PACER Center acts as a resource for families of children with disabilities

In 1978, two women decided to start an effort to educate parents of children with special needs about a new federal law, which is now known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

The two women, Paula Goldberg and Laura Goldberg (who weren’t related), thought their project would last three or four years.

Now, 28 years later, their efforts have produced the Parent Advocacy Coalition for Educational Rights, or PACER Center.

The organization serves families of children with all disabilities – physical, cognitive, behavioral and emotional.

From the PACER Center’s Bloomington office, Development Director Mary Schrock said PACER’s philosophy is based on the idea of parents helping parents.

“We help parents to learn what resources are out there to help children reach their full potential,” said Schrock, of Deephaven.

PACER offers a range of programs – from special learning tools for young children to support for teens entering the workplace. All programs are provided free of charge, Schrock said.

One of the more widely-recognized PACER programs are its puppet shows. Volunteers perform puppet shows at schools, either on the topic of “Count Me In” or “Let’s Prevent Abuse.”

According to Gloria Williams, the coordinator of the puppet program, this year more than 1,400 elementary children have experienced one of the puppet shows.

The PACER Center also is making puppets and selling them nationally and internationally. Williams said puppets have been sold to groups in California, the United Kingdom, Japan and Australia.

Schrock said that like most of the PACER Center’s programs, the puppet shows came about as a result of parent requests.

She explained that before what’s now called IDEA was enacted by Congress in 1975 (at that time it was called the Education for All Handicapped Children Act), children with special needs were often kept separate from other school children.

The new law, however, required that special eduction students be taught in regular classrooms to the extent possible.

In the early days of inclusion in the classrooms, Schrock said, many parents called PACER to say their children were being teased mercilessly by other students.

“That’s how we come up with projects,” Schrock said. “We respond to a need from parents and find the funding for it.”

Responding to recent concerns from parents, PACER earlier this year launched a Web site that aims to prevent bullying. Though specifically targeted to children with disabilities, Schrock said the Web site is appropriate for all children who may be victimized by bullying – or who bully others.

She said the community is rallying around the bullying prevention effort, explaining that the Minnesota Twins organization is participating in the cause.

The bullying prevention Web site is www.bullying411pacer.org.

With additional funding, Schrock said, PACER representatives hope to expand the bullying prevention to the middle school level.

On Saturday, May 6, the PACER Center will hold its annual benefit at the Minneapolis Convention Center.

“This [the benefit] is a really important way to make sure kids with disabilities get served,” Schrock said. “Since we don’t charge for what we do, this is a large part of how we pay for it.”

Michael Bolton is performing at the event, which Schrock said also includes silent and live auctions.

Ten prize packages comprise the live auction items. For instance, one includes tickets to this year’s World Series plus an autographed – and juice-stained – authentic Kirby Puckett jersey. Another package includes a walk-on appearance on “CSI: Miami,” plus hotel accommodations in the Los Angeles area for the show taping.

Schrock said the silent auction includes over 1,000 items.

“It’s really a full evening,” Schrock said.

For more information about the benefit or to order tickets, call 952-838-9000 or visit www.pacer.org. Tickets to the benefit are $55 and $85. The event begins at 6 p.m. Saturday, May 6, at the Minneapolis Convention Center.