providerorganizations such as MBWCompany of New Ulm, theResearch and Training Centeron Community Living at theUniversity of Minnesota, and

Advocating Change Together(ACT).

People First of Minnesotaintends to use their new grantmoney in the following ways:

Initiating GroupsWhere They Don’t Exist

As part of this new grant,representatives from PeopleFirst of Minnesota and ACTwill co-teach ACT’s Com-mon Vision leadership devel-opment curriculum at work-shops to be held this summerin Hibbing and Thief RiverFalls. These sites werechosen since they are locatedin areas of Minnesota whereself-advocacy groups don’tcurrently exist. In the past,People First of Minnesota hasworked with ACT to sponsorself-advocacy events on is-sues of interest to people withdisabilities, such as ACT”s“Remembering with Dignity”campaign.

Through the Common Visioncurriculum and other trainingmaterials to be developed,

workshop participants willlearn about the meaning ofself-advocacy, the larger self-advocacy movement, and howto create positive change on alocal level using a groupadvocacy model. Immedi-ately after each workshop,People First of Minnesotawill follow up with partici-pants to provide the materialand technical assistance nec-essary to start and sustain self-advocacy groups in theircommunities. This supportwill include teaching thegroups how to find funding,recruit members, and holdeffective meetings.

Providing PublicSpeaking Opportunities

People with developmentaldisabilities are often in thebest position to share ideasabout self-advocacy and lead-ership with their peers andothers. As the second activityof this grant, People First ofMinnesota will develop mate-rials to help persons withdevelopmental disabilities inpresenting their personal per-

spectives on leadership, re-cruiting persons interested indoing such presentations, andarranging public speakingopportunities at self-advo-cacy conferences and re-gional meetings. The materi-als to be developed will helpspeakers to cultivate effectivepublic speaking skills, andencourage them to talk aboutleadership in the context of agroup advocacy model fo-cused on creating positivechange for persons withdisabilities at a communitylevel.

Collaborating withOther Organizations

Finally, members of theBoard of Directors of PeopleFirst of Minnesota will workto create relationships with atleast five cross-disability and/or cross-cultural organiza-tions that have the capacity tosupport people with develop-mental disabilities to gain astronger voice in the commu-nity. Building these relation-ships may include boardmembers sharing informationwith other organizations, at-tending events, or initiatingwork on collaborative projectsto address issues of commoninterest. In building theserelationships, People First ofMinnesota is interested incrossing cultural and otherbarriers to reach persons withdevelopmental and other dis-abilities who have not yetbeen involved in the self-advocacy movement.

Any questions and/orthoughts? Contact JohnSmith of People First ofMinnesota at (612) 624-0219or [email protected]. ■

Christen Opsal is an Edito-rial Assistant at the Instituteon Community Integration,University of Minnesota.

What a month! Wehave had blistering

90-degree weather, days inthe 70s that were ripe forbarbecuing, several snow-storms in which more than acouple inches of snow accu-mulated, and lightningstorms. Our legislators and

governor are still in a quan-dary over how to settle ourbudget crisis. Only in Min-nesota!

The stem cell research debatecontinues. On March 26,John Tschida, trying to fur-ther his own knowledge of the

issue, attended a lecture at theU of M given by tworenowned scholars in stemcell research. On the frontpage, Tschida offers AccessPress readers a report on thelecture: the professors’ views,the government’s view, and afew of his own insights. Thereare still questions that have noanswers and there are stillethical issues that may neverbe resolved.

Accessible taxicabs have hitthe streets of St. Paul andMinneapolis. Think of thedoors that will be opened, andthe money that will be spent,when the disability commu-nity has a real ability to bespontaneous: dating, mall

visits, movies, the theater,restaurants, sports events, thefair, the zoo. And now, withreliable transportation, realpaying jobs will be muchmore accessible to many morepeople. How will all of thesenew environments accommo-date people with disabilitieswith money? When thedisability community is al-lowed to earn and spendmoney, then the nondisabledcommunity will recognize ourassets and make things moredisability-friendly.

A letter to the editor concern-ing civil rights was sent in thismonth by Kathy Hagen, anattorney from The DisabilityLaw Center. Hagen explains

the case of a deaf individualwho was denied an ASLinterpreter by a neurosurgeon.When he filed a complaint,the Minneapolis Civil RightsDepartment and Civil RightsCommission dropped the ball.Hagen has some good ideasabout how to prevent suchfailures in the future. It’s avery interesting case—wellworth reading.

Deb Sunderman, a Paralympicwheelchair basketball playerand coach from Minnesotahas won an Ann BancroftAward. These are given towomen who overcome ob-stacles and act as role models.Also, the U.S. Sledge HockeyTeam won the Gold Medal at

the 2002 Paralympic WinterGames in Utah. GoaltenderManuel Guerra, from Min-nesota, earned thetournament’s Most Valu-able Goalie award. AccessPress takes a closer look atthese incredible accomplish-ments on page 7.

We confess that we havemissed a couple of monthsof outstate reports. Toredeem ourselves, we’veincluded two this month onpage 6. One is from thenorth and the other is fromthe south.

April marked the first anni-versary of Charlie’s death.We all miss him. ■

Page 3: May 2002 Issue

3May 10, 2002

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In an ongoing effort to haveMinnesotans with disabili-

ties involved in ensuring thequality of services they re-ceive, the Minnesota Depart-ment of Human Services(DHS) asked two consumersto attend the second annualSystems Change Grant Con-ference sponsored by theCenters for Medicare andMedicaid Services (CMS). Inlate March, Mike Chevrette,Lolly Lijewski, and I repre-sented Minnesota at the con-ference in Baltimore, Mary-land. The grants, totaling$3.2 million, were awarded toMinnesota in October and arebeing administered by theDHS Community Quality Ini-tiatives (CQI) team who willcreate a consumer-driven qual-ity assurance system and willpilot a program that willincrease consumer-driven per-sonal care assistance services.

Lolly Lijewski, a proponentfor people with disabilities forover 20 years who currentlyserves as the Advocacy Man-ager at the MetropolitanCenter for Independent Liv-ing, was asked to attend theconference due to the signifi-cant role she plays in support-ing systems change for peoplewith disabilities. As aconsumer who is blind,Lijewski experiences the chal-lenges of transportation andhousing issues firsthand. Shealso played a key role inproviding input to CQI in thedevelopment of the systemschange grants.

Mike Chevrette, who becamea quadriplegic as a result of adiving accident in 1979, usespersonal assistance servicesand was asked to attendconference sessions related toconsumer-driven personal as-sistance services. In addition,he is the director of Access forAll, a nonprofit organizationfocusing on publishing an

accessibility travel guide forpeople with disabilities.

The conference “Fulfillingthe Promise of CommunityLiving” brought together over500 participants from 40states and Guam for two fulldays of sessions and work-shops highlighting federalpolicies and innovative pro-grams implemented by statesfor creating community livingfor people of all ages livingwith disabilities. The openingplenary session speaker wasBobby Silverstein from theCenter for the Study andAdvancement of DisabilityPolicy. Silverstein set thetone for the conference bypresenting an emerging dis-ability policy framework tosupport community-based sys-tems change initiatives. Thegoals of the new disabilityframework included equalityof opportunity, full participa-tion, independent living, andeconomic self-sufficiency.

HHS Deputy Secretary ClaudeAllen announced that hisdepartment had just deliveredto President Bush the report“Delivering on the Promise:Compilation of IndividualFederal Agency Reports ofActions to Eliminate Barriersand Promote Community Liv-ing.” The report outlinesmore than 400 specific solu-tions that nine federal agen-cies can implement to supportcommunity living for peoplewith disabilities and is a partof the larger New FreedomInitiative to reduce barriers tocommunity integration forpeople with disabilities.

Concurrent conference work-shop sessions were held ona variety of topics includ-ing housing, employment,quality assurance, assistivetechnology, and support forfamily caregivers. A com-plete listing of, and materials

from, conference sessions canbe found at http://www.conwal.com/CMS.

Chevrette expressed his ap-preciation for the opportunityto attend the conference andbrought back a significantamount of information relat-ing to personal assistanceservices. Lijewski said, “Iwas honored to be asked toattend the conference onbehalf of the CQI at DHS. Itwas a good experience and Icame out with lots of valuableinformation. I learned thatwhile Minnesota has a longway to go where affordableaccessible housing is con-cerned, there is much supportthrough advocacy networks inother states to help Minnesotaadvocates move the issuesforward.”

My conference experiencewas enhanced through theroundtable discussion groupswhich provided opportunitiesfor networking with otherswho are working on similartopics. In addition, it was avaluable experience to attendthe conference with Chevretteand Lijewski. We spent a lotof time dis-cussing the in-formation fromthe conference,which gave meinsights aboutthe importanceof bringing to-gether con-sumers, policy-makers andother stake-holders to learnfrom eachother. Accom-p a n y i n gLijewski andChevrette wasalso a goodlesson aboutthe challengesof travelingConference - cont. on p. 9

Letter To The EditorI have sent the following letterto Mayor Rybak as well asother Minneapolis officials.

