The Remembering with Dignity campaign has a lot to be proud of! Our accomplishments to date include:

Restoring Gravemarkers

• RWD gained release of the names of people buried in the Faribault cemeteries by working with the Department of Human Services, Attorney General's Office, Disability Law Center and Faribault Regional Center.
• RWD reconstructed incomplete lists of the earliest burials at the former Faribault State Hospital. There is now a more complete record of the individuals who were buried anonymously there.
• As of our 10th anniversary (September 2004), over 2500 gravestones have been placed at cemeteries of former state hospitals in Faribault, Willmar, and St. Peter.
• Successful organizing enabled the appropriation of state funds for more named headstones in 2005. Advocating Change Together was awarded the state grant for Remembering With Dignity from the MN Dept. of Human Services in May 2006.

Public Policy and Legislation

• Culminating of an engaging community effort with the Governor’s signature, the state cemetery in Cambridge is officially named the “Garden of Remembrance”, on April 26, 2005.
• Between 1997 and 2005, the MN state legislature appropriated $725,000 to begin marking 12,500 graves of people buried in state hospital cemeteries.
• Remembering With Dignity has introduced a resolution asking the state legislature for a formal public apology to Minnesotans who were institutionalized. The 2004 resolution requests the Governor for an apology for harms caused by massive institutionalization.

Preserving History Through Exhibits and Videos

• In April 1999 Remembering With Dignity premiered the video documentary of our work, A Few Simple Words, at the Minnesota History Center with 400 people in attendance. This documentary went on to receive the 1999 U.S. International Film and Video Certificate of Creative Excellence and was included in the Walker Art Center's Midwest Film/Video showcase in Minneapolis, MN.
• Remembering With Dignity provided important information to the Smithsonian Institution for their 2000 exhibit chronicling the disability rights movement.
• Information from oral histories contributed to "Let Heaven and Nature Sing," an original play written by Bob Beverage and performed by St. Paul's Great American History Theater in 1996.
• We are increasing public awareness through the Disability Story Wall, an exhibit of photos and stories of 350 Minnesotans with disabilities. The Story Wall is available for display at community events. Portions of it have been shown in Faribault, Northfield, Owatonna and Willmar.

• National media. Remembering With Dignity received national media attention in an October 2000 article in US News and World Report. The article highlights efforts in Minnesota and several other states to recognize people who died in institutions and restore unmarked graves.
• Regional media. Remembering With Dignity has received considerable attention from the news media. People with disabilities have been interviewed on public and community radio stations in the Twin Cities, Faribault, and Willmar. Both major metropolitan newspapers have covered the project, as have newspapers in Northfield, Faribault, Owatonna, Waseca, and Willmar. WCCO-TV, KTCA, KARE-11 and local cable channels have done feature stories on the campaign.

Ceremonies of Remembrance

• Faribault, MN. On September 25th 2004, we celebrated Remembering With Dignity's 10-year anniversary, with a ceremony in the East Cemetery of the Faribault state hospital. With speakers and song we celebrated the public awareness raised about disability history in Minnesota and the 2500 named headstones placed in state hospital cemeteries.
• Cambridge, MN. In May 2003, we held a Cemetery Restoration Celebration at the state cemetery in Cambridge, bringing the community together to see the 354 named grave markers and to celebrate the cemetery's new name, the "Garden of Remembrance".
• St. Peter, MN. In June of 2003 we held an installation ceremony in St. Peter State Hospital cemetery, honoring people with disabilities who paved the way for the current self-advocacy movement and see the 800 newly installed named headstones, a good start on the 2600 unmarked graves in St. Peter.
• Willmar, MN. In June 1999 dedication ceremonies were held at both the East Cemetery in Faribault and at the Oak Knoll Cemetery in Willmar. Family members, former residents and staff, community members, and allies participated in events to honor those buried in nameless graves. Many family members learned about relative's lives and expressed deep gratitude for the sharing of memories.

Empowerment & Social Change Organizing

• Bus Strike Rally. In April 2004, RWD participated in a visible and spirited rally during the metro bus strike to highlight the effects of the strike on people with disabilities and to bring the negotiating parties back to the table.
• Music for Social Change. RWD has co-sponsored this workshop of singing and songwriting each summer for five years, 2001 – 2005, incorporating music into our organizing for social change.