75 Years on the Move: The History of MSS Transportation

 

2024 marks an incredible 75 years since the founding of our agency. As part of our celebration of this community's past, present, and future, we'll be sharing highlights from our unique history each month.

From its earliest days, MSS has sought ways to provide safe and reliable transportation to the people in our programs. This was much simpler in the 1950s, when our organization was chauffeuring a dozen-or-so children to a single location. The task becomes increasingly complicated when you factor in hundreds of people in our programs, multiple locations and job sites across the Twin Cities, and ever-progressing accessibility standards for vehicles.

While we now partner with Metro Mobility for many of our transportation needs, this was not always an option. When the state introduced the Metro Mobility program in 1976, MSS had already been providing the freedom of movement to our community for over 25 years. In that time, we saw a variety of unique vehicles come and go from the MSS fleet.

Photographic records offer many early examples of taxi-cabs, minivans, and buses—all with United Cerebral Palsy or MSS branding—cruising around the Twin Cities. Logos and color schemes evolved as frequently as the vehicles themselves.

A black-and-white photo of a group standing in front of a large van. Two men are in wheelchairs. Text on the side of the van reads "Cerebral Palsy Day Activity Center, courtesy of East Park Lions."

Just as MSS was created to support a local community, we have often depended upon the generosity of our community members in return. In the 1950s, the East Park Lions (a local business club located near our first center) donated a van to provide transportation to and from our programs.

A black-and-white photo of a 1950s-era car. Text on the side of the car reads "Cerebral Palsied Transportation."

Our early vehicles often lacked the accessibility features that are legally standard today. Where there were no wheelchair lifts, the physical strength of drivers and support staff was required. One transportation company at the time, Handicabs, even claims that their drivers would "take their wheelchair passengers up to the top floor" of the IDS Tower in Minneapolis.

A collage of two photos. Photo 1: A black-and-white photo of five people in front of a van. Two people are shaking hands. Photo 2: A photo of a man standing in front of a white bus.

A nearly 25-year partnership between our employment program and 3M Automotive led to their generous donation of multiple vehicles in the 1990s. As seen in the photos above, some of our fleet now featured wheelchair lifts and wider, more accessible aisles.

Of course, there are more ways to get around than just on four wheels. In a memo shared ahead of his retirement in 1979, MSS President Gene O'Neil offered his predictions for the future of our services: "I think we will move from a center-based agency to more of an agency on the move," he said. "Probably our programs will utilize Winnebago-style lift buses, boats and airplanes."

Gene was right: In the years that followed, MSS introduced more ways than ever for the people in our programs to get out and experience the wider world. During the summer of 2000, folks from MSS Burnsville (later expanded into Eagan and Apple Valley) constructed a cedar-wood canoe from scratch. A beach party was held at a nearby lake to commemorate their first launch.

A group of people wearing white shirts sitting and standing in front of an airplane. The side of the airplane reads "1-800-Skydive."

MSS Burnsville would continue to embrace unique modes of transportation. In 2002, sixteen brave individuals from the center joined our organization's first-ever skydiving experience. After departing on a small aircraft from Baldwin, Wisconsin, the group took turns parachuting back to land—and making MSS history in the process.

The last of the vehicles Gene predicted, of course, was the "Winnebago-style lift bus." The idea for a specially-modified recreational vehicle has been floating around MSS for over 20 years, an effort led by Vice President of Programming Michelle Dickerson. This year, just in time for our 75th anniversary, the MSS Explorer is finally ready to make its debut.

The key feature of this one-of-a-kind vehicle is its adaptability: it is designed with a wheelchair lift, an adult-sized changing table, an accessible restroom, and storage systems for medications. These adaptations offer a deeper sense of choice and dignity to every passenger, and enable those in our programs to enjoy longer, more comfortable experiences out in the community. We hope to officially unveil the MSS Explorer later this year.

It is through thoughtful innovations and adaptations like the MSS Explorer that we follow through on Gene's vision of "an agency on the move." Whether by land, air, or sea, the people in our programs are going places. We're happy to support them wherever they go!

We will be holding our 75th anniversary celebration on Thursday, July 25th at Mendakota Country Club. Mark your calendars!

 
Jon Santos