Mondale Met By "stigma"

Democratie vice-presidential nominee Waker Móndale was met by a handicapped-student demonstration at a Michigan State University campaign appearance in East Lansing last week. The students, members of STIGMA (Students for Total Integration through Greater Mobility and Accessibility), met the Minnesota Democrat's motorcade because they were unable to enter MSU's 50-year-old Union Building where Móndale spoke. The students say the building is inaccessible to handicapped persons because it lacks ramps and electronic doors to facilítate the passage of wheelchairs. Móndale in turn set aside a prepared speecli and promised action on the handicapped students' concerns. "I think this protest will teil all of us to take a harder look ut 'something that is going on in this country," Móndale told the crowd. 'There are different kinds of discrimina tion in the nation, and one form is to ask the handicapped to particípate in only part of American life." STIGMA member Mark Peck later asked Móndale to put his promises in writing, and Móndale obliged by signing Peck's campaign poster in bold blue script. Peck said lie was satisfied with Mondale's response to the STIGMA protest, adding, "I realize he didn't know he was going to be speaking on the problem." Peck pointed out that, "It's ironie tlie Democratie Party platform- known for its reforms- includes no reference to the handicapped, white the Republicans did." Móndale, who made extensive mention of liis record in Congress relative to the concerns of the handicapped, devoted part of his speech to the issue of social change, invoking the memory of both John and Robert Kennedy in calling for more social involvement by students and other citizens. "Il no longer seems fashionable in this country to talk about justice," the vice-presidential nominee told his audience, an estimated 1 100 sludents. "We have to restore concerns and grams to deal with the problems of the poor and disadvantaged in America."