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Daily Real Estate News | September 29, 2009 | Fighting for the Rights of the Disabled
Doctors told Cindy Johnson that her daughter Jenna would never walk, hold a pencil, or talk. A brain seizure at birth had left Jenna with cerebral palsy, but Johnson refused to give up hope. “As Jenna got older, I just knew that cognitively she was very smart and should be integrated into the public school,” says Johnson, a sales associate with Dona Christensen Realty in Woodbury, Minn. “But I was afraid to speak up.”

She sought support from her local chapter of The Arc of the United States, an organization that advocates for the rights of children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Despite her initial fear, she prevailed. “Jenna was the first disabled child to be mainstreamed into our school district,” Johnson says.

That was more than 20 years ago. Today, Jenna Johnson, 26, lives (assisted) in an apartment attached to her parents' home, sings with the church choir, and works part time at Target. And Cindy Johnson has remained active in The ARC, today serving as a national leader.

“I found my voice and have continued to fight for the rights of those with disabilities,” Johnson says.

Johnson is one of 10 finalists for the Good Neighbor Awards, a grant program recognizing REALTORS® who make exceptional volunteer contributions to their communities. Each week, until the five winners are announced in November, we’ll bring you the story of one of these finalists.

Finding Her Voice
Johnson began her volunteer work in 1985 and was elected to the board of directors of the local chapter in 1989. She served at the state level for 10 years before moving on to the national board of directors. She's currently serving her second term on the national board and is co-chair of the public policy committee, where her work impacts 15 million people nationwide.

“She brings a wealth of knowledge and understanding about what families face every day in their communities,” says Lynne Cleveland, president of The Arc of the United States. “She’s been a voice making it possible for families to keep their children at home and developing policies that impact everything from school to work.”

From the beginning, Johnson's interest was in advocacy. She sought training through The Arc's Partners in Policymaking, a program that taught her how to testify in front of government bodies and communicate with policymakers.

Eventually, she was selected to chair the state governmental affairs committee. It was 2003, and the state of Minnesota had proposed a budget that would have resulted in severe cutbacks in state support for people who received assistance in their home. About 57,000 Minnesota residents would have been affected. For Johnson, whose sister had been institutionalized, the proposed cuts had to be stopped.

"Jenna and other adults living with their families would have had to move into a group home. I couldn’t let that happen,” says Johnson.

"She’s Brought Us Together"
Through The Arc of Minnesota, she filed a class-action lawsuit to stop the cuts. Eventually, some $50 million in funding was reinstated, allowing parents to provide individualized, in-home care for their children. Johnson was also motivated by her disabled sister, who had endured poor institutional care.

“When she was young, she had to leave home because there were no services for her. I wanted a different life for my daughter,” she says. Because of Johnson, her sister was eventually moved into a group home and now leads “a better life.”

Winning the class-action lawsuit was a defining moment for Johnson. “This wasn’t just about Jenna, it was about giving others the voice that I finally found for myself,” she says. “I think back to the person I was, the one who got a stomachache just thinking about speaking out and realize that others feel that way—and I can help.”

No one knows that better than Jean Bender, current president of The Arc of Minnesota, who has a 22-year old son with disabilities. “She helped me realize that I could design an individualized program for David—that we had choices. It can be very isolating raising a child with disabilities and she’s brought us together,” says Bender.

Never Saying No
Locally, Johnson continues to bring people together. Recognizing the difficult task disabled children face growing into adulthood, she started a group that offers parents and their adult children a gathering place. “Parents were asking, ‘Once my child graduates from high school, what’s next?’” she says. “The kids can socialize, participate in crafts and activities, share a meal, and the parents can talk about the challenges and offer each other support and solutions.”

Now, the local chapter of The Arc is picking up on Johnson's idea. They recently secured a $3 million grant from the Walmart Foundation to help people transition from school to adult life, putting Johnson once again on the leading edge of helping those with disabilities. In addition, she continues to counsel parents. “Because I’m a leader in this area, people gravitate toward me for assistance. I never say ‘no,’” she says.

Johnson's real estate career, which started in 2004, dovetails nicely with her volunteer work. She focuses much of her business on helping families find accessible homes. And she's grateful to work for a broker, Dona Christensen, who supports her volunteer work. "She has multiple sclerosis, and totally values the work I do, both as a real estate professional and as an advocate for the disabled,” Johnson says.

Still, Johnson’s first and most important career will always be as a mom. “When my daughter looks at me and tells me I’m the best mom in the whole world, it’s a wonderful feeling," she says. "Knowing that without my hard work she and others like her might not be living the quality life they deserve makes me certain I made the right choices.”

Of the 10 Good Neighbor finalists, five winners will receive $10,000 grants for their community projects and will be honored at the REALTORS® Conference & Expo in San Diego on November 14. The remaining five finalists will receive $2,500 grants for their cause. To learn about the other finalists, go to REALTOR.org/GNA.

The Good Neighbor Awards is supported by eNeighborhoods, Homes.com, and Lowe’s.

-- Tracey C. Velt

Contact Johnson at cindyjohnson@usfamily.net. To learn about the Arc of Minnesota, go to www.thearcofminnesota.org.