I am an attorney with a focusin the practice of law involv-ing persons with disabilitiesfacing discrimination. I alsospent one year as a commis-sioner on the MinneapolisCivil Rights Commission(MCRC). I know that theemployees of the Civil RightsDepartment (MCRD) and thecommissioners who serve arehard-working, well-inten-tioned people who believe inprotecting Minneapolis resi-dents. I know that thecommissioners, particularly,worked very hard for littlecompensation to make thecity a better place. However, Iwas surprised and disap-pointed regarding the follow-ing recent decision made bythe MCRC.

Allen Matejka is deaf anduses ASL interpreters forcommunication. At age 38,he had a seizure for the firsttime in his life on 12/20/99.After running tests, the emer-gency room physician spokewith Dr. Daniel Ahlberg, theneurosurgeon on call, whorecommended that Matejkabe placed on medications andbe evaluated at Ahlberg’soffice. An appointment was

made for Matejka for 1/14/00at Ahlberg’s downtown Min-neapolis office, MetropolitanNeurosurgery. Between 12/30/99 and 1/4/00, Matejkacalled Ahlberg’s office atleast three times indicatingthat he would need an ASLinterpreter for the appoint-ment to evaluate whether ornot he would need brainsurgery. On all three occa-sions, Ahlberg’s office toldhim that they did not provideinterpreters and that peoplewho needed them usuallyprovided their own or broughta family member. Beyondthat, they would write thingsdown for him. Matejka wasunwilling to accept this ar-rangement, and his HMOscheduled an appointmentwith another neurosurgeon,where he got an interpreter(without any questions asked)and where he, fortunately,learned he would not needsurgery.

Matejka filed a charge withthe MCRD in March, 2000.In October, 2000, the MCRDfound Probable Cause tobelieve that he had beendiscriminated against byAhlberg’s clinic. After at-tempting conciliation, theMCRD referred the case tothe MCRC for a hearing. InOctober, 2001, the Respon-

dent (Ahlberg) asked theMCRC to dismiss the case,arguing that the MinneapolisOrdinance did not provide anaffirmative obligation to theRespondent to provide rea-sonable accommodation, in-cluding interpreters for theComplainant. The MCRCagreed and dismissed the casearguing that Minneapolis“lacked jurisdiction” to de-cide the issue because “rea-sonable accommodation” wasnot covered in the publicaccommodations provisionsof the Ordinance. The noticeof dismissal sent to Matejkadid not explain that he had 45days to appeal this determina-tion to the Court of Appeals.By the time Matejka came tomy office, that time periodhad passed, and he had nofurther legal recourse regard-ing this matter.

Matejka waited for two yearsfor justice from the MCRDand MCRC, and ultimatelydid not get it. I find italarming that even one com-missioner, not to mentionpossibly the whole MCRC,finds that a respondent publicaccommodation has no affir-mative obligation to providean interpreter. While thepublic accommodations pro-visions in the Ordinance areLetter - cont. on p. 10

Page 4: May 2002 Issue

May 10, 2002 4

Mental Illness/Brain Disorders

Holy Relicsby Pete Feigal

Honoringand Naming

Remembering With Dignity has events planned inCambridge and St. Peter. The presentations andceremonies are to bring the community together fora memorial and to reflect on the need for peoplewith disabilities to direct the changes necessary tomake society more accessible and inclusive.

In Cambridge: Keynote address by Pete Feigal;Tuesday, May 21, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.; at location to beannounced. Cemetery dedication, placing of namedmarkers, and planting of flowers; Wednesday, May22, Noon – 1:00 p.m.; State Cemetery, Cambridge.

In St. Peter: Cemetery dedication, placing ofnamed markers; Friday, May 24, 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.;St. Peter Regional Treatment Center. Performanceof “Rodonna’s Story” by People First of New Ulm;May 24, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. at the Church of St. Peter.

It is the goal of the Dignity Project to organizepeople with disabilities to ensure full integration incommunity life and to prevent a return toinstitutionalization.

All the events are free and open to the public.For more information, contact Jim at

Remembering With Dignity 651-641-0297or [email protected]

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A REVOLUTIONARYAPPROACHFOR PEOPLE WITHDISABILITIES651-641-0887

When Robert Frost wrote“home is the place

where, when you have to gothere, they have to take youin,” I don’t think he hadnursing homes in mind. Butfor close to 3,000 Minneso-tans with disabilities, underthe age of 65, home is anursing home—and a lack ofcommunity housing optionsand supports have led themthere.

The nursing home has longbeen the tar baby of housingfor the disabled: Get too closeand you just might get stuck.Getting away from a nursinghome is difficult, and oftenrequires the assistance ofmany others in order to pryloose from its clutches. His-torically, the greater yourreliance on others for activi-ties of daily living, the greaterthe likelihood you called aninstitutional setting home.

Today in Minnesota, a major-ity of nursing home residentswith disabilities, under 65,have mental health issues,mobility impairments, orboth—and lack familial sup-port. Nearly half have nevermarried. Another 25 percentare divorced. The absence ofa support system and therestrictive living situation arenot coincidental.

But the restrictive nature ofthe housing environmentshouldn’t increase with theneeds of the individual with adisability. This old-world“continuum” model of hous-ing says those with milddisabilities live more inde-pendently. Those with severedisabilities don’t. This isexactly what the U.S. Su-preme Court’s 1999 Olmsteaddecision sought to end.

The state of Minnesota knowsthis and has done good thingsto aid in the communityintegration effort. The De-partment of Human Services

I have a small, burnt-woodpirate’s chest that I got

when I was about ten. In myyounger days, it was where Iused to put all my “treasures.”Last year, I rediscovered it—buried in a storage box. Ithadn’t been seen or thoughtabout for 22 years. When Iwiped the dust off and openedits metal clasp, I felt likeIndiana Jones discovering theArk of the Covenant.

Inside were little things that Ihad saved during my adoles-cence and early adulthood:agates, small fossils, foreigncoins. A wristwatch Ireceived from my parents formy confirmation. An Arapahoarrowhead that I’d found inColorado on a family vaca-tion; an arrowhead, that as Ilater found out, had beenplanted by my dad. A photoof my grandma and grandpa,both gone on now. Tinyminiature sports cars, playingpieces to a racing game I hadplayed with over and overagain. A Hot Wheels “BossHoss” Mustang, all chromeand black, that I had sentMattel two dollars for—afortune at eleven. A longcorrespondence from my dad,who seldom writes letters,telling me how much he hadenjoyed a play that I had beenin at UMD. A tiger’s eye ringin the shape of a knight, a giftfrom a girl I had known in thehospital. The shattered valve

Disability Culture

The Fight For NursingHome Alternativesby John Tschida

wants 1,300 individuals withdisabilities out of nursinghomes by 2004, and they’veinitiated and passed legisla-tion to help make it happen. A$600,000 grant received bythe Minnesota Association ofCenters for Independent Liv-ing will support this effort.

Minnesota is not alone infacing this challenge. Fortystates have assembled officialplans in response to theOlmstead decision, accordingto a recently released reportby the National Conference ofState Legislatures. Moststates cited a lack of afford-able and accessible housingas a major barrier to servingmore people in the commu-nity.

The good news is that housingfor the non-elderly disabilitycommunity is being incorpo-rated into high-level statepolicy discussions addressinglong-term care needs. Thefuture costs for these servicesare astronomical and the stateand federal government pickup a majority of the tab. Thishas the attention of policy-makers in Washington, whichshould concern everyone inthe disability community.

David Walker, ComptrollerGeneral of the United States,told a U.S. Senate panelMarch 21 that spending onlong-term care totaled $137billion in the year 2000. Inconstant dollars (today’svalue/before inflation), it isexpected to quadruple by2050. He also said that thecost of caring for the averagesenior in a nursing home isfour times greater than thosereceiving paid care at home.This is a good plug for thecost-effectiveness of the com-munity integration philoso-phy.

But Walker also asked if thehousing choices of individu-

als with disabilities should belimited because of one’slimited economic resources.For those requiring signifi-cant assistance for personalneeds, and without familymembers to help, “the costs ofmeeting such extensive needsmay mean that sufficientpublic support is availableonly in settings such asassisted living facilities ornursing homes,” he said.

This flies in the face of thesupportive housing modelendorsed by the disabilitycommunity and the U.S.Supreme Court. This model,outlined beautifully in arecent report by the Center forHealthcare Strategies, bringsservices to the individual in acommunity setting. It en-dorses scattered site ap-proaches: small housing unitsintegrated into the commu-nity—in contrast to the high-rise apartment approach. It’sabout empowering individu-als of all disabilities toimprove quality of life, ratherthan placing categories ofindividuals within prescribedsettings based on their level ofdependence.

What the supportive housingphilosophy can’t do on itsown is battle the supply sideproblem of affordable hous-ing with services. For this, weneed the integrated efforts ofadvocates, private interests,and the buy-in of multiplestate agencies. Those fundinghousing projects need tobetter understand the currentprograms aiding those whoare poor and disabled. Thosefunding human services pro-grams and services for thedisabled need to better under-stand the current barriers anddisincentives for increasingthe stock of accessible andaffordable housing with sup-ports. Section 8 vouchersalone at the federal level

cover from the wreck of myfriend Greg’s motorcycle.

