ANNOUNCER: The Minnesota Council on Disability honors the life and legacy of Margot Imdieke Cross.
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NARRATOR 1: Margot. This determined, influential, successful change maker was a woman of integrity. Margot was tough, tender and tenacious, fierce, firm, and forthright. She was wise, humorous, authentic, kind, smart, loyal, generous, respected, and yes, even friendly.
REPORTER: In rural Stearns County, a leader was born.
GREG LAIS: She was a farm girl.
REPORTER: Margot Imdieke first used a wheelchair as a toddler, and longtime friend Greg Lais says that stopped her from nothing.
GREG LAIS: She went out to the rockpile with her brother. And she said, “It’s all rocky.” And he said, “You’re going to have to get here on yourself.”
And she said, “Well, how am I going to do that?” And he said, “Just figure it out.” [LAUGHS] And she did.
NARRATOR 1: Margo never, and we mean never backed down when institutions, cultural norms, governments, businesses, stadiums, or anyone or any entity created barrier after barrier to access.
NARRATOR 2: Next, we have Margo Imdieke Cross, who’s had the title of Accessibility Specialist since 1987 with the Minnesota State Council on Disability, where she has worked for over 28 years. In this capacity, Miss Cross, a certified access specialist and wheelchair user, provides technical assistance, training, and community insight on state and federal access requirements, emergency preparedness, civil rights issues, and disability awareness.
Most notably, Margo served as a Minneapolis Civil Rights Commissioner for 11 years, served on the Board of Directors of Access Press for seven years, and served as a member and Chair of the Minneapolis Advisory Committee on People with Disabilities for 20 years. Margo was also the first recipient of the Charley Smith Award.
NARRATOR 1: Her steadfast resolve led to her being a highly respected disability rights advocate and renowned ADA building code expert. She routinely outsmarted discrimination and beat back ableism. She educated and argued, spoke out, and influenced. She changed minds.
Margot received awards for her work on so many things. One she was particularly proud of was the Twins Stadium, at the time, the most accessible stadium in the United States, plus the great reward it was to see the Twins play, joined by her family and friends. What a day!
Another huge personal and professional accomplishment for Margot was her dedication and work on the Help America Vote Act. She worked with secretaries of State Mary Kiffmeyer, Mark Ritchie and Steve Simon. And true to her way in the world, Margot helped America vote. No tribute to Margot would be complete without a roll through the ADA moments.
NEWS ANCHOR: Margot was at the forefront of the disability rights movement, attending the historic signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990.
MARGOT IMDIEKE CROSS: And so many of us experienced such injustice in just trying to live our lives. We have to safeguard our rights.
NARRATOR 1: Margot’s longtime friend, Claudia Fuglie on Margot getting the protests and organizing done.
CLAUDIA FUGLIE: I knew Margot before accessibility was even known. Things were just not easy for anybody. Margot basically said, that’s it. We have got to get our equal rights.
This was before society even knew what equal rights were. They didn’t even know what accommodations were. Or if they did, they totally ignored it.
She gave us the call to say, it’s time. It’s time for us to speak out. And she coordinated a lot of the rallies, the protests.
And one thing that always stuck in my mind was she always would say, “You fight for your rights. Don’t be afraid of what you’re doing, and you’re doing it for everybody. And don’t back down.”
NARRATOR 1: And back down, she did not. It was a momentous day July 26, 1990, Margot and her mentor, Justin Dart, attended the signing of the ADA in Washington, DC. The work had paid off.
PRESIDENT BUSH: Let the shameful wall of exclusion finally come tumbling down.
NARRATOR 1: In closing, we thank Margot. And of course, in true Margot style, she thanks the ADA.
MARGOT IMDIEKE CROSS: Thanks to the ADA. And congratulations to the advocates and supporters who work so hard to make our country more accessible to people with disabilities. The future is in front of us. We need to help shape it.
NARRATOR 1: But we can’t leave you without a classic Margot moment.
MARGOT IMDIEKE CROSS: It’s nice that folks are looking after each other, and that’s a really, you know? But again, just put in the curb cuts. I’d rather do it myself. But then I’m kind of an ornery ‘ol cuss.
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