[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 11325-11326]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING MAUREEN ARCAND

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. TAMMY BALDWIN

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 30, 2009

  Ms. BALDWIN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Maureen Arcand, a 
disability researcher and advocate, community leader, and mother of 
six. Celebrating her 80th birthday this month, Maureen has fought for 
positive social change and inspired many of her fellow Wisconsinites 
for years.
  Maureen was born in 1929 with cerebral palsy (CP). In those days, CP 
was poorly understood and many affected children were simply 
institutionalized. Nevertheless, her parents raised her through the 
Great Depression and World War II with high expectations, emphasizing 
her abilities. By age 40, Maureen was working full time, becoming 
increasingly

[[Page 11326]]

involved in her community as an activist for the disabled, and single-
handedly caring for her six children.
  While many Americans spend their retirement relaxing, Maureen has 
been perhaps most active at this point in her life. In her sixties, she 
served the greater Madison community as an elected member of the Dane 
County Board of Supervisors, where I was fortunate to serve with her. 
Beyond her work with the Dane County Board, Maureen worked tirelessly 
to improve the lives of those living with disabilities. She served as 
president of Movin' Out, Inc., leading the Madison organization's 
efforts to assist people with disabilities in finding and retaining 
independent housing. She also lobbied for the Madison based nonprofit, 
Access to Independence, Inc., further reflecting her strong conviction 
that people with disabilities have the right to live independently and 
make individual choices. Following the passage of the Americans with 
Disabilities Act of 1990, Maureen became the first evaluation 
coordinator in Dane County for the ADA, proudly stating, ``Never have 
people with disabilities worked so well together to achieve a goal.''
  In the past few years, Maureen has researched the aging process in 
people living with CP. Using personal insights and focus groups 
comprised of others affected by CP, she has illuminated much about this 
often misunderstood condition, creating valuable information for others 
with the disability. In her research titled ``One Person's Journey into 
Aging with Cerebral Palsy,'' Maureen states, ``This attempt to record 
my experiences is being made in the hope that other people with CP can 
benefit from knowing something about what has happened to me over the 
last thirty some years.''
  On April 30, Maureen is celebrating her 80th birthday by launching 
the Maureen Arcand Advocacy and Leadership Awards to spotlight and 
inspire others who are continuing her work. Maureen once told me that 
her favorite animal is the giraffe, because it's always sticking its 
neck out. In reality, Maureen has spent a lifetime sticking her neck 
out for all of us, especially those without a voice.
  Today, I therefore commend Maureen Arcand not only for her myriad 
accomplishments, but also the many future contributions to society that 
she has undoubtedly nurtured and inspired.

                          ____________________