(Local View from 4'2, Lake County Press, April 3, 2026) I had the great opportunity to talk with many of you readers at the recent Cabin Fever Reliever brought to us by the Two Harbors Community Radio- KTWH 99.5. I truly appreciate these interactions with you, the readers, because in the current world so much of the feedback writers or creators receive is virtual. In the virtual space it is hard to read the inflection and sometimes intent of the commenter and it is often a on

(Local View from 4'2, Lake County Press, March 20, 2026) Disability community and culture in the news. The 2026 Paralympics wrapped up their two weeks of being on the global stage on Sunday, March 15th. Team USA had seventy-two Paralympians which included four guides and a Duluthian, Blake Eaton. Eaton is a Para Alpine Skier who grew up in Proctor, graduated from Denfeld in 2022 and now attends UMD while training in Utah. Eaton got his start in adapted sports with Courage Ken

(Local View from 4'2, Lake County Press, April 17, 2026) In many ways it feels like we (the disability community) are preparing you. We’re preparing you for tomorrow, for next week, for next year, for 30 years from now. We’re raising our hands, using our voices and advocating… for you. I know it seems easy to look the other way when something doesn’t affect us right now, I get it. I’m not all that different in this way. I just have a perspective that you might not have, yet.

(Local View from 4'2, Lake County Press, February 20, 2026) A memory recently popped into my head about an experience I had at summer camp as a kid. Maybe it’s due to the brief reprieve of cold temps and a promise of warmer weather to come. Maybe because this time of year brings a deeply ingrained muscle memory of the start for planning for summer camp. As Sophia Petrillo would say “Picture this...”, it’s July in Minnesota at summer camp, it’s the 1980’s and I’m 13 years old

Local View from 4'2, Lake County Press, March 6, 2026 “Be kind, everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” Let’s be real, raw and vulnerable. This past week I lost my composure in a community leadership space. My mind, heart, and spirit had just finally had enough. So in this safe space of a Zoom meeting with leaders I have worked with for years and some for only months, I ugly cried in response to the topic of accessible events. Leading up to this conversation I had a hor

Local View from 4'2, Lake County Press, February 6, 2026 As I begin my fifth year of writing Local View from 4 foot 2, I really never thought I would be talking about the fight for keeping Section 504, IDEA and ugly laws. Ugly laws are city ordinances in the late 19th century to late 20th century in US cities that prohibited people with “visible disabilities, diseases, or deformities” from being in public spaces. Violators were fined, imprisoned or involuntarily sterilized. “

Local View from 4'2, Lake County Press, January 23, 2026 During these past weeks or, if I am honest, months of chaos in our state and beyond I have been challenged on how can I, a disabled activist in rural Minnesota, be of help. I hate to admit it but I spent days being overwhelmed by all of the horrible stories of disabled friends having their support systems immediately terminated through no fault of their own. I saw the life changes family and friends had to make to keep

(Local View from 4'2, Lake County Press, January 9, 2026) New Year, newer me. I am not one for resolutions but I am one for being intentional and self reflecting. This new year finds me processing things from 2025- loss of family members, grief loved ones carry for a variety of life reasons, new relationships personally and professionally, and old projects that have lingered too long. Oh and my needy body that seems to have more interesting needs as the aging process marches

(Local View from 4'2, Lake County Press, December 19, 2025) As we gather with friends and family during this holiday season there are so many things to remember and consider. This time of year can be full of joy and happiness for many but also full of sadness and hurt for others. If we are honest, for many of us, it is all of these and more. Some things I am practicing personally this season is to manage my expectations. Over the years I have learned that I don’t have to cele

(Local View from 4'2, Lake County Press, November 28, 2025) Creating and Sharing Welcoming Spaces In recent weeks I have been in so many spaces. Medical spaces, leadership spaces, driving spaces, resting spaces, growing spaces, fun/laughter provoking spaces and uncomfortable spaces are just a few that make my list. In all of these spaces I felt welcomed to show up, to take space, and to let the walls down in vulnerability as I wanted. Here are some of the lessons learned in t

(Local View from 4'2, Lake County Press, November 14, 2025) Accessible versus Functional Recently a disabled friend shared a video on Instagram with me. The video was of a young woman in a manual wheelchair cooking in her kitchen and her points were about accessibility versus usability. This has been my message for decades but maybe with too many words at times. Far too often places, spaces, and people claim to be accessible or wheelchair friendly. They use words like “being

(Local View from 4'2, Lake County Press, October 31, 2025) Happy National Disability Employment Awareness Month! Happy Halloween! Happy belated Invisible Disability Awareness Week! Happy belated Disabled Women’s Equal Pay Day! I am sure I missed a few. It is sad that in the year 2025 we still have to have awareness days, weeks, and months. Don’t get me wrong, I learn a lot when these special times roll around thanks to the tireless work of many people to create promotion camp

(Local View from 4'2, Lake County Press, October 17, 2025) October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month or NDEAM. Finding accurate data about the different percentages of people with disabilities who are employed is tricky. After some general research I found that there are many different systems with many different data collection methods and many of them do not include the diversity of the population or are not accommodated so people with disabilities can accur

(Local View from 4'2, Lake County Press, October 3, 2025) Happy National Disability Employment Awareness Month! October 2025 is the eightieth anniversary of NDEAM and its theme is Celebrating Value and Talent. NDEAM increases awareness and celebrates the achievements of disabled workers of the past and present and their impact on their workplaces and the economy. NDEAM has been organized since 2001 when the US Office of Labor created the Office of Disability Employment Policy

(Local View from 4'2, Lake County Press, September 19, 2025) I have been a part of the Shannon Leadership Institute cohort for the past...

(Local View from 4'2, Lake County Press, September 5, 2025) “Pay Attention Please” is a youth fiction novel written by Jamie Sumner which...

(Local View from 4'2, Lake County Press, August 22, 2025) My definition of a care network is a group of family, friends, healthcare...

(Local View from 4'2, Lake County Press, August 8, 2025) Happy August! Where has the summer gone? Even though Disability Pride Month is...

(Local View from 4'2, Lake County Press, July 25, 2025 - guest author, Jaime Head) Hello there and thank you for having me in this week’s...

(Local View from 4'2, Lake County Press, July 17, 2025) As we continue to roll through Disability Pride Month 2025, I am constantly...