June 1998 Edition - Access Press by Access Press

"Noone can dub you with dignity. That's yours to claim "

A. 11C

Northland Page 7

bisability Parking Debate p. 6

IGHTHANNIVERSAW I

The Year In Review by Charlie Smith, Editor

s predicted,thepastyear has broughtsomeimportant changes to ACCESS PRESS. InDecemberweofficially received our 501(c)(3) non-profit status, meaning that we arenow abletoreceive grants and.donations which will be tax-deductible.

vide the concrete proof to our future funders that the disability community is solidly behind the paper's efforts. For the first time ACCESS PRE&S is being distributed state-wide, with the help of GoodwilVEasterSealsand the Centers for Independent Liv-.

providing almost $10,000 -ide support. ??

Years o f Access Press

AsACCESS FW%S begins to apply for %rants and. other fundingtoexpandandimplove the paper, the ongoing s u p port of the Friends will pro-

,' a

them possible!

R PRESS mntiniwrl

our tradition of reporting on the ongoing news in the disability community. Ourreaders to received timely &is& depth coverage on such b-

A-Lwf >-

portant subjects as the Metro Mobility system, and legislation at the-local, state, and nationallevel. Profilesofagencies and organizations, general news, coverage of meetings and hearings, new developments in technology and -research, as well as fuli to do - all were part of the

ye:

ered in any of the mainstream ile, in sdhe case nttr rnvernop mav

-mI

have mar

some people or organizations - . uncomfwtab1e,inmany cases it has led to positive changes. We have tried to maintain 'a Review coa. w. g. 2 ,

U Of M Struggles To Comply With ADA: Employees Not Happy by Juaftrh Gibson

ccess Press received the

S@BW &@hack &at

forits1ongasQenew specialneeds employee does not in-

A second tram was found with University's acconmodatim process. In this case, a &sf ~ t . a r ya c ~ o 8 a t i o was n agreed upokduringthehking prooiess. Then, a few months d e t y . "In the past, be-re wenflyand thebdgetwirs ADA, offem for accomm.oda&,axpMmg the de-ent to &stmenwe.In tke prices, the~~accommodation w a s n q h c e d - a k -

dividual departments.

. S a d h k w s with indiddmb at the uniw~s-rrp. re-

m m m l ~ o n . A.t this

says to obtain a harmonious war&-. It alsoseemasif &lack of comnication beWeen the p d e s is making it dflicubtoi-ve thesitma-

Qn.

(Pne employee with &-tan

point, that same empIoyee who had voiced concerns - s r a s k t b m e d i a a n t d ~ 8lBt-mthe sew * o n i d 7ketp14tcebAho,shce the Unihsritutian, lDsm?re~l.. , v d t y is a 1know Wt retribution is ille- a t i m ~ o i ~ w a e n omany t studenweducatom gre gal,m m r v w i t h dis- able to fdfill j i i * . $tmctPxr Eo it &ape of it's abilitkareM@-what ~ h a f o w e r m u c a n d e - relatively greater resources is v come ajustified.came hdig awareness. CW,

spoke thought that, while Bepartanent managers may be$in yrh an accommodating attitdie, h i s only continues

