This is a series of biographical interviews of people who work or volunteer in Ann Arbor and who have an interest in helping others with disabilities. The Ann Arbor Commission on Disability Issues would like our community to get to know these people and be better informed about the organizations they work or volunteer for. Starting with our own Commissioners, we’ll introduce them one month at a time.
Deborah Murray Biography
We would like to introduce Deborah Murray, the newly elected Chair of the Ann Arbor Commission on Disability Issues.
Deb has been legally blind since 1983 at age 25, due to Diabetic Retinopathy. Before moving to Ann Arbor, she lived in a small town in northern Michigan where there was not much to do for someone who is blind, so it didn’t matter that there was also no way to get anywhere—accessible or otherwise. "This was pre-ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act), and while many of us advocated on our own behalf, there wasn't the strength of law to back us up."
An avid reader, she says that one of the most devastating results of her vision loss was the loss of access to print.
“Discovering Talking Books through the Library of Congress, I stayed at home and read a lot,” she says. The Michigan Commission for the Blind sent her to their training center in Kalamazoo where, she says, “I learned more blindness skills including Braille and mobility as well as typing and computer skills, woodworking and other crafts 'just like sighted folks.'”
Deb’s interest in the Commission began when she moved to Ann Arbor. She attended Eastern Michigan University, working on a bachelor's degree in Political Science, and found even more barriers to attaining what she wanted. Having heard about the Ann Arbor Commission on Disability Issues through a friend, she wanted to join. Deb stated, “It would be a good way to advocate for necessary changes that would afford people with disabilities the same access to their communities as others have.” Deb found that she has a voice!
She has served on the Commission as Vice Chair for three years, has been Chair from 2006 to 2008, back to being Vice Chair and is now once again Chair. One project she has worked on is the acquisition of Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS) installed in the Ann Arbor area. The APS have audio and tactile features that give a blind/visually impaired person feedback that a sighted person sees when attempting to cross a street. As Chair, she was instrumental in getting the Disability Resource and Accommodations page up and running on the City website (a2gov.org/disabilityresources). This is a project she is proud of and excited about. She says she hopes to continue to work with the City “to improve access to all aspects of the Ann Arbor website and e-government services.” She established the Voter Access Committee which has become very successful. Now called the Coalition for Voter Access, many organizations continue to work together to promote voter rights, accessibility and a private, confidential, verifiable vote for people with disabilities. Deb has also been involved in Downtown Development Association projects and was a member of an Art Fair Committee which assisted in certain access planning, making the Art Fair more disability friendly. “In the future” she says, “I am hoping for the Commission to work with and assist the Ann Arbor District Library on access, particularly for the blind and visually impaired community.”
Deb’s interests and activities beyond the Commission include reading non-stop and computers. She uses her computer to access email, news, music, banking information, etc. With the assistance of a sighted friend, she built her current computer and also provides technical support to friends and family. "I believe that access to information is critical for all of us, whether we have a disability or not. It's how our democracy functions. My computer (equipped with screen-access software) has made it possible for me to keep up with what's going on in the world. I guess I've become a bit of a news/political junkie!"
Deb participates in another volunteer organization that involves scanning and proofreading several books for bookshare.org every month. She describes bookshare.org as a “non-profit online organization that disseminates accessible books and newspapers to qualified members with print- impairments.”
"I've served on the Commission for more than ten years and it's been one of the most rewarding, and yet frustrating, things I have done. Working on the Commission toward access for all of us has reinforced for me that the wheels of democracy really do turn very slowly—but they do turn! I believe that most change happens at the grassroots level, and I would encourage anyone who has an interest in access issues to check out the Commission and get involved."
Do you have any questions or concerns for the Ann Arbor Commission on Disability Issues, or have an interest in joining us? Please contact Janet Carpenter at the City of Ann Arbor Human Resource Services, P.O. Box 8647, Ann Arbor MI 48107-8647. You can call (734) 794-6131 or visit us at one of our meetings on the 3rd Wednesday of every month. Meetings begin at 3:15 pm at Community Television Network (CTN). CTN is located at 2805 S. Industrial Highway, Suite 200 in Ann Arbor. We welcome and look forward to hearing your concerns and comments.
