Airport Accessibility Page 3
Access Press December 10, 1997
RESOURCES
munity is clearly identifiable as a white one. On the face of thingsonemightattributethis to demographics, but that
people of color. They may be missing something because? the representation is overwhehningly white. If t h ~ ' s
disabilityexperience. Not only race,b-dtgender,sexual orientation, class, socioeconomic level, religion. A number of
yaulbakat disability, &ie a
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n 3hkuary 2-, 1953'. , Forrest "Frosty" Johnson was standing alone in his -. J%tareryrem&- a b b fact, unless you consider 'thatMr.Johnsonhadndstd withoutsomeone'sassistance for more than 2 years. He was standing in a HiRIder standup wheelchair, which he had fought for almost 3 years to obtain.
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Mr. Johnson is a 39 year old man with multiple sclerosis. As a resplt of MS. Mr. Johnson has little functional use of his legs and uses a ~ o w escooter r for mobility.
'hf the HiRider, demon-
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ftrated the HiRider for clients of the MS Achievement Center. The RiKider js a com bin at i on power fwheelchairandpassivestandfng device that enables the client to move between sitting and standing positions by
people crfcolo@withdisabili- ously lacking is-students atmen smaller tendingthe University of Mindea, they're anur. .-p Where ape &$?" neaota This is an institution Communities !$ mim t(ih - where, despite 135 support
The disabilityexperiencewill get Shaped and &fined by the majority culture. Disability
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arepractically invisibleatdis- 1995. Sue Ktoeger, Rimtor abbd students and don't find lization. Passive -ding in- ability-related fmaions and of Disability Services at, the - diversity in its broadest sense. . volves bringing aperso~ frmn virtually silent whmi public University,sees thenegligible That causes a concern about Mr. Johnson and his thcra- a seated. or recumbent posi- voices are raised on dkbility representation of disabled how Y ti b i w defined, conpjsts, Ronna Linroth, O.T.R. tion into a standing position. issues. Says Smith, "They minority students as a vial cepmalized,andmanifesmd." and Sharron Ruhsam, P.T., Thereareavariety ofdevices, aren't involved with people concern. "I think it's critical. Additionally, no one conwere intrigued by the poten- including the HiRider, to as- with disabilities who are in- Regarding students of color, tactedfor this article knew of tial therapeutic value of the sist with passive standing. volved in legislation or just lastyecar,-autofawtalof2,000 a single instructor or profesHiRider. He and his therapists active in different disability disabled students, disability w r employed by the Univerbelieved that the HiRider Mr. Johnson and his thera- organizations. WhenIlookat services served 94 Asian sity who is a person of color would allow him tosafely and pists had examined other all the meetings I'm involved American, 85African Amri- with adisability. indqmdentlyperform aregu- standing devices, but he was with I can count the number, can, 45 ChLanotHispanic, 26 . lar rwtine of passive stand- unable to safely and indepen- and it's minuscule - 5 or 6 Indian, 1 6 i n ~ t i o ~ ~ ~ l . ' 'Agexpressed by Smith and by -KPgeger, the dearth of noning. Passive standing is a dently use other devices. Mr. people." therapeutic inmeetion used Johns* E w i by himself and -rdidnothaveimmediwvtc presence in the disabilwithpersonslikeMr.Johnson has no home care services to S m i t h ~ n g s t o l i ~ t a n i m p ma&~ iREmmm other mi- ity kommunity is w tindeniwho, because of their disabil- assist him tant consideration. Efforts to norities, but m & ~ ~ h e d adl y able problem. Decisionsmade ity, aremtrktedtoaseatedor obtain equal opportunity for mits, "I don't see race1 in the lobbyingcirclesof polirecumbentpositiqn Immobi- Duringabmonthtrialwith thedisabled\didnor end with ethqicity beingpartofthedis- tics, as well as thoughts and tlre HiZtider W d - u p wheel- the passage of the Americans ability discussion d JI f d it feelings which significantly Iiationw-toa seated or recumbent position chair, Mr. Johnma stood up with Disabilities Act, but are shouldbe.I&~nYtsee[minori- influence the focus of,educacontributes to bone calcium u s i n g t h e ~ l a e r a l t i m s sustained by an ongoing ties] in leadership positions. tim, all take place in accord loss, osteoporosis, urinary a d a y f o r a t l a s t m M f h m p ~ v & t g ~ ~ . ' k @&&p d~l What's Irappming is that we with smsibilities and pertract and bladder infections, atatime. While hewasablsto ,w&& is rwtto be for box things up neatly. We ceptions held by the white muscle atrophy, muscle perfonnp~ivestanciingwi~whites may. Smithrem&ks, have disability con'yersa- majority. IsMinnesota9sfaccantractures, muscle spastic- the assistanceof the HiRider, "The legislative session is tions, gender-oriented con- tion of the disability moveify. loss of range of motion, he experienced a significant cmingupinJanuary. There's versations, etcetera. But mentan exclusive club? It is decubitwulcers, constipation .redaction in the detrimental a group of individuals and they're compwtmntalized. readily apparent that some andreducedxwpiration. Pas: asp~;etsofprolongedimm&i- .orgmiziatioss ,catbd The They're nat integaed into pw&1 mganizations are sive standing.&itriktes sig- l i d o n . Mr. JohnsonreturPjied : ~ o ~ ~ & r ~ i t i biWflity ~ w i as@a whole. R e r e exclusive of minorities, the nificantly to reducing these theHiRiderfollowing the&& ~~jsabi~fies(&f3):k's~ndof are all swts oFi&ntities that mostpromintantbeing the Re. demmnrat*cts'b~&Ap+ - cont. on g. 7 W@@T~ve moFthedisabil- people have. Obviously our Minorities cont. on p. 6 touching two buttons.
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