Together We Are Stronger
New network will build Minnesota self-advocacy
by Bret Hesla, Staff
Writer
Ordinary folks have more clout
when they band together. This spring, self-advocates and their allies
from across Minnesota have taken that wisdom to heart, as they join
forces to launch a new statewide network of self-advocacy groups,
Self Advocates of Minnesota (SAM).
Organizers expect the
new network to assist persons with developmental and other disabilities
assert their right to self-determination and to increase individual
and collective power to live the
“The lack
of a statewide self-advocacy structure in Minnesota has
left many groups feeling isolated and disconnected.”
|
lives they want and deserve.
The network’s goals are to strengthen local
self-advocacy groups in three ways: by increasing their ability
to raise funds, by increasing their influence in local and regional
affairs, and by increasing their individual and group skills through
exchange of expertise between fellow SAM members.
The new SAM network
is the result of a 20-month process coordinated by St. Paul-based
Advocating Change Together (ACT). Mary Kay Kennedy, ACT co-director,
sees fund-raising as a key motivator for the new network. “I think the biggest difference this network will
make will be our ability to collectively secure resources to support
and sustain our work. Social change work takes money; there is no
way around it.” Cliff Poetz, a member of the SAM organizing
committee and member of People First Minnesota, agrees. “The
sooner we get SAM going, the sooner we can start using our collective
power to go for broad-based funding at the state or federal level.
Look at Wyoming. Their statewide group gets $100,000 annually. Minnesota
self-advocates can do that—or better.”
Crookston resident Gordie
Haug,
staff at Options Resource Center for Independent Living, and
a long-time organizer with the disability rights group ADAPT,
is playing a lead role in organizing SAM’s
northwest region. Haug’s history with the new network is typical
of the grassroots flavor of SAM. “I got involved a year and
a half ago when ACT sent out a mailing across the state asking if
anyone was
“Self-advocates came up
with the ideas, and that is the best part. I attended almost
all of the meetings and am proud of what we have done. You
could say that we are making history in Minnesota.”
|
interested in talking about
forming a statewide structure for self-advocacy. Myself and another
ADAPTer went to that first meeting, in March 2005, down at Mystic
Lake. At the end of that meeting, they asked if anyone was interested
in taking the next steps. I thought it was a good goal and a good
group, so I ran it by my boss and he agreed that we should go forward.
So now, 18 months later, here we are launching SAM.”
Bemidji self-advocate Don
Larson, who has also been involved from the beginnings, is proud
of what the organizers have been able to do. “If I didn’t
think it was worth it, I wouldn’t have gone to all those meetings,” said
Larson. “You have to put your heart and soul into it. For me,
if I believe in something, I’ll go all the way. I don’t
back out. I’m proud of what we’ve been able to do in
what really is a short amount of time. We’re putting our names
behind something we believe in.”
Kennedy also highlighted
the role SAM will play in helping separate groups feel a part of
something bigger: “The lack of a statewide
self-advocacy structure in Minnesota has left many groups feeling
isolated and disconnected.” Haug and Larson agree. “The
main challenge in our area,” says Haug, “is overcoming
isolation: getting the word out to small rural communities.” Larson
notes, “The northwest region is the largest region [in square
miles] in the state, yet there are only three communities that have
self-advocacy groups. There is a glaring need to bring new self-advocates
in, and start new groups. SAM is going to provide resources to help
up us do that.”
Larson knows what it
takes to start new groups. “When my wife
and I moved up north in 2003, we missed being part of a self-advocacy
group. We liked going around the state with ACT doing self-advocacy
training, and we wanted to get self-advocacy started in Bemidji.
We talked to Cass at Arc Headwaters and worked together to get a
self-advocacy group going. I’m proud of being part of getting
a group started. That makes me a leader in self-advocacy.”
Breaking the isolation
has been a key result of the organizing process of SAM, notes Kennedy. “The great thing about the SAM network,” she
said, “is that folks are feeling connected and empowered by
working together to address the problem. The energy and excitement
about having a coordinated statewide effort has self-advocates and
allies charged up.” Haug is also positive about SAM’s
prospects for success. “If we can get some momentum going through
good communication, I think we’ll make some progress. Everybody
likes to be involved in something if things are happening.
The network has already
received funding from the Minnesota Governor’s
Council on Developmental Disabilities to begin operations in two
(of six) statewide regions. Some of SAM’s outstate organizing
will be done through a contract with People First of Minnesota. “The
SAM plan helps People First Minnesota get out and spread the word
about self-advocacy in two regions of the state,” said Poetz.
Part of the excitement
apparent in those involved in SAM is that the process has been
participatory and grassroots. In fact, SAM is not a new organization,
but rather a network to support and strengthen existing groups.
Self-advocate Brian Heuring of Litchfield stresses the collaborative
nature of the new network. “The SAM network
was developed by self-advocates; I am very, very proud to be part
of the work. Self-advocates came up with the ideas, and that is the
best part. I attended almost all of the meetings and am proud of
what we have done. You could say that we are making history in Minnesota.”
The seeds of SAM were
planted in the work of the Alliance for Full Participation, a coalition
that came together in 2005 to assess the state of self-advocacy
in Minnesota. As Steve Larson, executive directory of the Arc of
Minnesota remembers, “We did an e-scan [survey]
and quickly realized that we need a way to both improve the funding
picture for the various groups working in self-advocacy and unify
our separate efforts. For many years Arc has sponsored a number of
People First chapters throughout the state. But this e-scan made
it clear to all of us involved in AFP that self-advocacy needs a
more organized statewide presence to reinvigorate what we are doing
separately.”
Indeed, that e-scan
sparked the work that has led to the formation of SAM, and the
AFP members seem to be pleased with the result. “Arc
strongly supports the new SAM network that has emerged,” said
Larson. “We see it as a wonderful opportunity to complement
what we’re all doing locally, and believe that this new partnership
can take us all, separately and together, a step further toward being
more powerful and effective.”
Persons with intellectual
and developmental disabilities (ID-DD) have had no consistent statewide
funding for self-advocacy or a method of formal communication within
the state. Minnesota’s funding
for disability services is county-based. The majority of counties
have no funds to support empowerment and self-determination activities
for people with developmental and other disabilities. While
over a billion dollars per year is spent on disability related services,
little attention is paid to empowering people to control those services.
Larson praised the Governor’s Council for its support of SAM, “We’re
glad they prioritized funding for self-advocacy and provided this
initial funding to help get SAM up and running in two regions.” Organizers
are currently working at the capitol to secure funding for full operation. ![]()
