Willing to Work Longer and Harder
A Tribute to John Smith
by Charlie Lakin
I have known and worked with
John Smith for many years. I first met him as an advocate for The
Arc of Hennepin County (which has since become part of Arc Greater
Twin Cities). I have gotten to know John much better in the 15 years
or so that he has worked at the University of Minnesota.
There is no one I’ve ever known to be more completely dedicated
to increasing opportunities for persons with developmental disabilities
than John Smith. His work with People First Minnesota is legendary.
During John’s years as the advisor of People First Minnesota,
state chapters expanded steadily and the attendance at annual self-advocacy
conferences grew from dozens to hundreds of participants. John is
known for never balking at loading his car with self-advocates and
heading to distant parts of the state whenever and wherever there
was hope that a new self-advocacy group might result.
John’s work in
self-advocacy is just one reflection of his passion for increasing
self-determination for people with disabilities. In his research
work at the University of Minnesota, John has teamed with Brian
Abery to develop methods of data collection on self-determination.
He has pushed for programs that make person-centered outcomes the
focus of quality assessment. He has worked to increase access for
people with developmental disabilities to homes of their own. He
has written and spoken about (and exemplified) the importance of
self-determination and leadership as key goals of the developmental
experiences of children and youth with disabilities.
John is also well known
for his commitment to environmental stewardship and support of
wilderness and adventure opportunities for all. He has long and
often been recognized for his volunteer and trip leadership work
at Wilderness Inquiry. This outdoor passion has spilled over into
John’s work at the Institute on Community Integration,
where he has been a key figure in joint initiatives between Wilderness
Inquiry and the University of Minnesota. Together they have developed
and evaluated programs that increase outdoor adventure opportunities
for persons with developmental disabilities and members of their
families. Finally, John has been active in publicizing the outcomes
of these initiatives in publications and presentations.
I am generally hesitant
to speak of someone’s disability as
adding an important subtext to what they are able to accomplish.
But on a personal level it is significant in my appreciation of all
that John has accomplished that he has done so with substantial physical
handicap. His substantial knowledge and skills notwithstanding, John’s
success has been in large part because he has been willing to work
longer and harder than others to accomplish what he is driven to
accomplish. In that way John has enriched his world—and those
of us who ... have shared it—not only with his achievements,
but also by his spirit. That spirit inspires us and makes us glad
that our lives share a common purpose with John’s. While we
at the University of Minnesota feel very pleased that John has received
the Charlie Smith Award, recognizing all that he has done, we know
John has great things left to accomplish and we look forward to many
more years of working alongside of him as he does so. ![]()
Charlie Lakin, Director
of the Research and Training Center on Community Living at the
University of Minnesota, is a friend and coworker of John Smith.
