The Minnesota Council on Disability (MCD) appreciates the hundreds of responses we received for our 2024 Public Policy Survey. Your feedback will help us shape our planning and priorities for the upcoming legislative session. Last month, we shared some of your comments, and we would like to share a few more. These comments highlight concerns about community access, financial stability, and a general lack of resources – all issues we hope to bring forward in the 2024 legislative session.
Comments have been edited for clarity.
Public Transportation
One respondent noted that “accessibility” in public transit and related spaces seldom includes people who use mobility aids or cannot walk long distances:
[This problem] has dramatically worsened under the “Better Bus Stops” Metro Transit program, which continues to eliminate bus stops to speed up service for [able-bodied] riders at the expense of those who cannot walk longer distances, especially in the winter… I worry about my ability to get around…public spaces and events [as] long as this attitude is so prevalent, even among those who are supposed to be working to improve accessibility.
Employment and Financial Stability
Another respondent talked about how difficult it is for a person with a disability to build wealth and maintain financial stability:
[Employment and [the] various ways to bring in income are challenging for many disabled people I know. [You should] not be penalized for wanting to work, [losing] social security benefits if you do. Oftentimes, [employers] pay disabled people lower than a standard living wage…This makes for [a lower] quality standard of living and [makes it] difficult to build any “nest egg” or wealth.
Support Services
A third respondent shared how frustrating it is to navigate disability support without knowledgeable guidance:
I cannot get the help I need without these [supports] but getting access to them is nearly impossible without help. That help has waitlists months, if not years, out. I want [these programs] to have larger budgets, more staff, and [be] easier to understand. [I want] transparent accessibility for everyone.
Scope of the Work and Moving Forward
The 2024 Public Policy Survey covered more than a dozen issue areas, from transportation to healthcare and education to disability rights. One response summed up the work ahead of us this legislative session:
They all affect me as a person with a disability living in Minnesota.
MCD is preparing to finalize our public policy agenda and move forward into the legislative session, which begins in February. This session and beyond, we will always work to improve access, well-being, and opportunities for people with disabilities in Minnesota.