Precious treasures, artifactsfrom other times and places.Pieces of this complex puzzlethat’s me. Many emotionsand memories came backwhen I held these wonderfulthings. They opened dustyold doors to other reminis-cences. Playing tag on the hillwith childhood friends, myhuge sandbox, site of many aheroic dirt-clod battle. Iremembered the stuffed toydog I loved, called “Poochie,”a toy that I threw away in mytwenties while in a terrible,self-destructive depression.And my real dog, “Josie,” ablack and white spaniel Iloved, who would walk me tothe end of my driveway everyschool day at 8:00, and waitthere for me until 3:30.Sometimes, even after thirty-two years, I still look for herwhen I come home.

The least-treasured item in thevery back of the box was atiny, cheap-metal cross that anold man had given me. Jimmywas a mentally ill homelessman that I met in Duluth whenI was attending college therein ‘76. I gave him ten bucks,and he talked to me for aboutforty minutes. This was myfirst personal contact with astreet person and it took thatlong for me, a young guy fromPine Island, Minnesota—

population 2200—to politelyget away. The communica-tion, probably plus the ten,endeared me to him; or maybehe was just lonely. He told meabout his life and about God.

He’d been caught in anartillery barrage in France in‘44 while on patrol, and wasleft for dead in a field. Hecame to in the night andcrawled back to the Americanlines, forever shaken. InWWI, it was called shellshock, and in WWII, it wasbattle fatigue—or “lack ofmoral fiber,” as the Britscalled it. Post-traumaticstress is what we call it now.Even though he had beenshipped back to the States, henever made it home. Hestayed in veterans’ hospitalsfor the next 30 years. A part ofhim never got out of thatFrench field.

Now he was on the streets ofDuluth. When we parted, hegave me a little gold cross thathe said was a holy relic,valuable beyond price—andto be nice, I humored thewacky old guy, and thankedhim for it. I threw it into theback of that box, and it hadlain there forgotten for thenext twenty-six years.

Last fall, I spent a week on theNorth Shore giving mentalhealth workshops. On somedowntime, I visited the UMDtheater where I had been adrama student, browsed at abookstore, and spent an houron the shore watching thelake.

Sitting on the familiar oldrocks brought back manymore memories and I thoughtof Jimmy and his cross again.He’d told me that the reasonthe cross was so precious wasbecause God had touched it,making it a holy relic. He toldme that the reason he was nolonger in the VA hospital wasbecause he wanted to be innature again, to feel the sun Culture - cont. on p. 8Relics - cont. on p. 8

Page 5: May 2002 Issue

5May 10, 2002

Assistive TechnologyAdds Fun To Summerby Jeni Mundl

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Spirituality and Disability

Remember Me:An Easter Blessingby Linda Larson

Iwas at SimpsonwoodRetreat Center in Atlanta,

Georgia, right before HolyWeek. I can’t think of a betterplace to reflect on whom the“me” in “Remember Me” is.We remember the sacrifice ofJesus Christ. This is one“me.”

This was a gathering ofpersons I am privileged to callfriends. It was the annualmeeting of the National Coun-cil of Churches (NCC) Com-mittee on Disabilities. Thesefriends are another “me” toremember. After September11, we had to postpone thismeeting and reconvene monthslater. Therefore, another“me” is all those who died onSeptember 11, including thosewho died because they couldnot get out due to a disability.And now there is yet another“me”: those who becamedisabled on September 11.

Our committee’s mission wasto address these goals: ex-panding the ecumenical table(to ensure that all are wel-come), addressing poverty-related disability, making ac-commodations, and fightingdiscrimination. To begin anyreligious work with integrity,one must first pray forguidance and then listen evenwhen it is painful. We beganby having a safe place to sharepersonal stories and celebra-tions. Out of this, we wereable to focus on answeringneeds.

Expanding theEcumenical Table

We worshiped together, mod-eling the belief that any whoask are welcomed. Wefocused on inclusive worshipand growing together in faith.There is a need to beintentional in nurturing reli-

gious leadership among per-sons with disabilities. “If thetheology doesn’t work fordisability, it won’t workelsewhere,” stated ReverendNancy Eiesland, the keynotespeaker from the ChandlerSchool of Theology, EmoryUniversity. We begin byclaiming disability as anoutcome of living. ReverendEiesland went on to say thatall of us must “also then claimthe whole canopy of disabil-ity. There must all be anauthority of disability voice.Our first efforts must be inlistening to the calls forjustice from persons withdisabilities.” Any time be-lievers gather together, it isanother “me” in “RememberMe.”

Addressing Poverty-Related Disability

Reverend Eiesland broughtup the needs and concerns ofimpoverished countries. Thiswas a true “aha” moment forme and for our committee. Inow see clearly that to addressthe issues above is to addresspoverty. Reverend Eieslandalso spoke of disability as aglobal concern. FromU.N.E.S.C.O. comes the sta-tistic that 90% of childrenwith disabilities die beforeage 21. 91% of children withmental disabilities die beforeage 5. Malnutrition in theSudan—not because of cropfailure, but as a tool of war—disables 100 million people ayear. Land mines in Afghani-stan exist in the ratio of 1 mineper 2 people or 110 millionmines. In Angola, there are1.5 mines per person, and inEgypt, 23 million mines.1,200 persons are disabledweekly due to land mines. Allof these individuals are part ofthe “me” in “Remember Me.”

Making Accommodations

In the United States, theCommittee on Disability isasking the entire NCC toensure that all housing doneby the NCC and Habitat forHumanity has universal de-sign. The Committee onDisability will also have aposition paper calling for acommitment from Christianemployers to hire qualifiedpersons with disabilities. Mak-ing such improvements isanother way to remember.

Fighting Discrimination

Our committee is made up ofpeople from racially differentbackgrounds. We also metwith a diverse group ofindividuals from the Atlantaarea. We plan to expand ourmembership to be even moreinclusive by extending aninvitation to a persons whoare from varied cultures andwho reflect a range ofdisabilities. Here is yetanother “me” in “RememberMe.” Promoting diversitymeans being able to be opento a variety of views and tofind value in everyone’spresence. We must allowourselves to speak the truthand to agree to disagree.

According to ReverendEiesland, this means “to bewilling to struggle together,and to do things wrong; toteach one another and usefailure as a learning experi-ence. Owning the struggle,not peace, is what it means tobe together.” ■

Linda Larson is the represen-tative for the EvangelicalLutheran Church in Americaon the National Council ofChurches Committee on Dis-abilities.

A switch-operated squirtgun. Beach wheelchairs.

Adapted water skis. What dosummer, creativity, and alittle bit of assistive technol-ogy (AT) add up to? A lot offun!

When you hear the phrase“assistive technology” youprobably think first of big,expensive, news-making de-vices—like a computer thattalks or a wheelchair thatclimbs stairs. But any toy canbecome an AT device througha switch and a simple batteryadapter. Switches come inmany types and can beworked using any movement:a nod of the head, the touch ofa finger, the blink of an eye,and even a breath.

By the Water and In It

In Minnesota, summer andwater sports are a naturalcombo. Did you know thatmany beaches now offerspecial wheelchairs that makeit easier to cross the sand?There are also adaptive sail-ing devices (such as har-nesses, special supports forholding the helm, life preserv-ers, and boat lifts), water skisyou sit on, special paddles forkayaking, and beach balls thatbeep. And the next timesomeone tells you to go fly akite, go right ahead! Thereare devices—ground latches,special holding devices, auto-matic string reels—availableto make this breezy activitypossible for people of differ-ent abilities.

Sports

Many people with disabilitiescan enjoy a hand cycle or two-person bicycle. So join yourfriends and family the nexttime they go on a bike ride.Thanks to assistive technol-

ogy features such as beepingsoftballs, summer sports areno longer off limits if youhave physical limitations.Learn a new sport or join ateam through your localschool district, organizationslike Courage Center, andother groups. You mightdiscover a new hobby or sportyou’ll come to love for alifetime.

Camping

Camping is another summeractivity available to peoplewith disabilities. Campersand RVs can be adapted withramps or motorized lifts.Several state and nationalparks have designated camp-ing sites for accessibility,which may include extrapavement, a larger area, andwheelchair-accessible picnictables. The national parksalso offer a Golden Pass,giving free entrance into anypark. Most destinations willoffer a written guide onaccessibility. For example,when you enter the park, theperson in the booth hasspecial maps showing wheel-

chair-accessible paths andbuildings, the grade of theterrain, and special car accessnot normally available toable-bodied visitors. Theremay also be accessible trans-portation vehicles for tours.

If you are a nature lover, don’tforget that many organiza-tions offer camping sessionsfor children and adults withphysical disabilities. Forexample, Courage Center’scamps in Maple Lake andnear Lake Itasca offer spe-cialty sessions, such as Col-lege Preview Camp andAugmentative Communica-tions Camp. Other organiza-tions, such as the MS Society,also offer sessions wherecampers of all ages can meetnew friends and enjoy thegreat outdoors.

The bottom line: Technologyis fun! Try out some of theseideas and enjoy the summer.After all, winter isn’t faraway. ■

Jeni Mundl is the AssistiveTechnology Specialist atCourage Center.

