I have started the Mainstreaming on Main Street® (MoMS) Resource Directory as an outgrowth of my work supporting the inclusion of persons with disabilities (PWD) in professional and community settings. The story below provides some insights as to how I came see a need for the directory. The story is a quick read. Comments and sharing are always welcome.

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Story: The Paradox of MoMS

My first semi-professional job was working at the UWM Information Desk. I enjoyed the challenge of doing the detective work that sometimes came along with the student and guest questions.

I came to realize that the organizational structures and operational functions of the university held little interest to the people we served. Although people regularly wanted to know how to contact Professor Staff, they never asked how Professor Staff was qualified to teach classes in virtually every academic department on the campus. They wanted to know what they wanted to know, and the rest was not a part of their circle of interest.\

When it came my time to manage the Information Desk, I focused on situations where a small amount of information could make a big difference. This was largely a process of connecting with the right people and figuring out how to make important information available to the public. An example of a simple situation was the Union Cinema’s Children’s Movie Series. Parents would drop their kids off to see a movie and ask when the movie would be over: no clue. A more complex situation was finding out where evening classes had been relocated to during the first weeks of each semester. Neither problem was hard to solve: a brief conversation with the Cinema Manager led to schedules that included running times for the movies. Conversations with the keeper of the Master Schedule involved figuring out how to make the (then paper) master class schedule available to the public without risking loss or damage to this mission critical document. The Campus Police were able to host the master schedule after normal business hours.

My time at the Information Desk is long past but I still find myself serving as an information broker. The knowledge and contacts I have developed over many years of research and community engagement provide me with knowledge of resources. I am regularly reminded of the gaps that exist regarding services for persons with disabilities (PWD). These gaps take the form:

1. Persons with disabilities who are unaware of services that would make their lives much easier
2. Organizations dedicated to supporting PWD that struggle to reach their target audience
3. Organizations that have made significant efforts to be inclusive of PWD but are not acknowledged for their efforts

One of the challenges of inclusion of persons with disabilities (PWD) is that there are too many secrets. I regularly talk to seemingly well informed people who are unaware of available resources/services that would make their lives easier and more productive . On the other hand, there are many organizations doing good work that is hidden under a bushel basket. This includes organizations that are dedicated to supporting PWD or people/organizations willing to be inclusive of PWD that do not know how to find support for their inclusion efforts. The result is underserved individuals and organizations that are ready and willing to be inclusive of PWD.

Various sources indicate the number of persons with disabilities represent anywhere from 10 to 20 percent of the population. These PWD are barely represented in the mainstream of our society. The Mainstreaming on Main Street® (MoMS) Resource Directory provides a common space where people who could benefit from services can find a wide variety of resources.

The goal of the Mainstreaming on Main Street® (MoMS) Resource Directory is to provide a centralized repository of organizations that are supportive of persons with disabilities (PWD) and organizations that are inclusive of PWD. The directory addresses the following problems:

1. It identifies resources that are supportive and/or inclusive of persons with disabilities (PWD)
2. It serves as a resource for organizations seeking to be inclusive that do not have the internal resources to implement inclusive practices
3. It highlights organizations that have made genuine efforts to be inclusive of PWD

A secondary benefit of highlighting organizations that are inclusive of PWD is they serve as an example of what can be done with a little foresight and thoughtful design. Organizations that wish to be inclusive can use the directory to find examples of inclusion.

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