Editor of disabled newsletter strives to help community
By Betsy Clayton
Emerald Reporter
If the old saying "The
squeaky wheel gets the grease”
holds true, then Maggie Saint
Onge says she is a squeaky
wheel.
Saint Onge is the editor and
publisher of "accessABlI.JTY,"
a monthly newsletter for disabl
ed people in the community.
She came up with the idea of
the newsletter, gathers informa
tion for it. puts it together with
the help of a friend and then
distributes it.
All her time is volunteered,
and she does it because it’s im
portant. she said. “There's a
need for the disabled to have
something that's just theirs."
Saint Onge said. Disabled peo
ple can feel so isolated and they
need to hear that something is
being done, she said "Nothing
gets done unless you speak
up”
That's why Saint Onge calls
herself a squeaky wheel. She is
helping to get something done,
and she knows how much it's
needed because she is disabled.
Saint Onge has been produc
ing the newsletter since July
She worked on a local
Multiple Sclerosis newsletter
for a year and then decided to
put out her own newsletter
At first she dug up the infor
mation herself by looking in the
newspapers, contacting local
groups and keeping up with the
city's Disabilities Advisory
Coalition. Now she gets help
from a few people who submit
stories about the community
and sports events.
She said this is exactly what
she wants to happen. Anythin#
with a slant for the disabled is
great for the newsletter, and the
more contributors the better
Saint Onge also contributes to
"Action News." a newsletter
aimed at people in business and
government who deal with the
disabled population She said
as far as she knows there are no
other publications like this in
the state Sinc e she began prin
ting. other state agencies have
expressed interest in Ixith her
newsletter and the possibility of
publishing a similar one
themselves.
Hut things have not always
been this successful for Saint
Onge. When she started her
paper, all the funding was out
of her pocket, and it was
sometimes hard to work on it
not knowing where future fun
ding was coming from
“There’s been times when I
think I'm not being appreciated
and that there’s not anyone out
there who's reading it." she
said Six months ago. things
looked up when Sacred Heart
General Hospital gave her $300
to help with the publishing
costs.
After Saint Onge and her
graphic editor, )udy Wood
ward, put together an issue,
they deliver it to strategic loca
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tions around Eugene. Some
copies are sent in the mail to
subscribers for $7 per year.
"What 1 would like to do
eventually is to cover the costs
and maybe make a little
money." she said
Saint Onge. 4:t. has had M S
for 26 years. She said she has
learned to take things in stride
and she knows she doesn’t want
to miss out on life.
She said she went through the
“why me?” question and a lot
of denial for a long time
"Then I realized that's all
there is If you don't make the
l>est of it you're not hurting
anybody hut yourself.” she
said.
A lot of disabled people feel
like they can’t do anything.
Saint Onge added. She attended
Lane Community College from
1979 to 19H3. and she got
caught in a defeatist frame of
mind, she said. "I felt my
education was wasted. What
would I do with a degree? It's
easy to get caught in that trap,”
she said
Now Saint Onge thinks that
disabled people don't have "a
corner on the market.” She said
able-bodied people go through
the same things, it's just a little
bit more for disabled people
Both can experience a defeatist
attitude, she said
Saint Onge was able to over
come all this when she found
herself in a bad marriage and
realized that life was passing
by "1 wasn't getting a piece of
the action. So when I split with
my husband and got a divorce. I
started 'accessABIUTY.' " she
said.
It's hard to get a disabled per
son involved. Saint Onge said,
and she doesn't know exactly
why.
“Some disabled people have
a real chip on their shoulders
Some have short fuses. A lot
don't have the energy level to
Photo by Andv (-ftp*
MufOfie Saint Onye. editor and publisher of'‘accemABILITY. ”
p rtf pa res to desi/tn her monthly newsletter for the disabled
community.
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net more Involved." she said.
Energy and attitude are not
the only things preventing the
disabled from getting involved
in activ ites The climate affw ts
people in wheel chairs quite a
hit.
“Disabled people in wheel
chairs don't just get wet on the
top of their heads They get wet.
Their laps and what they take
gel wet. and they can't hurry,
she said
Societv has misconceptions
<il)oul disabled people, and
Saint Onge thinks able-bodied
people often judge the disabled
by the disablility and not by the
individuals that they are
"In a one-on-one situation,
chances are the first thing a
disabled person thinks is
'They're looking at my disabili
ty. not me.' " she explained.
When able-bodied people
tend to lump bandit apped peo
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