Editor's
Column
by
Tim Benjamin
The State Counsil on Disability and the Minnesota Consortium for
Citizens with Disabilities is putting on its 12 annual legislative
forum. The forum gives us a chance to interact though discussions
of our issues and to have an opportunity to hear from key legislators
and leaders from the disability community on how we might be able
to work jointly on resolutions. The date is December 7, 9:30 a.m.
at the Minnesota Department of Human Services on 444 Lafayette in
St. Paul, MN. For more information on the forum call 651-296-7685
Mr. Olegario D. Cantos
VII or “Ollie,” as he asked to
be called, joined the United States Department of Justice's Civil
Rights Division as Special Assistant to the Assistant Attorney General.
Ollie was here for two days and spoke about disability awareness
and mentoring at two locations to two different audiences. He has
a passion for equal rights that he wears on his sleeve—you
recognize it immediately in his questions of how “you” are
and how “you’re” being treated. An honest interest
in others well-being. They’re few individuals that can speak
about awareness and mentoring with the compassion and familiarity
as Ollie. He was able to talk about personal issues that at one minute
your eyes were heavy with tears and the next you were trying to catch
your breath in laughter. In the short time I had with him I really
admired his qualities and am eager to spend more time with him soon.
Christopher Reeve past
away in October leaving us shocked. Initially, when Reeve’s was injured many of us had conflicting opinion
where Reeve’s fits into the community. Some of us had differing
ideas on what kind of spokesman he was for SCI when he had lived
such a short time as a quadriplegic. Now, there are few of us that
have anything but admiration for a guy how pushed himself to achieve
his own personal goals while struggling with all the aspects associated
with spinal cord injury. In only nine years Christopher Reeve brought
a lot of attention to SCI and money for research. In the last few
years, he helped bring more attention and money to quality of life
issues. John Schatzlein has written a very eloquent piece on Reeve,
Research and the Reality of life with a SCI. Thanks, John for your
insight.
Congratulations go out to Mr. Steve Thovson, Executive Director,
of the Southwestern Center for Independent Living(SWCIL). The Association
of Programs for Rural Independent Living (APRIL) honored him with
the Earl Walden Award for Outstanding Achievement in Rural Advocacy.
Lance Hegland did a great job reporting this story.
The annual Charlie Smith
Award Banquet was an “extravaganza” of
fun. Rick Cardenas is the well-deserved recipient of the award. I
think Charlie would be proud of our choice and proud to have his
name associated with such strong supporter of the disability rights
movement. Thanks Rick, you’re the man.
