On July 26, 1990 the Americans with Disabilities Act – the Watershed legislation in our field – was signed into law by President George H.W. Bush. In recognition of the 30th Anniversary of the signing of the ADA, and in recognition of Minnesota’s contribution to this law, MN AHEAD leadership is excited to announce the development of an annual award.

Each year MN AHEAD will recognize an individual or organization that has shown extraordinary leadership and courage in their commitment to improving equity, access, and opportunity for Minnesota’s college students with disabilities. The students we are privileged to work with every day.

Here's what Kathy's nominator said about her:

In her years of service, Kathy has developed expertise and wisdom working at Bethel, Hamline and Augsburg. The example she has given and the knowledge attained is freely shared with others in the field. She has a sense of fairness towards students and advocates for them in this unfair world, while garnering a rare trust with all. 

Nominator- Anonymous

Kathy has been the director of CLASS/Disability Resources at Augsburg for eight years, and an asset to the Disability Resources field as a whole for over 27 years. She deserves the David Durenberger Award because of her graceful leadership skills, unflagging commitment to equity and access, and novel initiatives that highlight disability as diversity.  

Many in the Augsburg community can attest to her thoughtful leadership in addressing challenges, being an advocate for accessibility, and supporting students, faculty and staff. Kathy is part of the Student Success Leadership Team, Student Care Team, IT Accessibility Committee, and liaises with multiple departments to advocate for accessibility and further Augsburg’s initiatives for student success. Furthermore, Kathy leads with high expectations and sets a tone of excellence by balancing praise and critique. Kathy takes the time to get to know colleagues and makes sure we take care of ourselves during the workday and outside of work.  

In her various roles, she constantly thinks deeper and poses questions about access versus success. Kathy encourages students’ personal agency and teaches them to think critically, while also advocating alongside them. She adeptly works with faculty by validating their concerns while providing real life examples to help them understand the need for reasonable accommodations.  

Kathy’s commitment to equity and success is evident in her work with students and staff. She regularly facilitates trainings about disability access and inclusion for Augsburg community members seeking their Diversity Equity and Inclusion Certificate. This year, she also co-led a screening and discussion for the Crip Camp documentary, helped kickstart the Disability Visibility book discussion series at Augsburg, and offered a disability in the workplace event for students to discuss the process for requesting workplace accommodations.  

The aforementioned Crip Camp screening particularly exemplifies all of the criteria of the award. Augsburg often does not have events that bring together all layers of the community (students, faculty, and staff), particularly around disability topics. Kathy spearheaded this new event with the goals of community-building, educating about the disability civil rights movement, and opening up space for conversation and learning. Kathy partnered with library staff to plan and organize the event, specifically inviting faculty, student leaders and people working on their DEI skills.  

At the discussion, Kathy was in her element. She has a remarkable ability to put people at ease, even when discussing challenging or emotionally taxing topics. She dismantled the inherent power hierarchies in the conversation, given the mixed audience of faculty, staff and students. Participants could contribute and ask questions without fear of making a mistake. People left the screening and discussion energized by new knowledge and appreciation of the disability civil rights movement, a heightened awareness of disability culture, and how disability (in)justice is present in their everyday lives. Kathy’s leadership for this new event opened the door for additional opportunities to educate the campus community around disability. 

We hope you will consider Kathy’s nomination for this award. Thank you! 

Nominator's Names - Katie Lane, Cassie Charles, Sydney Chandler, and Lauren Radomski