Page 6: May 2002 Issue

May 10, 2002 6

Southeastern MN CenterFor Independent Livingby Jeff Vert

What if you could coordinate all of your health care and support services with a single source? Now you can. UCare Complete isdesigned by and for people with disabilities. It connects you with health coordinators who can help you with dentist appointments,doctor visits, home-based services and more. You can take advantage of UCare Complete if: you're a person with a physical disability, areeligible for Medical Assistance with or without Medicare, live in Hennepin, Ramsey, Anoka or Dakota Counties and are between18 and 64. For a free information packet call 612-676-3500 or toll free 1-877-523-1518. Hearing Impaired 612-676-6810 or toll free1-800-688-2534. Or visit our web site at ucare.org.

Health care that starts with you.

Access North:An InternetCommunityby Jon Kauppi

More than 13 years ago,The Center for Inde-

pendent Living of Northeast-ern Minnesota (CILNM)opened its doors to servepeople with disabilities, theirfamilies, and the communitiesin which they live. Ourrecently developed Internetcommunity is probably themost ambitious program thatwe have undertaken since weopened our doors.

The major barrier to us inproviding services is, ofcourse, funding. It costsmoney to staff the center andto allow for travel over the24% of the state of Minnesotathat we cover. We are hopefulthat funding will come fromincreases in state and federalfunding to CILs since there isno substitute for face-to-faceinteraction in service provi-sion. In the meantime, we aredetermined to be proactiveand to not have more peoplewaiting for service than isabsolutely unavoidable. Ac-cess North is an Internetcommunity designed to uti-lize technology to take the

transportation barriers out ofour service delivery and allowus to reach people withdisabilities whom we have,until now, been unable toreach.

CILNM services are availableto consumers with Internetaccess who visit the AccessNorth website (www.accessnorth.net) and click on“Internet Community.” Thereconsumers find supportgroups, an e-mail exchange, aconnection to peer supportpartners, and the provision oftechnical support. Theseservices provide advocacyand information to peoplewith disabilities and theirfamilies enabling them toaccess assistive technologyand other services to enhancetheir lives. Disability chatcommunities are being estab-lished, with specific chatrooms as requested by thepatrons of the Internet com-munity. Some chat roomsmay be for adaptation infor-mation and advocacy assis-tance—or they may be dis-

The Southeastern Minne-sota Center for Indepen-

dent Living (SEMCIL), basedin Rochester, was founded in1981. We serve elevencounties in the southeasternsection of Minnesota. Ouragency is comprised of threeentities: Personal Care Assis-tance Services, United HomeHealthcare Choices, Inc., andIndependent Living Services.CILs exist to promote andencourage independenceamong individuals with dis-abilities. We do that byproviding four core servicesto our consumers. These are:peer support, advocacy, inde-pendent living skills training,and information and referral.

One of our most effectivemethods of offering indepen-dent living services is throughworkshops. Over the pastseveral years we have offereda variety of workshops, suchas:•Grief Therapy•Stress Management•Self-Esteem•Cooking and Nutrition•Exercise•Social Security Benefits andWork Incentives

The main objective in sched-uling our workshops is alwaysto educate our consumers andprovide them with the tools toincrease their independence.For example, Social Securitystaff person Jim Czechowiczhas led workshops regardingwork incentives such as thePASS plan, which teachesconsumers how to accessfunding for items like anaccessible van or computersoftware that will help facili-tate their employment. Ourstaff worked with local mentalhealth professionals to presentstrategies to cope with emo-tional issues; one of ourworkshops focused on therealization that many indi-viduals with disabilities havenot gone through the grievingprocess in relation to theirillness or disability. We alsohave invited professionalsfrom the Mayo Clinic toprovide occupational/physi-cal therapy in-services to ourconsumers.

There are very tangible out-comes that we have witnessedafter offering these work-shops. People have left withnew knowledge and skills and

have applied them to improvetheir lives. Our consumershave written PASS plans,signed up for MA-EPD (Medi-cal Assistance for EmployedPeople with Disabilities),found employment, andworked their way to indepen-dence.

In general, we have discov-ered that there are manybenefits to providing Inde-pendent Living Training ses-sions in a group setting. Forexample, we have found thatindividuals with disabilitiesoften serve as positive rolemodels and support for eachother when they meet as agroup. When we held ourexercise class for individualswith disabilities, we foundthat some were inspired toexercise because they saw oneof their peers, who had lessmobility, exercising. In ourcooking class, one of ourconsumers has very limitedmovement in her hands andhad been extremely reluc-tant to try to increase herindependence. Through theencouragement of her peersin the cooking workshop,she has been participating

and is learning new skills.

Another benefit I see comingfrom our workshops is thatsome of our offerings arescheduled in the greatercommunity. This is a benefitin two ways. First, itintegrates people with dis-abilities into the larger com-munity. When we schedule anexercise class at the YMCA,our consumers not only getthe opportunity to exercise,but they might also beinspired to take advantage ofother services the facilityoffers. The second benefit isthat community workshopsencourage disability aware-ness in the public. I believethe more that we integrateindividuals with disabilitiesinto the community, the easierit will be to influence publicopinion regarding issues im-portant to the disability com-munity. ■

Jeff Vert is an IndependentLiving Coordinator atSEMCIL and can be reachedby phone, 507-285-3932, orvia e-mail, [email protected].

North - cont. on p. 8

Page 7: May 2002 Issue

7May 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.

METROPOLITAN CENTERfor INDEPENDENT LIVING

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

in the 7-county metro area.

Information and Referral (Information hotline: 651-603-2039) AdvocacyIndependent Living Skills Training Individual Peer Support

Deaf I.L. ServicesPersonal Assistance Services (M.A. Subsidized)

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Team USA Wins FirstSledge Hockey Gold

On March 15 at the VIIIParalympic Winter Games,with a record crowd of 8,317in attendance at the E-Center(Utah), the 2002 U.S. SledgeHockey team made history bywinning its first Gold Medal.Team USA played a hard-fought game against Norway,the defending 1998Paralympic champions. Thiswas the first medal game everfor Team USA. They wereexpected to end up in the 5thplace game, but outscoredtheir opponents 22 to 3 tofinish the preliminary roundswith a perfect 5-0 record—asthe only undefeated team inthe tournament.

“I believed we could win theGold. I had no doubt wecould do it, but it would takeseveral things to fall in place,”said Team USA goaltenderManuel Guerra (Plymouth,MN). “I knew going in wewere a much better team thanseeded 6th and I felt the[hump] we needed to get overwas Norway’s experience andsize.”

Team USA outshot Norway12 to 2 but only led 2-1 afterthe first period. Team USA’sMatt Coppens scored 0:12into the second period. Nor-way answered right back byscoring in less than a minute.The remaining 14 minutes ofthe second period proved to

be a defensive battle, endingwith Team USA leading 3-2.Norway tied the score at 2:46in the third period. Neitherteam was able to put home thegame-clinching goal and regu-lation time expired with a 3-3tie. After a scoreless tenminute overtime, the gamewent to penalty shots. Whenthe smoke cleared Team USAhad scored 3 of 5 shots andGuerra had stopped 3 of 5shots. Team USA won by theofficial score of 4-3, receivingthe decisive point for havingwon on penalty shots. JoeHoward (Brockton, MA),Team USA’s captain, wasawarded game MVP honors.

Guerra was named thetournament’s Most ValuableGoalie and was also named tothe All-Star Team. Guerrastopped 58 of 62 shots in 5games. Sylvester Flis(Franklin Park, IL) was namedthe tournament’s Most Valu-able Defensive Player andwas also named to thetournament’s All-Star Team,as left defenseman.

“I’ve been in a shoot-outmany times before; of course,never in one of this magni-tude,” said Guerra. “I reallydidn’t have time to thinkabout it until it was all over.We joked about it not comingto this, as the Bronze Medalgame did, but that’s hockey.”

For more Paralympic cover-age and results visit: www.paralympics2002.com.

New EWHA Season Begins

In May, the Minnesota Divi-sion of the United StatesElectric Wheelchair HockeyAssociation (U.S. EWHA),will begin its sixth regularseason. Five teams, includingthe newly formed HibbingRolling Rangers, will com-

pete for the statePowerHockey™ title. Two-time defending champions,the Blaze, will look to go fortheir third straight title.

PowerHockey™ is specifi-cally for persons requiring theuse of an electric (power)wheelchair during daily life.Power wheelchair users havecommonly been excludedfrom competitive sports be-cause most people believethey are just too physicallyweak. PowerHockey™proves them wrong. Gamesare played Saturday after-noons at the Courage Centergymnasium in Golden Valley,Minnesota. If you enjoysports, PowerHockey™ is agreat opportunity to be a partof a team and experiencecompetitive/recreational ath-letics.

A major goal of the U.S.EWHA is to help leagues suchas the Minnesota Divisiondevelop throughout the coun-try. Volunteers serve animportant role in helpingthese leagues prosper. Localleagues need volunteer refer-ees, goal judges, stats keep-ers, and general helpers. Ifyou are interested in volun-teering or playing in theMinnesota Division, pleasecontact the U.S. EWHA byphone, 763-535-4736, or bye-mail: [email protected]. ■

Hockey Newsby Luke Pedersen

On April 24, DebSunderman was recog-

nized for her leadership andachievement at the sixthannual Ann Bancroft Awardshonoring girls and women fortheir accomplishments andsupport of others. Sundermanhas been recognized locally,nationally, and internation-ally for her work on thebasketball court. However,her influence reaches farbeyond her personal successin wheelchair basketball. Herdedication to excellence haspaved the way for hundreds ofwomen with disabilities, al-lowing them to achieve goalsthey had only dreamt about.As a teacher, she has also usedher experience and positiveattitude to impact hundreds ofelementary students in thePrior Lake/Savage SchoolDistrict.

