[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 174 (Friday, October 26, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1471]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





 HONORING BONNIE MINTUN WITH CALIFORNIA'S THIRD DISTRICT WOMAN OF THE 
                               YEAR AWARD

                                  _____
                                 

                          HON. JOHN GARAMENDI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 26, 2018

  Mr. GARAMENDI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Bonnie Mintun as a 
woman of the year. She has been a lifetime advocate for children with 
disabilities in her community. She was one of a small group of parents 
and teachers in her community of Davis who pushed the Davis Joint 
Unified School District to provide adequate education for children with 
disabilities. In 1989, thanks in large part to her work, Davis Joint 
Unified School District became the first school district in California 
to provide inclusive education to students with moderate to severe 
disabilities. This accomplishment alone demonstrates the lasting impact 
that Ms. Mintun has had on her community, but her work to improve 
education for those with disabilities did not stop with her first 
success. Ten years ago, she co-founded the Communication Technology 
Education Center, a non-profit organization aimed at connecting 
individuals with communication challenges to assistive technology and 
augmented alternative communication devices. Through this work, her 
organization helps people of all abilities to communicate, thus helping 
foster a more inclusive society. Beyond her many accomplishments, Ms. 
Mintun lends her time and expertise to many advisory committees that 
support individuals with intellectual, developmental, and physical 
disabilities. Her most recent effort is ensuring that inclusive, 
universal design principles are adopted as guidelines in designing the 
new Downtown Davis Specific Plan. Ms. Mintun is an inspiration to 
parents, teachers, and community members looking to make our community 
inclusive to people of all abilities.