kn thewdertw*

- CBSf e d 1 &at h&s amrent work situation wouIdbecameeven more difficult if she voiced camplaints directly to the manager.

~~~~

not a gocldpbfiq: csmments . Kroeger. Dr. Sue EWgstI~)jfe;cbxd murity, emmpd &SJ&, and IsjsaWity -, supporls pi&mbitha&ier@mo~ @Univer~ity's$1icies. She feelings r e g d n g Uae situa~ . . fee* positive that, while the h psw inprocess might have a few volved. Mtcjm,the University's promissal. cedurts and guidelines are The University ofMian&ta . C%? q e h resource on Ule effective in d d n g with a is a h w c d h s m h t h e r long term uni&ty Minneapolis campus is & majority .of the isiws @at. thatreceives'fadngfnrm$re .sfMhnesota employee has of&c called Disability Ser- arise. She also adds Wt it is Stata: and Fg m - : , . an insider's scoop in watch- vic& (DS). I33 serves both more convenient for employ- meats a d rn h m tuition I* ing the evolution of m p u s shi&nts.aad empPoyees as a ees and stden.&to a a d M v a ht3w. In aMfwdes towardpgsons %rib place to va&&c a d incentntlizedphEolhme their theory,tby dmuldbaheader &stabilities. his ' eb+loyee and &o to needs met ratherth& relying U cp_fM-m t . on p. 6

.--

June 10, 1998

Access Press

It is not ness,meningitis,andintestinal I I

For ?#iort,itlfonntrtiow about Coocliuill/Et~sler Seal's sesryices, please c~ill612/646-2591.

to promote the developI is.......-..-...--.-..---

5 -+2H+-.g .--*

, 7.

!1 '

Behind The Scenes Of Access Press I by Charlie Smith, Editor -:$--* L-'?

.*iwa

.-s--

nother year has gone by A a n d ACCESS PRESS is delighted to thank the many people whose time and talents make the paper a success. Making time in their busy lives to print their ideas about disability issues are the columnists: Nicole and LeAnne on personal issues, Pete on mental illnesses, and Mary Jane, coordinator of the Religion cob umn. CraigMcClellanandLuke Pederson are now covering the SportsBeat. Lolly is our new! est columnist, covering dis; ability culture. Scott's been

Access Press

c o n t i n 6 fa provide new perspectives through his cartoons. The Wizard of Spatial Relations, Ellen, manages to take our layout ideas and turn them intoanewspaper withthe help of Andy Kaufman at Western Printers. On the day of publication, Bob and his staff deliver the paper to over 140sitesaroundthemetro area. GoodwilYEasterSealsdelivers papers to 5 outstate CK's, which then get them out to other locations in their area.

IN BRIEF. . . .

Public Hearing: Independent Living

The state Independent~iving IndependentLivingPlan". The Council will holdapublichear- hearing will take place from 2 Donna McNamara takes over ing to solicit input for the de- until 6 pm on Thursday, June Cindy Bordeaux' office duties velopment of the new "State 25. Locationis theMCILConand Jeff Nygaard is back tojob share with Donna for the summer. Cindy hasmovedtoNorthem Minnesota and promises Courage Center is seeking cess in their careers. Sponnominations for the 1998 sored by the Rose and Jay to report back periodically. Phillips Awards, which honor Phillips Family Foundation, Last, but not least, I'd like to women and men with disabili- recipientsreceive a$1000cash thank everyone in the disabil- ties who have achieved suc- award. Nominations are due ity community. You provide the articles, support and contributions that keep the paper Three"H0fsepackingtheCoIo- gust by Wilderness Inquiry, a going. We look forward to rado Rockies" and two "Isle non-profit organization that hearing from yqu in the coming RoyaleSeaKayakingWtripsareprovides adventure travel for year. being offered in July and Au- people of all ages and ability

ference Room, Suite 10,1600 University Avenue West, St, Paul. For more info, call 6468342(Voice),or603-201m.

4 4

Phillips Awards Nominations Sought

4 i

July 17,1998. Formore infor4 mation, or to request an applk- 3:-3 cation, please call Andrea - , Langendorfer, 520-0553 TDD520-0245.

Wilderness Inquiry Adventure Travel

levels, including those wi disabilities. Contact them at 379-3858 or 1-800-728-0719 (voiceorTDD).

Mental Health Volunteer Program

Hennepin County's Adult adultswithmentalillness.You alinktocommunityreso Servicesis seeking volunteers canmakeadifferenceby offer- To find out more, call J ~ L N to sharetimeand activitieswith ing compassion, support, and Connolly, 34 .:c.

