40 Years of History
The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing, together with community members, celebrated the Commission’s 40th anniversary at a banquet held on November 15, 2025, in St. Cloud. Below are remarks and stories shared by individuals who graciously agreed to be recorded, preserving their knowledge and experiences for future generations of advocates.
We also observed this significant milestone with a kickoff rally with legislators, board members, and past and current leadership at the Minnesota State Capitol on March 5, 2025 and this recording is available.
Robert Harris
12:43
11/15/2025
— Bob covers his personal advocacy and the community's deaf leadership training in 1976. This ultimately led to wins such as hosting White House conferences, funding for the State Planning Agency to study what deaf people need, and other wins. Voiceover and captions provided by Keystone Interpreting Solutions. (CC)
Jerry Nelson
12:12
11/15/2025
— Jerry covers his work as the executive director of the Minnesota Foundation for Better Hearing and Speech (MFBHS), his advocacy at the legislature and training others to go and advocate, and successfully getting legislation for the Minnesota Relay Service (MRS). Voiceover and captions provided by Keystone Interpreting Solutions. (CC)
Mary Hartnett
8:53
11/15/2025
— Mary covers past leaders and board members, community engagement work, and some of the more than 80 bills passed during her tenure. (OC)
Rich Diedrichsen
6:38
11/15/2025
— Rich covers the evolution of telecommunication over the years, with a specific story about working with the Minnesota Department of Transportation to equip all pay phones at state rest stops with a TTY. Video has open captions. (OC)
Sherri Rademacher
7:48
11/15/2025
— Sherri covers advocating for accessibility at the airport, Commission trainings on voter registration and contacting your legislator, and captioning on public televisions. (OC)
Story Booth
10:03
11/15/2025
— Contributors are Diane Leonard, Jamers Spier, JaNahne McCready-Johnson, Jer Loudenback, Kathleen Smith, Laura Schmit, Nubia Amina, Terry Wilding, Jacques Freeman, and Sherri Rademacher. (CC)