Steve Verriden

Life for Steve Verriden truly has been a long strange trip. Injured in a diving accident nearly thirty years ago, Steve's life is a testament to the power of persistence and perseverance. This is not to say that good things have come his way because he waited while the world adapted to his needs- he's been the agent of change in his own life and for countless others.

After first being injured, the lack of community-based support left Steve institutionalized in a nursing home. Rather than accepting this fate, Steve fought back, demanding the state of Wisconsin to provide for his needs in the setting he chose. He refused to take no for an answer and this has guided his agenda ever since. Yet, it was never enough for Steve to advocate solely for his own needs, he understood that so many others just like him were being warehoused in institutions unable to fight their way out.

He began working at Access for Independence, an Independent Living Center in Madison, Wisconsin, coordinating the personal attendant services so that other people with disabilities would be free to live in their own homes. Steve also became heavily involved in organizing for ADAPT. ADAPT is a national grassroots, disability-rights organization that wants to change the long-term care system and end the institutional bias in the United States. He also dedicated himself to promoting the needs of disabled people in the housing, transportation, and employment arenas to city, state, and national legislators and policy makers.

Steve has always conceptualized the big picture, understanding that living an integrated life is a continual process. He also knew that true independence comes with economic power. He has utilized Social Security's work incentives to his advantage. During his initial trial work period (nine months), he saved much of his Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and accessed Wisconsin's community integration program to secure a downpayment on his own home in the early 1990s. Since the house was considered a fixer-upper, he also tapped into the City of Madison's Project Home program, which provided the resources for the basic accessibility modifications and necessary repairs.

With his housing needs secured, Steve later began saving money in a self-support plan, which is similar to what is called a Plan for Achieving Self-Support (PASS) plan. This is how he purchased his van. While he had to buy the vehicle with his own savings, since it was essential to his employment, Wisconsin's Department of Vocational Rehabilitation paid for the adaptive equipment to enable Steve to drive.

Thirty years of fighting oppression have not diminished Steve's passion for advocacy. He was along side his fellow ADAPT allies in Washington DC in September as they protested the ever-present threats to cut Medicaid funding and the failures of the administration to assist disabled people impacted by Hurricane Katrina. Being able to live independently in the community of your choice does not happen overnight; Steve Verriden is a perfect example of what happens when you refuse to accept no for an answer.