MINNEAPOLIS — The legacy of disability activist Margot Imdieke Cross is everywhere. From Minnesota state parks to the Senate building or Target Field, she advocated for accessibility that is now in place for all residents.
The Minnesota Council on Disability (MCD) released a statement Friday saying Imdieke Cross died July 21 from cancer complications. The statement shared that her husband held her hand as she died.
Imdieke Cross provided input for the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990 and was there when George H. Bush signed it on July 26, 1990, which was exactly 34 years ago.
Within Minnesota, she worked as the Accessibility Specialist for MCD for more than 35 years. She also worked as a consultant for many major construction and renovation projects at places including the State Capitol Complex, U.S. Bank Stadium, CHS Field, Allianz Field and more.
Access Press, a news outlet dedicated to covering disability issues, described Imdieke Cross as "feared and revered" as she was relentless in her pursuit of accessibility.
Longtime friend Greg Lais says Imdieke Cross grew up on a farm in Sauk Centre, which is located in Stearns County. She first used a wheelchair at 2 years old after a farm accident, and Lais says that didn't stop her from doing anything she wanted throughout life.
"She went out to the rock pile with her brother and she said it was all rocky and he said, 'You're going to have to get here yourself,' and she said, 'Well how am I gonna do that?' and he said, 'Just figure it out,' and she did," Lais said.
Her impact also reached Wilderness Inquiry. Lais cofounded the nonprofit and was its executive director prior to retiring.
"Even with little old Wilderness Inquiry, she helped teach us about treating people as equals. Not better than, not more than or less than but as equals and that was a profound lesson for me," he said.
They met almost 50 years ago. Lais says it was during a controversy over the Boundary Waters and the use of motor-powered watercraft. He says a "prominent Minnesotan" commented on the idea, saying motor use would be discriminatory to people with disabilities, the elderly and women. Lais then organized a trip for people with a range of disabilities to prove that statement wrong, and along came Imdieke Cross.
She also inspired Linda Wolford to advocate for herself and others. Wolford says she and Imdieke Cross were coworkers at MCD as well as close friends who once lived together.
"She was always working, even when we were having fun," said Wolford, who has since become executive director of the Department of Human Services' Disability Services Division. "We would go to games together, we would go to events together, we would just go out to dinner together and literally Margot would carry her tape measure around and measure and go like, 'Nope, this isn't accessible,' and then she would talk to a manager."
"I learned a lot about advocacy and how Margot did it in a very respectful but strong way so that we could get the greatest amount of access for the greatest amount of possible," she continued.
Both Wolford and Lais agree: Although she's gone, the work needs to continue.
"She changed Minnesota but beyond Minnesota, she changed the world," Lais said, "but she also knew it wasn't over. You know, the thing is that everybody thinks, 'Oh, we passed this law and all of a sudden it's fixed,' and accessibility is not fixed."
Imdieke Cross' life will be honored at the Banquets of Minnesota in Fridley on Aug. 7 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
This news comes at a difficult time for Minnesota's disability community, as July is Disability Pride Month and serves as a time for celebration and recognition.