Margot Imdike Cross fought for accessibility in buildings and outdoor spaces across the state.
MINNEAPOLIS — Disability activist Margot Imdiek Cross’s legacy is everywhere. From Minnesota State Parks to the Senate Building to Target Field, she advocated for accessibility for all residents.
The Minnesota Council on Disabilities (MCD) released a statement on Friday saying Imdiek Cross died on July 21 from complications from cancer. The statement said her husband was holding her hand as she passed away.
Imdiek Cross provided input on the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and was present when George H. Bush signed the act on July 26, 1990, exactly 34 years ago.
Within Minnesota, she served as an accessibility specialist for MCD for over 35 years and as a consultant on numerous large-scale construction and renovation projects, including the State Capitol Complex, U.S. Bank Stadium, CHS Field and Allianz Field.
Access Press, a news organization specializing in disability issues, described Imdeek Kross as “feared and respected” for his unwavering commitment to accessibility for people with disabilities.
Imdiek Cross grew up on a farm in Sauk Centre in Stearns County, said her longtime friend Greg Rice. She first used a wheelchair at age 2 after a farm accident, but Rice said she was able to do anything she wanted throughout her life.
“She went to the crag with her brother and said it was full of rocks. He said, ‘You’ve got to get here yourself.’ She said, ‘So how are you going to do that?’ He said, ‘Figure it out,’ and she did,” Rice said.
Her influence also extended to Wilderness Inquiry, a nonprofit organization where Rice co-founded and served as executive director before retiring.
“She taught me, even on a small wilderness expedition, to treat people as equals — not better or more or less, but equals. That was a profound lesson for me,” he said.
They met almost 50 years ago, during a dispute over the Boundary Waters and the use of motorized vessels, according to Reiss. He said a “well-known Minnesota figure” said the use of motorized vessels would discriminate against people with disabilities, the elderly and women. To prove them wrong, Reiss organized a trip for people with various disabilities, and Imdeek Kloss showed up.
She also urged Linda Walford to speak up for herself and others. Walford said she and Imdiek Cross were colleagues at MCD and close friends who once lived together.
“Even when we were having fun, she was always working,” said Wolford, now executive director of the Department of Human Services’ Division of Disability Services. “We went to games together, we went to events together, we went out to dinner together, and Margot would literally walk around with a tape measure and take measurements and say, ‘No, this isn’t for disabled people,’ and tell her manager.”
“I learned a lot about advocacy and how Margot worked so respectfully and powerfully to ensure we had the greatest access possible,” she continued.
Both Walford and Rice agree: “She’s gone, but the work must continue.”
“She not only changed the state of Minnesota, she changed the world beyond Minnesota,” Reiss said, “but she also knew it wasn’t over. Everybody thinks, ‘Oh, this law will pass and everything will be solved,’ but accessibility isn’t solved.”
Imdiek Cross’ life will be honored at a Minnesota banquet in Fridley on Aug. 7 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The news comes at a difficult time for Minnesota’s disability community, as July marks Disability Pride Month, a time of celebration and recognition.