- An extrovert is forced to work a job where she's alone.
- An enthusiastic employee is fired because he can't get to work for late shifts.
- Depression settles in for someone who can't live the productive life she wants.
These are a few stories of people with disabilities who live in the community.
Sitting at home with a television as their most reliable companion and their feet or wheelchair as their main mode of transportation is a fate that's befallen some Minnesotans with disabilities. It’s a lifestyle that people at Wayzata-based Hammer, an organization that aims to help people with developmental disabilities live life to its fullest, are trying to combat.
Among the obstacles in their way is a lack of funding, which starts a cycle of fewer resources and staffing shortages that directly impacts the quality of life of disabled people. Much of the funding that organizations like Hammer rely on comes from state lawmakers. People with disabilities, their loved ones and people who serve them have taken to visiting the Capitol every Tuesday while the Legislature is in session to convey their message.
“We're here, we matter and we vote,” said Terriann Thommes, advocacy and volunteer resources director at Hammer.