Guest Post

Today’s blog post is by guest bloggers Gage Robinson and Mary Hauff. Gage is a persistent, life-long learner with an intellectual disability (ID). He is continuing his education through his school district’s transition program and wants to go to college to pursue his interests and career of his choice. Mary is a parent, co-leader of the Minnesota Inclusive Higher Education Consortium and The Arc Minnesota Public Policy Committee member. She has become a leading expert on inclusive higher education in the state of Minnesota. Together, they want to provide insight into why inclusive postsecondary education is so important and the status of introduced legislation that will increase access to Minnesota postsecondary education for students with ID across the state.  

March 25th is Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day. Alisha Srock shares some thoughts on how having cerebral palsy can be like “playing the Game of Life on Hard Mode—more difficult, but not impossible. …[P]laying on Hard Mode means you gain the skills to overcome. I’m glad because I learned things along the way. I learned patience; I learned problem-solving; I learned confidence; I learned perseverance; I learned flexibility.”

Maureen Alderman, member of the Rare Disease Advisory Council and mother of Caroline, a child with a rare disease writes about the need for recognition and support. From the post: On February 28, we are so excited to celebrate Rare Disease Day. A day to reflect on what these patients have overcome. A day of gratitude for every doctor, physician assistant, nurse, lab tech, and medical professional that has touched the lives and futures of Rare Disease patients. A day to celebrate the research and developments going on in the Rare Disease community to create further treatment options. And maybe most importantly, a day of awareness for those not immediately impacted by Rare Disease.

For many people with disabilities, it is challenging to find affordable and accessible housing. Even when available, the level of accessibility may not meet their needs. In Minnesota, there is no consistency when building accessible housing. Julia Page, Public Policy Director for The Arc Minnesota, shares a policy change that would ensure housing built with state dollars works for everyone.

The Minnesota Council on Disability continues to celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). Poppy Sundquist, an advocate from Saint Paul, shares a perspective on disability and employment. Poppy writes about finding on-the-job adaptations that work, dealing with transportation challenges, and being your own advocate.

Jules Edwards, co-founder of the Minnesota Autistic Alliance, writes about how stories of autism are often portrayed as either being full of hardship or used for inspiration and are frequently told from someone else’s perspective. Jules explains that being Autistic is not all sunshine and rainbows, nor is it doom and gloom. It can, in fact, be joyful.