The Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities
mn.gov/disability-mn
Providing information, education, and training to build knowledge, develop skills, and change attitudes that will lead to increased independence, productivity, self determination, integration and inclusion (IPSII) for people with developmental disabilities and their families.

The METO Settlement

Self Advocates: Little Steps, Big Dreams

Roberta Blomster: In 2005, I was involved with the Modernization of Language bill, and it got rid of the "R" word from Minnesota Statutes. I spoke at the introduction, and I testified at all four of the committee hearings, two in the Senate, two in the House, and I even showed up for a Senate floor session and a House floor session to show my support for the bill.

Interviewer: And what happened to the bill?

Roberta Blomster: It became law.

Interviewer: And who signed it?

Roberta Blomster: Governor Pawlenty

Interviewer: Okay. And how did it make you and other self-advocates feel when that bill was passed?

Roberta Blomster: It made us feel really good 'cuz it was like, well, the hurtful language is finally gone from the statutes and instead it's more like, you know, like people first language where it's the person before the disability, not the crisscross method that society is saying should be done in terms of people with disabilities, so.

I was actually at the White House October of 2010, October 8th of 2010, for the celebration, the enactment of Rose's Law. It got rid of the "R" word from Federal Health, Education, and Labor statutes so the next time that IDEA gets reauthorized on the federal level, it will say "intellectual disabilities" instead of "mental retardation" in there.

Interviewer: What did you write to the governor about?

David Donnelly: Closing the state hospital.

Interviewer: That was important, wasn't it?

David Donnelly: Everybody's in group home.

Interviewer: And how does that make you feel?

David Donnelly: It's good.

Interviewer: That's' a good idea. So you testified at the capitol. You wrote… How many governors did you write to?

David Donnelly: Arne Carlson, Jesse Ventura, Tim Pawlenty.

Interviewer: Did they write back?

David Donnelly: Yep.

Interviewer: What did they say to you?

David Donnelly: We see… having a closing the state hospitals party and fireworks.

Interviewer: So are there any more state hospitals now?

David Donnelly: Nope. it's all gone.

Interviewer: They're all gone.

David Donnelly: All the state hospitals are all gone.

Interviewer: And did you help with that?

David Donnelly: Yep.

Interviewer: Yeah.

Mary Raasch: Little steps, but big dreams, you know? So it… it makes you feel proud.

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The GCDD is funded under the provisions of P.L. 106-402. The federal law also provides funding to the Minnesota Disability Law Center, the state Protection and Advocacy System, and to the Institute on Community Integration, the state University Center for Excellence. The Minnesota network of programs works to increase the IPSII of people with developmental disabilities and families into community life.

This project was supported, in part by grant number 2401MNSCDD, from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects with government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official ACL policy.

This website is supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $1,152,808.00 funded by ACL/HHS and $222,000.00 funded by non-federal-government source(s). The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ACL/HHS, or the U.S. Government.