10th Anniversary Celebration Vyj

Minnesota Independent Liv- urday, June27 fromnoon-4pm menimenk PleaSecall379-4027 ingservice-s (M.I.L.S.)ishost- at 2010 East Hennepin, Mpls. formareinf~rmationortoFtSVP!?ingacelebrationpicnic on Sat- Come and enjoy food, fun and (RSWby June 19). -

AnokalRamsey Arc Offers Services Bob Christensen

People First support groups, Community Connections activities, parent and grandparent support groups, and a

public libraryoftoys, adaptive Ramsey Arc. Please call 783equipment, books, tapes and 4958 formore information. videos are among the many ' -,' '.services offered by Anokal *"-x-isk&

Icovesi~&mitiveissues,wmd

an eye on the various t e a s , the paper: extends its circula-

Mary Jane Steinhagen -

To Reach 10,000 Active and Interested Readers, Call 644-2133

' IA-

June 10, 1998

Access Press

Life Goes- On r

Tilting At Windmills

he Lovering's Sto

by Peter Feigal I

in eighe grade &d ani ice article which will inspire was in seventhin Golden Valhavinga ley. They ckwi off and on some during high school. And alarnbi- though Bob had decided by .'ens, but one dksn't have to the age of sixteen te marry .ive up their dreams. Janice, neither of them were pre@ for the twists and 've known Bob and Janice turns &&'lives would take overingsince 1961. Someof before it actually, happened. ou ma? remember this capti- One of those twistk was when vating couplewhen they were Bob thought he l i W another the arearepresentatives forthe girl, rationalizing than Janice ChristianLeaguefortheHandi- would always bethere for& capped. Now for twenty four when his flirtation was over. years they've resided in Phoenix, Arizona, where theyhave Then,in 1346,befwetheycould continued to encourage and reconcile their differences,the inspirepeople with disabilities polio virus attacked Bob's locally as well as around the body. Suddenly, he was paralyzed from his anns down. It world. ~ t k e e m o n t hforhim s to be Born in 1928, Bob was the strkgenough to sitin a wheelyoungest of threechildren with chair. He now weighed 110 two older sisters to fuss over pounds - q* a &fferemafhim. His parents built a new ter weighing 165Jbs. n G e e acres of land in n Valley in 1939. Back At this point, e m tlaou& en, it wasn't kqownas asub- Janice was a frequent visitor, urb because this area had re Bob tried to disco~ageher m t l y been divided up into because he didn't want her to lorsfiwlsiZabbfarmW.EEec- come just because she pitied tricity and telephone had just him.Inhisep,.hesaw himself been made available. as half a man and he didn't want to be a burdento her. So he did everything he could to

ne of the worst m a m e g O i n m g ownstrugg1ewith mentalillness 0, camewhen Iwas 15. Even though1wasn't violent, or using any substames, or talking about be-

drive her away.

When Bob grew'sthnger, he wouldreturn homeforvisits. It was on one of these trips home that bob found Janice visiting his mother. Mrs. Lovering asked Janice if she would ride back to the hospital with Bob to make sure he arrived here safely. By this time, Bob had his car equipped with hand than myself. ~0nCTolsg~d was perfectlycaw e of getting there on his OW~Iand he couldn't understand why &s mother nrJaniae t@ride-& tti'ih, Bpecially sinceitwmalong streetcar ride back for hcr.

year later, I was sure I would a4soobsmeanobjstoflaughter and I prepared to do battle. I wm&fedkd in a way Inever anticipated. Thqpe was no abuse, no laughter, no s m .

learned that my old hero, Don Quixote, isn't just my hero, he's become one of the most beloved figures in literature throughout the world for the last four centuries. This bat-

It was on that drive that Bob confessed his love a d de;vation to Janiceby admittingtbat he had deliberately tried to push her away. He told her he wanted to marry her, if she would have him after the way Wd In fifieen ma& they wereag8gedand nine months b t e ~ &.were d a d .

Next month, we will discow& how Life is F i C ) B @Z b Loverings. - -

I-.<:;

L I nurs ,~ LA"

else in some little way, for rAe -

*Y..~ULlY

unity Player

St., Mp

