Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, February 2, 1993 TAG: 9302020322
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: MELISSA DeVAUGHN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
BREAKING A BARRIER
It was like any other day at Margaret Beeks Elementary. Ken Yousten, a 26- year-old Blacksburg resident, was on his way to the school to work as a classroom aide, just as he has done for the past three months.Only on this day, Yousten, who uses a wheelchair because of a nerve disorder similar to muscular dystrophy, thought he would stop at the Radio Shack across from the school to pick up a few computer supplies.
But barriers stopped him. There are no curb cuts in front of the store. And if he could have made the curb, he could not have maneuvered his wheelchair up the steps to the store.
So Ken turned around and headed for Margaret Beeks to assist in Melissa Matusevich's fifth grade classroom.
While Ken was at the school, he talked with some of the children and told them what had happened at the Radio Shack store.
"When he told us what happened, we felt we could do something about it if we tried," said Melissa Hite, 10. "Just because we're kids doesn't mean we don't care."
So Melissa, along with classmates Laura Broomhall and Jamey Ivey decided to write a letter to the Blacksburg Town Council to make them aware of the problem.
"Our teacher said they might listen to us more than adults," Laura said. "But some kids don't think adults care what they think and they don't do anything. We decided to do something."
Each girl wrote her own letter telling Town Council why she thought curb cuts should be put at the store - and all the other local businesses that don't have them.
"Writing to Town Council wasn't just for Ken," Melissa said, "but for every handicapped person."
Jamey agreed.
"We see handicapped people all the time and don't think about how they do things," she said. "But they are people just like everybody else and should be able to go to all the places we can go."
Ken was happy when he found out the girls wrote to council on his behalf - not because it would make life easier for him, but because he is seeing young people take an active role in their government.
"It's good for them to find out they can do something about the way their town is set up," he said.
The best part of this story: Town Council did write back. The girls received a letter only a week later telling them town officials would look into the problem.
Mayor Roger Hedgepeth, who signed the letter, said the Public Works Department would take care of the problem "as funds become available."
"We are always very pleased to hear from young people who are interested in their society and the way things work," Hedgepeth said Monday. "It isn't so often when we get [letters from children], and when we do, we pay quite a bit of attention to [them]."
The response from Hedgepeth and Town Council was a great boost for the girls, who said they have been encouraged to do even more in their town to make things better.
"It made me realize I'm not just a kid in this world," Melissa said. "I know I can help in other ways, too."
Yousten grew up in Blacksburg then went to Georgia Tech. Upon graduating, he lived in Illinois where he said there are many more services for handicapped people than there are in Blacksburg.
"For the most part things don't seem as good here," he said. "In Illinois, there were curb cuts, and the buses had wheelchair lifts - I'm glad to know [Blacksburg] is willing to make changes."