Six-hundred disabled Iowans crowded into the statehouse today (Wednesday) to ask legislators for action on a variety of issues. The crowd chanted “We’re here for change.” Secretary of State Chet Culver told the crowd they was the largest assembly of people with disabilities in Iowa history.Some in the crowd arrived in Des Moines last night; others got up at five o’clock this morning to ride a bus to the capitol. The group seeks changes, such as better handicapped access in schools and at polling places. The state has given every Iowa county 25-hundred dollars to make voting places handicapped accessible. Fred Wagner of Des Moines, the father of three sons who were diagnosed with M-S, was honored for his volunteer efforts on behalf of the disabled. “If you want something done, you have to work on it yourself. You can’t expect somebody else to do it,” Wagner said. “And don’t give up on it until you’ve got it done.” Shonnae Lundy, Miss Wheelchair Iowa, urged the crowd to take Wagner’s comments to heart. “Every one of you can make a change. All you have to do is speak up,” Ludy said Many family members and those who work with the disabled came for the event, too, crowding into the capitol’s rotunda over the noon hour. Over 16-hundred people passed through one of the four entrances to the statehouse today.
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