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Michael Miner
Miller Place, NY
Diagnosed with MS in 1990, Michael Miner is putting his 24 years of teaching experience to good use. Forced to leave a job he loved, Michael was looking for a way to empower fellow MS’ers and educate the general public about the disease that had left him unable to walk more than a few feet. His “Scooterthon” accomplished just that. Michael rode his scooter from the Eastern tip of Long Island forty miles to the west. Did he raise a lot of money? No. The real satisfaction for Michael came from knowing he couldn’t walk, but he could do this.
Now this former high school teacher has come up with another project that will help people with MS. Michael has created an organization called “No Barriers” (www.nobarriers.org) that will rank the accessibility of hotels, restaurants, and other public buildings in Brookhaven Town on Long Island, New York. His project was funded in part by a Betaseron® Champions of CourageSM grant.
Enlisting the support of high school students, fellow educators and a network of friends and family, the group will survey the town’s facilities and compile the information, which will be made available on the website or in a pamphlet.
“This is a vital effort,” says Michael. “We need to empower the MS community with knowledge about the accessibility of their surroundings. We should feel comfortable wherever we go.”
Part of the effort involved included Michael and his partner designing the survey form and working with teachers and other interested groups to field the survey. While Michael is concentrating on the town of Brookhaven on Long Island, he welcomes other people to take on similar projects in their communities and encourages interested parties to take a look at his web site for ideas.
Michael was featured in an issue of the The State University of New York, Oneonta alumni publication. He hopes the article will prompt teachers in New York State and other places to involve their students in community service projects that will improve access for disabled people.
In December 2002, Michael reported "Nobarriers.org is growing in strength and now developing a new concept encouraging participants to share ideas of battling obstacles faced in every day life. My "Webmaster" and friend refers to the ideas as "Minerisms" whereas I call them "Isms". Anyway...the disease is following its own path as I try to enjoy the freedom my new adapted vehicle offers."
- Updated 1/2/03