While in grade school,Sunderman began to experi-ence problems with her hip,limiting her participation inthe sports she enjoyed and inwhich she excelled. By theage of 13, her hip degenera-tion had become severeenough to warrant majorcorrective surgery. Despiteher physical limitations, shepersevered throughout highschool, even helping take herbasketball team to the statechampionships in 1975.Sunderman went on to playfor Mankato State University,but after two seasons, the painand further hip degenerationbecame too severe for her tocontinue. She was devastatedwhen her doctors told her togive up basketball and take uppiano.

While Sunderman’s disabilitydoes not require her to use awheelchair in all aspects ofher daily life, she is limited towhat she can do physically,especially in sports. Her life

changed in 1986 when shewas introduced to wheelchairbasketball, an emerging sportthat was an option for herbecause she could no longerplay in the traditional way.Because she was an accom-plished, talented, and com-petitive athlete, she caught onquickly and began to setgoals: to be the best at hernew sport and to play on theUSA Paralympic team.

Sunderman joined the Cour-age Center’s Rolling Gophersand soon became the leadingscorer. More importantly, sheused her basketball experi-ence to teach team membersto work toward their personalbest on the court. Herdetermination set the standardfor all the members of theteam. Sunderman’s leader-ship helped the team winseveral national champion-ships. Her enthusiasm toshare wheelchair basketballwith other disabled womenhelped her team develop intoone of the largest and mostsuccessful programs in thecountry. It wasn’t long beforeher teammates asked her tocoach as well as play.

The team changed its name tothe Rolling Timberwolves. In1988, only two years afterbeginning to play wheelchairbasketball, Sunderman led theteam to what would be thefirst of many appearances onthe medal podium. That yearthe team took the Gold Medalat the Paralympics in Seoul,South Korea. Then came theGold Medal at the 1990World Championships inFrance, and the Silver Medalat the 1992 Paralympics inBarcelona, Spain.

Following these achievements,Sunderman set a new goal forherself: to become the firstwoman to coach an interna-

tional women’s wheelchairbasketball team. At the 1994World Championships in En-gland, as assistant coach, shehelped lead the team to theSilver Medal. In 1996, Sun-derman became the firstwoman to serve as head coachof a U.S. women’s team; theywon the Bronze Medal at theParalympics in Atlanta. Shereached her goal in 1998 andbecame the first woman tocoach an international wheel-chair basketball team, win-ning the Silver Medal at theWorld Championships in Aus-tralia.

Sunderman is a role model onand off the court as a greatplayer and mentor, but also asa woman who is fully em-ployed—a challenge facingmany persons with disabili-ties. Her awards have not justcome from her victories onthe court. She has beennamed Teacher of the Year(three times) at Five HawksElementary School and hasreceived the ElementaryTeacher of the Year award inthe Prior Lake/Savage SchoolDistrict. Sunderman hasreceived the Wilma RudolphCourage Award from theMarch of Dimes. She has alsobeen honored by MankatoState University with itsHumanitarian Award and wasinducted into the school’sAthletic Hall of Fame.

Whether she is in the class-room or on the court,Sunderman has motivatedadults and kids alike to lookbeyond adversity and facetheir challenges head on. Byher example, she encouragesthem to reach for theirdreams, work hard, and nevergive up. ■

The Ann Bancroft Awardscelebrate and encourage theachievements of girls and

women. They exemplify thespirit of explorer and educa-tor—Ann Bancroft—whoseleadership, and personal andhistoric achievements, haveinspired all people to take onnew challenges. For moreinformation on the awards,call (763) 541-9363 or visitwww.annbancroftfoundation.org.

Sunderman Is 2002 AnnBancroft Award Winnerby Gail Shore

Pleasepatronize your

Access PressAdvertisers.

They bring youyour paper.

Page 8: May 2002 Issue

May 10, 2002 8

NORTH - Cont. from p. 6

ability-specific, dealing withsuch topics as fibromyalgia,chronic pain, spinal cordinjury, brain injury, and so on.Some chat rooms exist solelyfor socializing. Others will becreated as the need arises or asrequested.

A tremendous number oflocal resources—such ascounty government, stateworkforce centers, local hous-ing authorities, and manynonprofit organizations serv-ing people with disabilities—are available on the Internet tofamily members, caregivers,and service providers. Thecoordination, collaboration,and sharing of resourcesenables the users to betterparticipate in their communi-ties and connect to others—preventing social isolation.

The Access North Internet

community went on-line inearly 2001 and continues togrow; feedback indicates thesite is accessed locally, acrossthe nation, and around theglobe. For example, CILNMstaff has provided informa-tion and referral services toindividuals and service pro-viders in numerous states, theUnited Kingdom, and theUkraine—to mention a few.

Please visit www.accessnorth.net and let CILNM staff knowhow we can improve our siteto better meet your needs.The CILNM main office is inHibbing; the phone number is218-262-6675 Voice/TTY.The branch office is inDuluth; the phone number is218-726-4896 Voice/TTY. ■

Jon Kauppi is the CommunityEducation Coordinator at theCILNM in Hibbing.

RELICS -Cont. from p. 4

CULTURE - Cont. from p. 4

and the wind. He told me thatGod had made those things,too.

And looking at Lake Superiorand the sky and the rocks,remembering all of thesewonderful and terrible thingsand people that my life hadbeen graced with, I lifted myPepsi to toast the sunny slopesof long ago.

It was then that I suddenlyrealized what “wacky” oldJimmy had been trying to tellme: the cross he gave me wastouched by grace, it was aholy relic. Since everythinghad come from God’s hands—the sun, the wind, the lake, mydogs, my dad, Jimmy’scross—then everything wasprecious, everything was holyand valuable beyond price.The entire world was a relic.

I took off my shoes and threwthem into the waves, so that Imight not walk shod on holyground. ■

won’t do it. Neither willincreased Group ResidentialHousing dollars from statepolicy-makers. We need anintegrated approach that ismore comprehensive and moreaccountable than the currentfragmented system.

The challenges are great,particularly in times of reces-

STEM CELLS - Cont. from p. 1

onic stem cell research-ers to the Stem CellInstitute at the U of M.

What does this mean forthe disability commu-nity? Stem cell researchholds tremendous prom-ise to check the progressof and potentially re-verse the effects ofmany diseases andchronic conditions. Theethical implications ofboth the methods andapplication of the re-search have been calledas boundless as thepotential for clinicalimprovements.

Among the first tobenefit from the re-search will be thosewith Parkinson’s dis-ease, said Smith, whopredicts we are five to10 years away fromclinical trials. Since thecondition stems from a spe-cific gene abnormality, itstherapeutic solution is moreeasily identifiable. Diabetes,on the other hand, is morecomplicated, resulting in mul-tiple challenges to the body’simmunological system.Treatments for ALS will besimilarly difficult. Other“single gene” diseases, such

as hemophilia, will also seebenefits early on, said Smith.

While neither directly ad-dressed the disability commu-nity in their comments, Smithwas asked if stem cell re-search could lead us to atherapeutic fountain of youth.“People will not live foreveror stop aging as a result of my

efforts,” Smith said, “butquality of life will beimproved…not just for theaffected individual, but forthe family and other support-ers as well.” ■

John Tschida is the SeniorDirector of Public Affairs andResearch at Courage Center.

sion when public dollars aretight. But until we tackle thisas a community with the sameenergy we have brought towork incentive programs andconsumer directed health care,our success will be limited.And the thousands of workingage people with disabilitiesstill in nursing homes? Theyare waiting for us to act. ■

Please patronize yourAccess Press Advertisers— and tell them whereyou heard about them.

They bring you your paper.

CongratulationsTIM BENJAMINThank you for 12 issues of

We also appreciate the contributions of the past year’s staff:Jeff Nygaard, Nathan Halvorson, Donna McNamara,

and Laurie Eckblad Anderson

Kudos from: Accessible Space, ACT, Arc Minnesota, Jeff Bangsberg,Tom Brick, Rick Cardenas, Catholic Charities – Office for Disabilities,

NAMI – MN, Remembering with Dignity, David Shea, and Mark Sherman

Page 9: May 2002 Issue

9May 10, 2002

Diamond Hill Townhomes

We are currently accepting applications for our waiting list atDiamond Hill Townhomes, a great property located near theMpls. International Airport.

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

We have a large number of mobility impaired accessible unitsand we are scheduling appointments for persons in need of amobility impaired accessible unit immediately.

To schedule an appointment please call (612) 726-9341

with a disability. Our experi-ences included locating aveterinarian for a sick guidedog and taking four differentmodes of transportation inone afternoon!

In addition to sponsoringChevrette and Lijewski’s at-tendance at the conference,CQI has involved consumersand other stakeholders sincethe very beginning of thegrant-writing process. The

CONFERENCE - Cont. from p. 3

Courage Center SeeksAward Nominations

IN BRIEF . . . .