he is an object of scorn out of hell. b u g k r and abuse. But @-was dear to my heart. i've ioarnedthc word "Faith," WS,

Almost every one of mg,old clasmqms wEd me about the &&e$rui&man8l i

in it's mast mcient scriptural @C.Q When I returned to school a context, is nnt a noun; it's a A ~ ~ I R R v&b. Iâ&#x201A;Ź.M*tsomhing you mv old fkh&-arrai9 z&&h6* ' ' h * o r u d o a ' t have." Faith for we. i,s a way of being, a spiritualpractice, a way of connecting- tomy heart ofccwrage.

00 "The Liu 1.- steppingstone T I

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I've learned chat Miguel Cetvaates, .the m b r of h n Quixote, turned ta writi~gbe-

I .

METROPOLITAN CENTER F O R INDEPENDENT L M I J

%&# . . MCIb OFFERS SERVICES F P R PEOPLE WlTH I lIrnJWl"IEB. THEIR '

- ElMILIES AND FRIENQS,

W D y

~TII

.$@%VICEPROVIDER!

COMM.UNlY MEMBERS IN T H E SEVEN-COU

h e s s grr;%s can deliver the message, but . the people ofMinnesota need to act on the message. We urge dl Minnesotans interested in disability rights to read &cess P w and to be involved in their community.

hk&P iqr p'-

Personal Assirtracc Services @LA. Su RampProjert 8 Tr&m Pmgmu @ ADA hfi~rm.tla8 MectingRooms ChqmkrLab 1 Library

A r c ~ ~ c s n g r ~ ~ e v l e r y o n e a s. m i ; atcd W ~ ~ ~ A C C EPRESS S S on a great job o f advocating and getting the news out to people with disabilities. Keep up the good work ! .-

1600 U N N R S I T Y AW., ~ . Sum16 8 SY. PA^ MN SS1043dllS IbU) 646-8342VOCIE (622)603-2001m @ (613)603-2- P ~ W

I I.Avc Minnesota I:-? - -

People Of FAITH n Tuesday, October 7, they would gather again.

all." Goals include giving par- gether. ticipants the opportunity to

area congregations.

tified the need for an ecumeni- continues, they will place

people arrived, picked up with individuals in area low this model? Quite possi-

to their lives. The discussion lent support.

closing, all reassembled to sing, Lutherans and Methodistsmet

So, giveyoursey,fab+ Your friend?;'& well nieaninif'bur Happy summer! *.&Ah there is no way to tell how they -Nicole $4"

knowledge that in two weeks Rochester strengthened their 7595.

disabled, your landlord

June 10, 1998

Access Press

Disability Parking '

What Are We Willing TODO?

U OF 1-1

COInt. from p. 8

in developing policies and procedures in accordancewith

some ADA. steps In fact,inthey trying havetotaken balancetheir resources to accomby Margot lrndieke modate all employees. They provide graduate degrees in n the State of Minnesota bloclcsaway,parkatametcr, or In some communities, such as

Education, and have several disabilitycultural groups that meet regularly to discuss how The down side to free meter parking has been completely well their needs arebeing met. parking is that non-disabled eliminated. Before we reach In addition,Disability Services people have discovered that if such a crisis situation in Min- handles all funding issues for

certificates in circulation. Many individuals who have the disability plates or certificates use them to park at park-

more generously-funded departments being at an dvantage. The problem is that, while this helps to financially

states "A vehicle that promi- law. This type of abuse is so Ithinkit'simportantthatweat

certificate...or bears license neapolis has reported that in addressthisproblem. Weneed reinforces theunderlyingattiplates issued...may be parked the core downtown area one- your suggestions and com- tude that the responsibility cessible lies with Disability Servicesrather than with each out time restrictions unless timerestrictionsareseparately posted on official signs." The reasoning behind this language is sound and rational in that many individuals with mobility impairments cannot climb the curb to pay the meter or go the extra distance to get to a curbcut and back to the

hoursaday. NowIwouldlove to be an optimistand marvel at the number of people with disabilities being employed in downtown Minneapolis, but I know better. I think the real reason for this huge number is that downtown parking ramps chargean averageof $150.00a month.

put picture id on the certificate; increase fines; tighten eligibilityforplates andcertificates and eliminate a number ofmarginallydisabledpeople; insist that medical statements are required at every renewal; help ease the revenue deficit by arranging for municipal

