HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021 07-27 Maplewood disability advocate brings diversity to local government FOX 97/28/2021 Maplewood disability advocate brings diversity to local government
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Maplewood disability advocate brings diversity to
local government
By Courtney Godfrey I Published 10 hours ago I Maplewood I FOX 9
MAPLEWOOD, Minn. (FOX 9) - She's lobbied the halls of the Minnesota state
Capitol for years, and now, a top disability advocate is swapping roles as one
of a small number of Minnesota politicians who lives with a physical disability.
Nikki Villavicencio was sworn in as a Maplewood city council in January. This
month, due to the pandemic, she attended her first in -person meeting since
being elected.
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Maplewood city councilmember makes impact as disability advocate
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dusabiHty advocate.
"Its been a challenging transition, but it's a transition I've really enjoyed," she
said.
For more than a decade, Villavicencio has been known at the Minnesota
Capitol as one of the top disability advocates in the state. Before the
pandemic, she and her partner Darrell could be spotted in the halls of the
legislative office building several days a week, often with their young daughter
in tow.
https://www.fox9.com/news/maplewood-disability-advocate-brings-diversity-to-local-government 1 /3
7/28/2021
Maplewood disability advocate brings diversity to local government
"I went from being on the outside kind of screaming in, to the inside speaking
out," she said of her transition to politician.
She is not only the only member of the Maplewood city council living with a
physical disability, she is also the only one who doesn't drive, the only parent
of a young child, the only renter, and - to the best of her knowledge - the only
one who lives below the poverty line.
"If I make the community work for people that look like me and are like me, its
going to work for a lot more people," she said. "The young mothers, the
seniors, the families that don't have a car."
Villavicencio says her full time job remains advocacy, as the city council is a
part-time position. This legislative session, she helped pass legislation that will
help parents living with disabilities.
On the local level, her focus is broader yet still focused on equality.
"It's the streets, it's the garbage, it's the bump in the road, it's the'why did they
put that parking lot over there instead of over here,"' she shares. "Before I ran
for office, I never thought that I'd be able to make decisions about housing -
which is really awesome to me."
She says she doesn't know what the future of her political career holds, but
she is just happy being a city council member.
"I could see myself being a city council member for a long time because I really
enjoy it, and I see how I could have a lasting effect."
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