May Is Mental Health Month

Employment Services For The Deaf

CQI steering committee re-cently met to recommendmembers for a Quality DesignCommission that is part of theReal Choice Systems ChangeGrant. CQI is in the processof making the final selections.Work groups will also beconvened on the topics of:consumer-driven personalcare assistance, informationreferral and assistance, andassistive technology. Thecommission will consist of 15

stakeholders, at least eight ofwhom will be consumers.These commission memberswill be involved in the design,monitoring, and evaluation ofquality assurance processes atthe Department of HumanServices. ■

Karen Pederson is the Evalu-ation Coordinator with Com-munity Quality Initiatives atthe Minnesota Department ofHuman Services.

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 Performances

The BI Show: An Exhibi-tion of Sexuality and Race;5/10-25; ASL 5/15 & 5/22,7:30; AD 5/15, 7:30; PillsburyHouse Theatre; Mpls.; 612-825-0459, *$7 tickets toASL/AD patrons.

The Men of Out Loud! andTheir Friends Are…Misbehavin’; ASL Sat., 5/18, 8:00; TC Gay Men’sChorus at Ted Mann ConcertHall; Mpls.; 612-624-2345,info: 612-339-7664; www.tcgmc.org.

Flint Hills InternationalChildren’s Festival; 6/1-6/2;Ordway Center for the Per-forming Arts; St. Paul; 651-224-4222, TTY, 651-282-3100; www.ordway.org.•Martha; ASL Sun., 6/2 at12:30; AD Sat., 6/1 at 11:30a.m.

•Wimp, ASL Sun., 6/2 at2:30; AD Sat., 6/1 at 1:00.

•Dreaming Beauty, ASLSun., 6/2 at 2:00; AD Sat.,6/1 at 3:00.

•Circo Comedia, AD Sun.,6/2 at 11:00 a.m.

•Landscapes AD Sun., 6/2 at1:00.

•Los Pleneros ASL Sun., 6/2at 3:30.

•Chinese Golden DragonAcrobats; AD Sun., 6/2 at4:00.

•World Parties; ASL Sat.,6/1 & Sun., 6/2.

The Blue Room; 4/19-6/16;AD Thurs., 6/6, 7:30; JungleTheater; Mpls.; 612-822-7063; www.jungletheater.com.

Silver Follies 2002 ; runs5/29-6/9; ASL/AD Sun., 6/9,2:00; Fargo-Moorhead Com-munity Theatre; 701-235-6778; www.fmct.org.

Rumors; runs 6/6-16; ASLSun., 6/9, 2:00; ParamountTheatre; St. Cloud; 320-259-5463; www.paramountarts.org or www.cmct.org.

The Nuns; runs 5/15-6/30;AD Sun., 6/16, 7:00; Theatrede la Jeune Lune; Mpls.; 612-333-6200; www.jeunelune.org.

Visiting Mr. Green; runs6/5-7/6; ASL/AD Sat., 6/22,8:00; Park Square Theatre; St.Paul; 651-291-7005; www.parksquaretheatre.org.

Anything Goes; 6/11-30;AD/ASL Sat., 6/29, 2:00;Ordway Center for the Per-forming Arts; St. Paul; 651-224-4222, TTY 651-282-3100; www.ordway.org.

The King and I; runs 6/21-30; ASL Sat., 6/29, 7:00;Staring Lake Amphitheater;Eden Prairie; 952-949-8453,TTY 952-949-8399.

Oliver!; runs 6/21-30; ASLSun., 6/30, 2:00; Osseo Se-nior High School; 763-391-2787; www.crossplayers.org.

The Importance of BeingEarnest; runs 5/31-6/30; ADSun., 6/30, 2:00; Theatre inthe Round; Mpls.; 612-333-3010; www.theatreintheround.org. ■

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

A demonstration project atthree Minnesota WorkForceCenters—Brainerd, St. Cloud,and Rochester—is improvingaccess to employment-relatedservices for people who aredeaf or hard-of-hearing. VideoRemote Interpreting andCaptioning connects theseconsumers with sign language

interpreter and captioningservice providers from anestablished pool in the TwinCities metro area. Consumerscan take advantage of thistechnology by scheduling ajob interview or other ap-pointment at one of theseWorkForce Centers. Walk-inrequests for such services can

usually be accommodatedwithin eight to 24 hours.

For more info, contact RubinLatz: 651-297-8269 voice;651-296-9141 tty; 651-297-5159 fax; [email protected].

The annual Phillips awardhonors the contributions ofindividuals with disabilitieswho have achieved financialand vocational independencethrough employment. Win-ners are honored for theirprofessional success, leader-ship skills, and their contribu-tions to their community—and receive a $1,500 cash

Become a Mental HealthVolunteer with HennepinCounty. The time commit-ment involves sharing a simpleactivity for a couple of hours

Wings, a ministry of and foradults with physical disabili-ties, is holding its 14th annualWalk and Roll Fund-raiser.

every other week. Help aperson cope with mentalillness by offering compas-sion, understanding, andfriendship.

For more info, contact JackieConnolly at 612-348-2875 [email protected].

The event will take place atLake Harriet in Minneapolison Saturday, June 8 between10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

To volunteer, participate, ormake a donation, contactMark or Maynard at 612-866-0462, ext. 130.

prize. This award is spon-sored by the Rose and JayPhillips Family Foundation.

The annual Judd Jacobsonaward recognizes the venturesof entrepreneurs with disabili-ties and carries a substantialfinancial prize. The award’snamesake and benefactor wasa very successful entrepre-

neur and business leader, whohad a spinal cord injury.

Both awards will be presentedat the 2002 Celebration ofCourage Gala this fall. Pleasecontact Tom Kelley at 763-520-0675 for a nominationform. Applications are dueAugust 1.

Page 10: May 2002 Issue

May 10, 2002 10

ProfessionalDirectory

A GREAA GREAA GREAA GREAA GREAT RESOURCE!T RESOURCE!T RESOURCE!T RESOURCE!T RESOURCE!

DirectAbility.comDirectAbility is a comprehensive,

ever-expanding, award-winning, Internet direc-tory devoted to disability-related products,

services, resources and information throughoutthe state. Online at www.directability.com.

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

www.rcsalesmfg.com

INDEPENDENCE CROSSROADS, INC.Serving people with disabilities since 1976.

In-Home Counseling Community Support Groups Information & Referral Advocacy Public Education

NO FEE REQUIREDwww.independencecrossroads.org

8932 Old Cedar Ave. So., Bloomington, MN 55425Office (952) 854-8004 Fax (952) 854-7842

Access for All

The Minnesota Travel Guidefor Persons with Disabilities

www.accessminnesota.org

3680 Victoria St. N. • Shoreview, MN 55126

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

KEEP YOUR LOVED ONES AT HOMELET

“SPECIAL CARE OF MINNESOTA”SHOW YOU HOW

PCA’s & Home Healthcare WorkersWe provide state licensed, supervised, dedicated, reliable,well-educated workers. Enjoy the comforts of your home witha companion from our well-trained workers. Live-ins available.Short or long-term.

On Call 24 Hours, 7 days a week.

Phone: 763-572-0149

DISABILITY BASICS CONSULTING INC.Ron Lynaugh

• Creating/delivering presentations on issues affecting thedisabled

• Educating clients to successfully interact/work w/disabled• Serving as a group home advocate for change• Leading support/mentoring groups for the disabled

P.O. Box 65266 Phone (651) 735-2253St. Paul, MN 55165-0266 Fax (651) 735-3374

extremely weak and do notspecifically mention “reason-able accommodation,” I be-lieve that a commissionercould have argued that deny-ing Matejka an interpreterspecifically discriminatedagainst him and made itimpossible to get services.

If the MCRC is truly con-vinced that the public accom-modations provisions of theOrdinance do not requireaffirmative provision of ac-cess of services, then I thinkthe MCRD and MCRC shouldtake the following steps.

1. The MCRD should either:accept no more disabilitydiscrimination charges in-volving public accommo-dation where lack of accessor lack of reasonable ac-commodation is being al-leged, or should advisepersons filing charges withthem if there are differencesin remedy between what thelocal commission and whatother laws can offer. Alllocal commissions, includ-ing the MCRD and MCRC,already have this obligationas set out in the MinnesotaHuman Rights Act at Min-nesota Statutes Section363.116. Therefore, incases such as Matejka’s, theMCRD should be referringpeople to the state HumanRights Department (HRD)and to the Department ofJustice, and advising peoplethat they have a right to seekprivate legal counsel.

2. The MCRD and MCRCshould dismiss all pendingcharges in that area as

LETTER - Cont. from p. 3

“lacking jurisdiction to in-vestigate” before the timeruns out for complainantsto file a charge with theHRD. Complainants maynot file charges concur-rently with the MCRD andthe HRD. If the MCRDdismisses a charge as “NoProbable Cause to BelieveDiscrimination Occurred,”a complainant cannot refilethe charge with the HRD.But if a charge is dismissedwithin one year of the timethe event occurred, andMinneapolis claims it“lacked jurisdiction to in-vestigate,” the HRD of thestate would accept thecharge and investigate it. InMatejka’s case, if the chargehad been dismissed prior to1/4/01, exactly one yearfrom the last day he tried toget Ahlberg to provide aninterpreter, he could havefiled his charge with theHRD.

