Courtney Meyer
On June 5, 2010, ScottDurren, a dear friend to the disability rights and advocacy movement, passedaway at the age of 48. Known for hisdetermination and tenacity, Scott's life reflected a deeply-rooted desire forlegal justice and recognition of the abilities of individuals withdisabilities. The Resource Center forPersons with Disabilities is proud to call him an Outstanding Alumnus, and nowseeks to memorialize Scott for his continuous efforts on behalf of individualswith disabilities around the nation.
Beginning his collegiatecareer at the University of Arkansas, Scott cherished the idea of a careerwhich would satisfy his love of sports. But,at the young age of 19, the baseball and football athlete's life changeddrastically; a fall from a bunk bed broke his neck, rendering him aquadriplegic. Although he returned hometo Michigan for physical rehabilitation, Scott was forced to later move to a nursinghome to receive proper care. But theunfortunate set of circumstances did not derail his goals and dreams; Scott'slife became a chronology defined through independence, advocacy, empowerment,and perseverance.
In the nursing home, Scottspent hours each day relearning to write and adjusting to the necessary changesin his daily living routine, refusing to let the changes to his lifestyle dictatehis future. After taking a few coursesat Grand Rapids Community College to test an interest in legal studies,assistance from Judy Gentile, the founding director of the Office of Programsfor Handicapper Students (now known as the RCPD), brought him to Michigan StateUniversity in 1984 to reactivate his undergraduate career. With the RCPD coordinating logistical andfinancial support, Scott became a James Madison College student, majoring inInternational Relations and Political Science, and finally managed to regainthe independence and dignity he had lost. Although this required bringing a box of pens to class to avoid askingclassmates to pick one up if it dropped, and occasionally sleeping in hiswheelchair (despite the consequences it had on his health) when he lacked personalcare assistants, a thirst for knowledge and success energized his endeavors. This questfor autonomy continued throughout his life, even leading him, many years later,to serve as a direct evaluator of Michigan's recently introduced Home and CommunityBased Services for the Elderly and Disabled waiver program.
The impact of Scott's immenseadvocacy efforts is likely immeasurable. In 1987 and 1988, raisingmoney for his fraternity's service learning project, Push America, Scott andthe brothers of Pi Kappa Phi wheeled the 65-mile journey from Ann Arbor to EastLansing. He continued to raise awarenessand defy stereotypes about the abilities of individuals with disabilities insubsequent years, using the concept as a platform for action. Scott spearheaded a similar fundraiser in1990, trekking from the Kalamazoo Centerfor Independent Living to the Grand Rapids Center for Independent Living, servingas a testament to the fact that people with disabilities are \ready and able" tosucceed at anything they set their minds to.
Extending his passion, disabilityadvocacy also became a career. As aProgram Coordinator for the Americans with Disabilities Act at both the WesternMichigan District of the U.S. Attorney's Office and the Grand Rapids Center forIndependent Living, Scott kept boxes of pamphlets and informative summaries todisseminate information about how the Americans with Disabilities Act would beenforced. Upon his return to MichiganState for graduate studies in Athletic Administration in 1994, Scott used theexpertise he had gained to advise students of their legal rights in housing andto serve as the interim Handicapper Council (which he renamed to the Council ofStudents with Disabilities) representative for the Associated Students of MSU(ASMSU) student assembly. Tirelessly, he served as an advocate for accessibility in a variety of athletic venues, including the Spartan Stadium and Oldsmobile Park, home of the Lansing Lugnuts (later renamed as the Thomas M. Cooley Law School Stadium).
Although challenged by healthcomplications after graduation, Scott remained extensively involved withvarious disability-related organizations, ranging from the Michigan DisabilityRights Coalition to the Michigan Protection and Advocacy Service. In 1999, he was appointed to a term on theMichigan Statewide Independent Living Council by Governor Engler, but relocatedin May of 2000 to become the Executive Director of the Wisconsin StatewideIndependent Living Council until 2005. There, he is fondly remembered for his ability to influence nonprofitgroups to work together cohesively and for his superior grant-writing skills. A strong self-advocate who empowered manyothers through his work, his activism for disability rights and independentliving was, as in Michigan, maintained through positions on numerous boards andwithin advocacy groups. Wisconsin GovernorMcCallum recognized this, when he appointed Scott as the state's representativeto the National Organization on Disability in 2003.
A 1992 Grand Rapids BusinessJournal article summarizes the quest to which Scott dedicated his life: "We have to get rid of the perceptions. We have to decrease attitudinal barriers; wehave to decrease structural barriers." TheResource Center for Persons with Disabilities celebrates and thanks Scott forhis continuous determination, as it was instrumental in elevating societalrespect for individuals with disabilities.
[[Editor's Note: A heartfelt thank you belongs to BethSpitzley, a close friend and personal assistant of Scott's, and specialistValerie Nilson, for their contributions and shared memories. Without them, this piece would hardly bepossible, adequate, or accurate. Monday,July 26, 2010 marks the 20th anniversary of the Americans withDisabilities Act, which Scott held very close to his heart.]]
Other notable achievements:
- Served as an intern, to be later employed as a paralegal specialist forthe Western Michigan District at the United States Attorney's Office,1988-1993
- Wrote the WesternMichigan District office's chapter of BicentennialCelebration of the United States Attorneys, 1789-1989
- 1993 MSU ResourceCenter for Persons with Disabilities Outstanding Alumnus
- Recipient ofGrand Rapids Hometown Hero Award for generous community support
- Recipient of 1995Office of Programs for Handicapper Students' Excellence in ScholasticAchievement as a Master's Student Award
- Class of 2000,Michigan Political Leadership Program
- Known for hisskills in grant-writing, specifically when it involved assisting people withdisabilities to obtain employment
- Helped coach Grand Rapids East and Lansing Eastern baseball teams