Jan Malcolm

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Photo by Steve Wewerka

CEO of Courage Center

People with disabilities are remarkable, inspiring, productive members of society. Every life is valuable, and everyone is entitled to a high quality of life.  That’s the message Courage Center wants to send.

The mission of Courage Center, a nonprofit rehabilitation provider, is to empower people with physical disabilities to reach their full potential in every aspect of life.

“Courage has been an innovator and leader for almost 80 years, both locally and nationally, in providing services to children and adults with disabilities,†explains Jan Malcolm, CEO. “But even beyond that, we have successfully advocated for changes in community awareness and in public policies, in order to create more opportunities for people with disabilities to achieve greater independence. We understand that for people to be healthy and independent, it takes more than just good medical care and therapies–it also takes being able to live, work, and play as full participants in the community.â€

Courage Center clients span all ages, from early infancy to seniors.

“Many people think we serve only people with catastrophic spinal cord or brain injuries, and they would be surprised to know that some of our fastest growing services are for conditions like arthritis and autism spectrum disorders. We’re a resource for the whole community.†

Q&A

Q. How has Courage Center changed since you were last featured as a Trendsetter in July of 2005? 
A.

It’s only been about a year and a half, which has gone by very fast! Some very important groundwork has been laid over the last few years to really strengthen our ability to measure the quality and impact of what we do, and that work feels like it is really gathering momentum.

Q. Where do you see Courage Center in 10 years?
A. We plan to grow as an organization, to serve more people, and to be an even stronger player in the whole continuum of rehabilitation services. We’ll most likely be doing more things in partnership with others who serve the same populations we do. And we’ll continue to be a strong advocate for the needs of people with disabilities in public policy debates and in community planning and philanthropic circles.
 
Q. What do you most enjoy about your job?
A. Courage Center is heavily dependent upon community support to be able to provide both the depth and the breadth of the programming we do. People are so generous with their time and talents through volunteering  and charitable donations. A nice part of the job is thanking people, and showing them all the good their support makes possible.

3915 Golden Valley Road, Minneapolis, MN 55422
763-588-0811 (Golden Valley); 651-439-8283 (Stillwater and Forest Lake)
952-898-5700 (Burnsville)
www.courage.org