3. When the MCRD andMCRC dismissed suchcharges as “lacking juris-diction” they should in-clude an admonition that,had the Complainant soughtrelief under state or federallaws, the Respondent mighthave been found liable formonetary and injunctivedamages. This would alertthe Respondent that heshould look at his policiesbefore getting more com-plaints or lawsuits. Stateand federal law both presentstrong case law requiring apublic accommodation toprovide an interpreter.While under state andfederal laws the doctor’s

office could have attemptedto get payment for thatservice from the deafperson’s insurer, the doctorcould not make the personpay extra, including aninterpreter fee, to get hisservices. This would betrue even if the interpreter’sservices cost more than thefee. In this case, it is veryunlikely that theinterpreter’s fee would havecome near what the doctorreceived as payment for hisservices.

4. The MCRC should includelanguage in their dismissalreminding parties that dis-missals can be appealed tothe Court of Appeals within45 days.

5. The MCRD and the MCRCshould seek to amend theCivil Rights Ordinance toinclude stronger languageregarding the protections ingeneral for persons withdisabilities, but particularlyin the public accommoda-tions provisions.

6. Finally, I believe that theMCRD and MCRC shouldreceive frequent training ondisability issues in the lawand concerns of personswith disabilities.

I hope that the city ofMinneapolis takes this issueseriously and works on re-solving problems which cur-rently exist for persons withdisabilities.

Sincerely,Kathleen R. HagenStaff AttorneyMN Disability Law Center

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, 1821 University Ave W, #104S, St. Paul, MN 55104,

(651) 644-2133

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.

FOR RENT33XX E. 25th St. Minneapo-lis. Especially for wheelchair.1 level, 1 bedroom house.$700+utilities. Available May1st. 320-543-3636.

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.

REAL ESTATEBrainerd home with wheel-chair ramp—3 BR/2 BA ingreat neighborhood nearparks. Many extra featuresincluding hot tub. $119,000.218-829-7979.

Martha Hage & Sam Jasmine’sRADIO SHOW

Disabled & Proud, It’s Not An Oxymoron

KFAI • Every Tues. • 7:30 p.m. • 106.7 FM — St. Paul • 90.3 FM — Mpls

May 14: Guest TBA - Light RailMay 21: Dennis Bartlett - Freedom Box (Internet Access)June 4: Katheryn Bakke - Pianist and Artist of the Month

Exceptional Property for$394,000. Custom builthandicap accessible home!6.91 acres, pole building,3100 sq. foot rambler! Bo-nus: seller to leave stair ele-vator ramp! 1-800-808-1613,ext. 32245, or 763-856-4194.

Home with elevator, com-pletely handicap accessible.Built in 1992 with 4 BRs, 3baths, elevator to all 3 levels,walk-out basement to privatebackyard located on a quiet,wooded cul-de-sac in LinoLakes bordering on WhiteBear Lake. Close to freewayaccess. $259,900. MikeBurth (612) 812-0965 orwww.mikeburth.com. RealEstate Masters

Page 11: May 2002 Issue

11May 10, 2002

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

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

Ramsey CountyRamsey County invites you to join us in building a bettercommunity through public service in the following fields:

• Administrative, Management and Technical Services• Building and Facility Services• Clerical and Secretarial Services• Community and Social Services• Court, Legal and Law Enforcement Services• Property Records/Revenue Services• Public Works and Transportation Services• Parks and Recreation Services

Contact our Job Hotline for a recorded listof current job openings at:

(651) 266-2666

Ramsey County Human Resource Dept.430 RCGC West50 West Kellogg BoulevardSaint Paul, Minnesota 55102(651) 266-2700 or (651) 266-2728 (TDD)

You may also view a list of current job openingsand other useful Information, or download

application materials, on internet at:www.co.ramsey.mn.us

INTERIM EXECUTIVEDIRECTOR

This position at DisabilityAwareness Ministries, Inc.is a PT temp position from7/1/02-12/31/02. Applicationdeadline is 5/20/02.

For more info contact: Rev.Suzanne Mades, Exec. Dir.;952-431-6240; [email protected].

ACADEMIC ADVISOR

Metropolitan State invitesapplications for an academicadvisor in the College ofProfessional Studies for psy-chology, human services, andpre-social work students.Qualifications: bachelor’sdegree; three years of highereducation experience in aca-demic support or studentservices (a master’s degreemay substitute for two years’experience); knowledge ofthe practices and proceduresregarding student advisingand retention; understandingof general education require-ments; demonstrated experi-ence in serving a diversestudent body; excellent com-munication skills and com-puter literacy skills. Applica-tion deadline is May 20. Forcomplete description of posi-tion and qualifications, go tohttp://db.metrostate.edu/jobs.asp or call (651) 772-7707, TTY users (651) 772-7687. AA/EEO

RECEPTIONIST/CLERICAL

Fast-paced, customer focusedDiversity consulting and prod-ucts company seeking reli-able, skilled receptionist. Du-ties include: operating amultiline telephone system;providing general clericalskills, overall office support.Require six months relatedexperience and skills inMicrosoft Office environ-ment. Convenient near-downtown location. Hoursare 8:00-5:00 M-F.

Resumes must be in beforeMay 22, 2002. To submit aresume, send fax/email to:

Human ResourcesProGroup, Inc

Fax: 612-379-7048Email:

[email protected]

No calls please.

PSYCHOLOGIST/SOCIAL WORKER

South Central Human Rela-tions Center, a well estab-lished comprehensive com-munity mental health center,is accepting resumes for theposition of therapist with ourclinic staff. Applicants musthave a minimum of a master’sdegree and licensure as anL.I.C.S.W., L.P., or L.M.F.T.Work in a dynamic growingcommunity with easy accessto the metro area. Sendresume to Personnel Direc-tor, South Central HumanRelations Center, Inc., 610Florence Avenue, Owa-tonna, MN 55060. EEO/AA

SENIOR STRUCTURALENGINEER

Structural Engineer wanted todesign and prepare construc-tion plans for bridge andparking structure projects.The ideal candidate will havea B.S. in Civil Engineeringwith a structural emphasis, 3-6 years direct experience, anda PE license in Minnesota orthe ability to attain one.Project management and AutoCAD/Microstation experiencepreferred. Excellent commu-nication skills a must.

SRF Consulting Group, Inc. isa locally owned and well-established civil engineering,transportation and planningfirm. In addition to varied andexciting work in a positiveatmosphere, SRF offers com-petitive salary and benefits,401(k) & profit sharing. Ifyou are looking for a careerwith strong growth potentialin one of ENR’s Top 500design firms, send your re-sume to SRF ConsultingGroup, Inc., One CarlsonPkwy. N., #150, Plymouth,MN 55447; fax to 763-475-2429, or email to [email protected]; EOE.

EVENING PROJECTSUPPORT SPECIALIST

We are seeking a highly self-motivated Project SupportSpecialist to work from 12:00p.m. to 8:00 p.m. with anenergized team of individualssupporting 750 users on a MSWindows 2000 network. Thisposition offers an opportunityto work on leading edgetechnology including W2Kserver, SMS, IIS, Windows2000 Professional, MS OfficeSuites, Intranets and video-conferencing. You will con-tribute to all of these areas,with the primary focus onsupporting end users. We areseeking individuals highlyknowledgeable in PC hard-ware and software usage,installation, configuration andtroubleshooting; and inter-ested in advancing theircareer and working in adynamic environment. Wesupport education forMicrosoft certification andare interested in candidateseither already on that track orwho have completed theirMSCE certification. Two tothree years experience isrequired along with a 4-yeardegree in computer science orrelated discipline. Experi-ence with SMS administra-tion and Windows ScriptingHost is highly desirable. Thisposition also participates in aweekend on-call rotationschedule.

We offer a professional envi-ronment, competitive wagesand an excellent benefitspackage, including a dis-counted bus program -Metropass. For more infor-mation about Faegre & Bensonor two apply on-line, visit ourwebsite www.faegre.com.You may also send yourresume and salary history toFaegre & Benson LLP,ATTN: Human Resources,2200 Wells Fargo Center,90 South Seventh Street,Minneapolis, MN 55402.Fax: 612-766-1763. Email:HR@ faegre.com

EOE

Development

HENNEPIN COUNTYLIBRARY FOUNDATIONEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

The Library Foundation ofHennepin County, a growingpresence on the local TwinCities philanthropic scene,seeks a dynamic individual tobuild on a growing reputationfor excellence. The Found-ation’s purpose is to provideadditional financial support toone of the area’s most heavilyused educational/cultural in-stitutions. Position reports tothe Library Director andserves as the principal staffliaison to the Board of theLibrary Foundation. Majorassignments within the firstyear will include: hands-onfund-raising activities; devel-opment of annual, plannedgiving and membership cam-paigns; research to determinethe feasibility of creating amultimillion dollar endow-ment for library materials;general coordination of an artinitiative in multiple loca-tions, designed to bring publicart into library spaces; andother special projects. TheFoundation’s Executive Di-rector has access to the fullrange of organizational sup-port available in one of thenation’s premier public li-braries (public informationunit, programming office, acorps of dedicated volunteers,etc.)