Look for more interviews on this website in coming months.
Paul Cartman Biography
We would like you to meet past Chair, Paul Cartman Jr. When asked why he became involved in the Ann Arbor Commission on Disability Issues Paul referred to his unique relationship with his lawyer, Roger Chard. Outside of blind-rehabilitation, Roger was the first blind person Paul spoke with at any length. Roger took time out of his work day to speak with Paul about blindness, and Paul became convinced that life continues after blindness. When Roger was nominated for a Commission position, he was unable to fill it, but dropped Paul’s name. Paul enthusiastically accepted the position, stating: “I have a great deal of respect and admiration for Roger. I was flattered to have been asked to join any organization for which Roger had been one of the other choices.” After that initial hook, Paul states that watching the Commission make “incremental progress toward inclusion and quality-of-life for persons with disabilities in Ann Arbor” has kept him on board through the years.
Paul strives to help people in the disability community individually, and through his role on the Commission. Personally, he has spoken and interacted with people who have newly-acquired disabilities, assuring them that “Life goes on even after loss of eyesight”, or that “Yes, a new amputee could again ride their motorcycle after rehabilitation and a fitting with a prosthesis.” Paul tells of disassembling his wheelchair ramp after no longer needing it and using the lumber to put up a new ramp at another location for a new amputee.
Paul believes the Ann Arbor Commission on Disability Issues benefits the disability community as a powerful tool for disability advocacy and awareness in Ann Arbor. As Chair, his focus is to support and grow the Commission. He has contributed to the drafting of policies and procedures to build Commission infrastructure and has directed Commission committees to work in collaboration with other entities. Collaborative accomplishments include: installing Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS) in Ann Arbor, ensuring accessible voting for Ann Arborites with disabilities, developing a Disability Resource and Accommodations web page on the City’s website (http://www.a2gov.org/disabilityresources) and organizing groups for the construction of a pedestrian walkway on Packard Road under U.S.23 (and more). Paul strives to “bring the Commission into situations where Commission disability knowledge and experience can meld with others’ expertise in other areas to provide a synergistic result.”
As elected Chair of the Commission, Paul is personally and intimately involved in its projects. In response to a concern brought before the Commission by members of the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Community the Commission is working with Community Television Network (CTN) to explore captioning options of televised City meetings. The Commission is also helping to develop a City emergency-preparedness plan that includes considerations for persons with disabilities. Further, the Commission continues to work on projects like this one, bringing disability-relevant biographies to you. Paul hopes to develop a Commission archive documenting the past, present and future accomplishments of the Commission.
When Paul was asked if he perceived himself as having a disability, he responded: “Yes, and some abilities as well! I think we all fall into this category. Some of you may be better able to read a road-sign than I, but I can probably walk faster than you in the dark, and I can break concrete blocks over my shin! I am blind and have my right leg amputated below the knee with a prosthesis in its place.”
Like many people his age (44) without disabilities, Paul focuses on the day-to-day. The additional challenges presented by disability make it easy to forget or lose focus on what brings joy. Paul’s friends and family tease him that the rental properties he owns and manage actually own him. “They’re right” he says, acknowledging that managing the rentals and running the Commission take most of his time, “(But) there’s joy as well as work in these things.” Paul cites a recent rental kitchen renovation as an opportunity to express creativity by “choosing and putting together the different sizes, shapes, and colors to comprise the finished project”.
An admitted mechanical nerd, Paul enjoys reading car magazines and learning about new automotive innovations. He is drawn to activities that emphasize sound, taste, touch and smell. He is looking forward to spending more time listening to stereos, riding rollercoasters and enjoying gourmet restaurants. “But for now”, he says, “my joy comes mostly from figuring things out and making them work. You know, things like cars, kitchens and social systems that include people of all abilities!”
Paul Cartman joined the Commission 11 years ago and has “remained on board” because of the Commissions “incremental progress”.