Audrey Aanes

Audrey Aanes (born 27 August 1944) is an American disability rights activist sometimes referred to as Mother of the Independent Living Movement in Alaska. Aanes received both a Bachelors and Master's in Special Education from the University of Northern Colorado following spending two years in the Peace Corps. Her other career focus was in the physical disability field. She founded the community, Access Alaska, which allows people with physical disabilities to live independently. serving the state of Alaska (both rural and downtown). She was inducted into the Alaska Women's Hall of Fame in 2012 She then founded Access Alaska, Her efforts were rewarded in 1980, with Access Alaska receiving a state grant to address issues including independent-living-skills training and amenities she would need to facilitate her work. The increasing impact of her work was exemplified in 1982 when 8 young disabled adults moved out of nursing homes into equipped and accessible apartments in Anchorage, downtown Alaska. Furthermore, she extended her efforts with the Independent Living Program to northwest Alaska, by founding Arctic Access in 1993.