The nationally recognizedHennepin County Libraryserves approximately 735,000residents of suburban Minne-apolis through 26 locations, acomprehensive Web site(www.hclib.org), and an ex-tensive network of outreachservices. The Library has aworkforce of over 600 (480FTEs) and an annual operat-ing budget in excess of $34million.

Position requires a graduatedegree and 4 years of experi-ence or an undergraduatedegree and 5 years of at leastmid-level experience in amedium to large developmentoffice with direct fund-raisingexperience. The salary rangeis $51,756-$76,524 annually.

Please apply online at http://www.co.hennepin.mn.us/jobs/jobs.htm. Applications willbe accepted through June 3,2002. For further informationcontact Sandra Thoma 952-847-8591, [email protected] or TomO’Neill 952-847-8596, tom.o’[email protected].

AN AFFIRMATIVEACTION/

EQUAL OPPORTUNITYEMPLOYER

CIVIL ENGINEERINGFIELD TECHNICIANS

SRF Consulting Group, Inc.has the following full-timepermanent positions open inour In-Construction ServicesGroup:

SURVEY CREW CHIEF

Crew Chief wanted to leadtwo and three person surveycrews for right of way, designand in-construction surveysfor highway/municipal/road-way projects. Two-year civiltechnology degree and 5 plusyears supervisory experiencein construction surveying re-quired.

SURVEY TECHNICIAN

Entry-level survey technicianneeded to act as secondperson on two and threeperson crews. Duties includeright of way, design and in-construction surveys for high-way/municipal / roadwayprojects. Must have a two-year degree in civil technol-ogy.

CONSTRUCTIONINSPECTOR

Construction Inspector wantedfor construction observation.The ideal candidate will have2-5 years experience in obser-vation and documentation ofroadway & utility construc-tion, good communicationand organized record keepingskills. Mn/DOT Certificationa plus.

We are a locally owned andwell-established civil engi-neering, transportation andplanning firm. In addition tovaried and exciting work in apositive atmosphere, SRFoffers competitive salary andbenefits, 401(k) & profitsharing. Send your resume toSRF Consulting Group, Inc.,One Carlson Pkwy. N.,#150, Plymouth, MN 55447;fax to 763-475-2429, or e-mail to [email protected]; EOE.

DEVELOPMENTASSOCIATE

COMPAS, Community Pro-grams in the Arts, the state’spremier community art orga-nization, has an immediateopening for an organized,energetic individual to joinour development team.

Responsibilities:Fund-raising from individualsand small businesses, data-base management, volunteerand donor event planning,public speaking, administra-tive support for workplacegiving campaigns.

Qualifications:Excellent written and verbalskills, word processing anddatabase management experi-ence, development or market-ing experience, volunteer co-ordinating, ability to workeffectively and cooperativelywith a wide variety of people.

30 hrs./wk., good benefits,salary range: $20,500 -$24,000. Complete job de-scription available 651-292-3249.

Send cover ltr. & resume by6/3/02 to:

Lynne BeckCOMPAS

304 Landmark Center75 West 5th St.

St. Paul, MN 55102

From recent Supreme Courtdecisions to individual

lawsuits, the Americans withDisabilities Act (ADA) haschanged in form from theoriginal law passed nearly 12years ago. Many people withdisabilities are familiar withthe rights guaranteed to themunder the ADA, but fewunderstand the responsibili-ties that go with it.

To educate people aboutADA changes and their re-sponsibilities in maintainingthis law, fourteen disabilityorganizations from across thestate of Minnesota are spon-soring a conference. “Rightsand Responsibilities Underthe ADA” will be held onFriday, July 26 from 9:00 a.m.to 4:00 p.m. at the SullivanSchool and CommunicationsCenter at 3100 East 28th Streetin Minneapolis. The confer-ence will feature nationallyrenowned speakers: JudyHeumann, former AssistantSecretary for the U.S. Officeof Special Education andRehabilitation Services, andJohn Wodatch, Director ofthe Civil Rights Division ofthe U.S. Department of Jus-tice. The event also featuresmorning and afternoon work-shops on topics such as Filingan Action, Starting Work,Using Personal Care Assis-tants, and Self-AdvocacySkills.

Admission to the conferenceis free, but registration isrequired. For more informa-tion, contact ADA-MN at651-603-2015. ■

ADAEvent

Page 12: May 2002 Issue

May 10, 2002 12

------------------------------------- BASIC SPONSOR -------------------------------------Margaret Beier Patricia Guerrero John HartsonBeth Jensen Debra Johnson Rosanne KramniczSteven McKeever Kathleen M. Miller Cindy MooreJane & Albert Olson Carla Reichenberg Gary & Leann TaylorPaul W. Taylor Kelli N-E Wysocki

----------------------------------- FRIEND SPONSOR ($25 and above) -----------------------------------Lynda Adams Mary Andresen Steven AndersonMarisa Bennett Patrick Bilbrey Mike & Karen BjorganSusan Blaylock Maynard Bostrom Bob BrickCarlyn Bryngelson Deah Cain Carol Jo CochranLynne Corneli Marty Cushing Justin & Yoshiko DartJolene Davis LeRoy deBoom Barbara DroherNeil Doughty Craig Dunn & Candy Hart Mel & Georgia DuncanWill & Mary Englund Peg & Joe Figliuzzi Mary Frank-WawokiyawinCandace & David Gislason Tom Gode Rep. Kevin GoodnoJohn Hoffman Bradley J. Holmes Judy HuntCindy & Greg Johnson Deb Johnson Ericka JohnsonThe Joyce Family Linnea Johnson Hoff Roger A. HoffmanBarb Kane Mary Kay Kennedy Diah KinionBeth Knutson-Kolodzne Eugene Kook Sherry LampmanSue Lasoff Bruce Larson Linda LarsonJohn Marty Dorothy McCoy Kelly MatterDesiree Menuey Sara & Gary Meyer Kathy MoranPaul Mueller David & Judona Musselman Jim & Cindy MusselmanJoe Musselman Bill & Joan Overby Mary & Henry PattridgeRichard Peterson Margery Pilhofer Robert J. Geldert & Roberta PinkoshDwight & Chris Porter Barbara Proehl Virginia PuzakJulee Quarve-Peterson Kelly Rathcke Kim RezekBrian Rogers Stuart Rosen James RossScott Rostron Ginger Rudberg Patricia RydeenArthur Sauter Elizabeth Smith Adele SpavinDiane Sprague Gerry & Barb Tollakson Caryl WattmanTeri Welcher Curt Wiehle Joani WernerDavid WoodAccommodating Care, Inc. Accord Health Care Services All Temporaries, IncAlliance for the Mentally Ill of MN Arc of Anoka/Ramsey Cty Arc SuburbanArc Minnesota Assistive Speech Technology Research Labs Axis HealthcareBest Care Blue Sky Designs, Inc. Brain Injury Assn. of MNConsumer Council of The Alliance for the Mentally Ill Disabled DealerEast Suburban Resources Franciscan Sisters of St. Paul Forensic Alliance of Mentally IllFraser Community Services Home Health Care JQ-P, Inc.Kaposia MBW Company Metro Mobility Service Center StaffMN Bio Brain Assoc. NAMI Northeast Contemporary ServicesResource S.M.I.L.E.S. United Cerebral Palsy of MN

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Thanks to the following sponsors for supporting Access Press this year.---------------------------------- BRONZE SPONSOR ($75 and above) ----------------------------------

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---------------------------------- SILVER SPONSOR ($150 and above) ----------------------------------Karen Adamson Jamie Becker Scott BeersRobert E. Buuck LeAnne & Larry Dahl Chris DuffCatherine Eilers M. Therese Gockenbach Paula GoldbergDoris & John Groven Lori Guzman Judy HaaversenDavid & Susan Houghton Ronna Linroth Lynn NorenMichael Otubushin RISE Inc. Dean Doering & Lisa ScribnerKevin Sullivan Kay Willshire Arc Hennepin CountyHelp Yourself Job Placement & Development Division, MN Rehab AssnLottsa Tax & Accounting Services Mental Health Consumer/Survivor NetworkMILS Mpls. Advisory CommitteeMN Developmental Achievement Ctr Assoc. (MnDACA) Pacer Center St. Paul Mayors Advisory Committee on People with Disabilities Twin City Transportation

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-------------------–------------------------------------- IN HONOR-----------------------------------------------------Anne Henry by Karen Adamson • Cecelia Bilbrey-Baer by Patrick J. Bilbrey • Charlie Smith by Tom & Mimi Fogarty • Charlie by Fern Rogstad • Jaehn Clare by Candice Warne

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Bill & Renee Smith by Becky J. Bugbee-Tong • Troy Fahlenkamp & Valerie Birosh by David Dreier • Mabel Heuer by Dawn Doering • Charlie Smith by Lee Ann EricksonBill Smith by Joe & Peg Figliuzzi • Charlie Smith by Andrew Groven • John Hardy by Martha Hardy • Miss Irene MacKaloney by Roger Hoffman

Charlie Smith by Barbara Kane • Ruth Riggs by Corbin Kidder • Charlie Smith by Tracy Kochendorfer • Charlie Smith, our cousin, by Henry Pattridge & familyUncle Bill & Aunt Renee Smith by Mary & Henry Pattridge • Charlie Smith by Sister Kenny Institute • Bill & Renee Smith by Helen Thompson

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