In actuality,although'thewritten policies within the system are often satisfactory,certain staff choose not to follow them. And this despite the existence of the Americans with DisabilitiesAct!

on July 26,1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act

Is all this federally-mandated equalization forcing the public to embrace a new perspective on persons with dishilities? While the ADA has raised awarenessin somecircles,most people (even those in the educationand human servicefield) arenot fully aware of the law's application to them. When they see advancementfor persons with disabilities, they gasp in awe over what is being done and raise asilent cheer in support. But when asked to accommodateor provide adap tive services, many often balk and refuse to comply, citing the extra cost as an excuse. Since large businesses can become entangled in legal battles if they violate Title I, managers often have been trained in what they can and cannot do. Seemingly, this important training message is getting lost in the overwhelming barrage of other training that managers are participating in to stay in the forefront of their fields. To protect their own rights, prospectiveorcurrent employees must be savvy in knowing and asserting their rightsto make these laws work for them. When an issue does arise, it is more than likely to escalatequickly, andthestakes are high. +:

is still so often the norm in the workplace. This is why Title I of the ADA is such an important subject for discussion. It has opened doors that have been slammed shut and locked , for so many years. It gives j-, legal credence to individuals' : rights at those times when society reverts back to a 1960's mentality. Another factor to consider is thecultural minority status that

are embracing. In the past,

to fighting to get what they ,. want. This has succeeded in .

Did many people know there was a Gallaudet University before this revolt? As we have seen, opinions differ within the University community about that institution's success (or lack thereof) in complyingwith the

more accessible. This federal anti-discrimination statute has With employm of the hotly debated topics in

"welfare reform," it is readily L;,CqS

an otherwise inaccessible hugeamountsofrevenue,park;: Disability, 121East7thPlace, includingemployrnent,public tions, without fear of retribution orretaliation. Title I of the Act requires that businesses

doesn't have a disability park- clogging up meters, taking Minnesota State Council

viduals with disabilitiesin

Yatronize your Access Press Advertisers. Let them know where you heard a b u t them. They bring you your

paper*

woetation layouts, or the nodification of equipment. 4ccommodations must also w made in theapplication pro:ess, hiring, wages, benefits, md other areas.

OSTOMY URINARY MANAGEMENT J

a p p a r e n T 8'6l"ds'ely -Amencans associate self-worth with jobstatus. burculturemphasizes that "what we do for a living" dictates who we are, and this occupational hierarchy is applied to our self-esteem. When one has a disability in addition to being unemployed, many people will comment about public assistance and how "their" tax dbllars are going to support "these" .people. This can hardIy be justified when discrimination

versity insiders feel each department is a separate entity within the vast university system and that there is no s t a b workers can thus point to significant improvement in their workingconditions.Butmany at theuniversity are stillforced to stiuggle, while gently "educating the educated" ab -.11 law and it's implications.

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available on a lease basis and family. advance to the Championships in Australia. The Stars played three games Project earned for C

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ing the PACER Puppets-or

committed service and advocacy

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USA are membrs of Ehe Timberwolves. Josie Johnson (9.5 points per game), ChristinaRipp(6.0ppg). SusanHagel (5.5 ppg), andMary JoKittock "Even though we finishedsecond, I was pleased with the

