Loss of a friend and a disability rights legend • November 30th, 2010
The disability community has lost one of our most valuable members-Laura Hershey
www.laurahershey.com passed away last night.
Laura is the woman who invented the concept of DISABILITY PRIDE.
For those of you not lucky enough to have known Laura her poetry, writing
and other work will live on forever. In addition to her website listed
here she also has www.cripcommentary.com I first met Laura when I was still on the East coast. She interviewed me
for an article she was doing for MS Magazine on feminism and reproductive
rights. I got to meet her in person before I even moved here on one of my
visits. Laura’s partner Robin had also moved here from the East Coast, and
like me met her partner at an ADAPT action.
NO ONE-and I mean no one, disabled or not, lived life more fully than Laura
Hershey. If I tried to list all of her accomplishments here it would become
a novel sized piece. Laura’s invention of DISABILITY PRIDE likely came
from her role as a leader in the anti Jerry Lewis telethon movement. She
eloquently explained and emphasized why we want parity not charity and why
pity is more “handicapping” than anything that can be thrown at us
biologically. Those who get the concept of disability pride do so much
better at managing disability-regardless of the severity of one’s
disability.
If you want to look to anything good that has happened for people with
disabilities in the Denver area (and all over the world) you will see
Laura’s wheel tracks (as opposed to a foot print) all over it. Laura has
been an instrumental part of CCDC. It was on her recommendation that I
chose to involve myself with CCDC after moving here in 1994. Laura was a
staunch supporter of Consumer Directed Services, one of the first to use it
and promote it in Colorado and actually one who was using it for many years
before we even had a program. Her story Confessions of a Cash Cow
http://www.raggededgemagazine.com/1101/1101covcashcow.htm was used to force
the state to implement CDASS. Many years ago foundations would not touch
disability advocacy-until Laura was hired by the Denver Foundation to
produce the first real needs assessment ever of the Denver metro area
disability community -the report Varied Voices made it clear that advocacy
was and is an essential service for the health and welfare and integration
of people with disabilities. The Denver Foundation has funded organizations
including but not limited to CCDC ever since. That led many other
foundations to start funding disability advocacy. Laura worked tirelessly
for health care for attendants and even had a few jaunts inside the
system-she worked for a period for Medicaid when they had grants to promote
consumer control and made more of an inroad there than anyone could. She
put up with mistreatment during and after and handled it with such amazing
dignity. She worked for the union for a period promoting disability pride
and a model of attendant care that benefits both workers and the disabled
who need the services. Laura never missed a good protest and loved the
radical work outside of the system. Laura was a strong advocate with Not
Dead Yet and believed fiercely that we all have quality and are all
valuable- that fit in with her strong belief in DISABILITY PRIDE. Laura’s
writing and poetry have touched millions and will continue to do so.
Laura traveled all over the world including going to China with Robin for
the fourth international conference on woman. Most of us with much lesser
levels of disability have never dared to do the travelling that she did.
Her most recent accomplishment and her pride and joy was the adoption of a
14 year old young lady -who clearly caught the pride bug and who will now be
raised by her other mother, Robin. I was lucky enough to go to their
“forever family” celebration at their home this summer. Robin, Laura and
Shannon -their new daughter—wore matching shirts and all had purple nail
polish. All three of them were beaming and the love between all of them
permeated the air. Even for the short time she had Laura as a mother I am
sure her influence will follow Shannon forever. Even before the adoption
was final Laura became an instant strong parent advocate, filing appeals and
fighting for Shannon to get the services to which she is entitled.
Laura has mentored hundreds if not thousands of women with disabilities,
including me. She always had a pride and credibility factor that just
exuded itself into any discussion or even confrontation. She was always
logical and appeared calm, even when she was angry. If anyone is a model
for ALWAYS doing what is right and always focusing on the plight of all
oppressed people including every single one of our brothers and sisters in
the disability community—it is Laura Hershey. The last time I saw her
was at a party for a mutual friend-just a few weeks ago. We spent the time
talking about the latest screw up by Medicaid (they were trying to deny her
ventilator care) and how important system advocacy is to prevent the need
for each individual to require an advocate. The best way to honor her
memory is to put your energy into doing the work of the movement by
promoting social justice and creation of systems change. Do your part to
carry forward her amazing voice.
I will let you know about arrangements and wishes of the family as soon as I
know.
Laura will be sorely missed but never forgotten
Julie Reiskin
Executive Director
Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition
303-839-1775 voice
303-567-6582 fax
jreiskin@ccdconline.org