with disabilities. Accessible Space, Inc. (ASI) offers subsidized one and two bedroom Twin Cities metropolitanare* St.Cloud, Brainerd,GrandRapids, Hibbing, Austin, Marshall, Wiltmar, andDuluth.

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ADVOCATING CHANGE TOGETHER Is Happy To Be A Supporter Of The Paper

June 10, 1998

Access Press

Disability Culture

Reclaimi'ngOur History by LOMYLijewski is an inescapabletruththat we must first understand where we have come from before wecan know where we're going. ASpeople with disabilities, our history has been lost to us until very recently. Unlikeracial andethnicminority communities,ourhistory isnot taught in schools. All of these factors mean that we must be intentional about learning about and reclaiming our history. The purpose of tracing our history is to give us a sense of self, adisability identity, and to help US build community. noth her impor~t

~ r~ .a u~ongmore, l PHD. of San Francisco State University is a noted disability historian who believes there is a pattern of development which disability organizations have followed throughout our history. He states "that people with disabilities were brought together in school settings, someresidentialandsomeday schools, for the pUr'Pos of academic or vocational training." An inadvertent result of theircoming togetherwas that they formed social networks. They wanted to maintain their friendships and after leaving

gan addressing iss ployment discriminationin pri- was juxtaposedto a valid sovateindustryandpublicworks cial identity of non-disabled programs such as the WPA. workers." This definition of a encesof~~jud~~ddiscrim When i ' policies were created to disabled person is still evident nation,theybecamemorepo- govemtheseprograw,ade~ in ~ ~ ~work(disl i liticized. At apoint of crisis or .itiofl ofdisabilityidentity was incentives today. as a result of a threat from put in place which still affects society at large they became us today. h order to qualify for Longmom believes that over much more political. An ex- p m g r a m s ~ i ~ e ~ o c i a ~ ~ e c u ~ t y , time disability organizations ampleisthe Associationofthe a with a disability had m a ~ r e din their undersrendDeaf, which was founded in t o ~ ~ e e m e ~ ~ u n e m p ~ing o y aof ~ ~ themselves e~~ and 1880 by various members of meL~~~~~for the physically society. attitudes toward deaf organizations to combat ~ ~ ~war one d organii ~them. ~ mey~began~ to realize d oralism (oralism was a move- LBtion of people with disa- [hatthey wouldbe moreeffsmerit to force ~ P l who e are bilities who fought this defini- tiveandpowehlifhey worked deaf to speak instead of using (ion and that re- together. Ooss-disability orsign language). sulted. The League said of ganizing began in earnest in people with disabilities, "We the 1970's. Out of these Thispattern wasevident again workem.- B~~they were collaborations has come in the MUswhenmanY social unsuccessful in changing this body oflaws suchas he&haw e l f ~ e p r o ~ s w e ~ c r e a t edefinition. d. Says Longmore, bilitationAct,theFderalFair

ith Disabilities Act, (ADA) which have afforded people with disabilities the same kinds of civil rights protections as other disadvantagedminority d ~ groups. ~ ~ ~ But the passage of these laws has not resulted in fvll ~orpeoplewithdisabilities~ We must continueto organi2esnd lobby for social change. Our history is a rich ofrole models,saatcgies and inspiration for us as we srmggle for justisc. TO find this history, check local and university librariesandbookstores.MCIL also has an extensivc lending library, ~~ic~on'9documentarySer~eS

which recently aired on Na-

about disability which form the organizations became more basis of the policies that gov- concerned with serious issues

featuring music by artists with a dlsabillty

-----

lejreshments will be a~ailable at a nominal charge Call for informaiI6n on o~c4mmodatlons 616-8342 603-2001 tty

-.A

A C C L J ,, It's time for you and your readers to take a trip with us.

Wilderness

For the last eight years you have helped keep our community infonned about issues that impact all of us. Here's to your continued success!

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