Office of Civil Rights News
A MnDOT-led program, held in partnership with Tribal nations, recently marked its fifth year of combining small business training and workforce training on tribal land. In this year’s program, which ran for five days in June, trainees from the Lower Sioux Indian Community learned how to do cement work that complies with the American with Disabilities Act.
 Training included hands-on projects to provide new ramps for accessible walkways and entrances for two of the community’s buildings, the Elders Duplex and Incubator Cultural Center.
“The ADA has a huge impact on our roads and walkways,” said Tracy Dallenbach, a participating Lower Sioux Community member. “This ADA training helped me better understand the legal rights of people with disabilities and how to ensure that places are accessible.”
Established in 2019 and held each year, the program has built on the successful collaboration of the offices of Advancing Equity, Civil Rights, Districts, Tribal Affairs, and each participating Tribal nation.
During a “train the trainer” week, Eric Apland, Mindy Heinkel and Aree Muhammed from the Office of Advancing Equity worked with two small businesses, Holliday Construction and IMO Consulting Group, to prepare for training individuals in a following session.
The small businesses then led the instruction of trainees from the Lower Sioux Indian Community in how to build and inspect ramps, curbs and walkways that comply with the ADA, Public Right-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines and MnDOT standards. Training included reading plans, grading and erosion control, building forms and inspecting.
“This training is challenging,” said Mindy Heinkel, interim director of Office of Advancing Equity, “but it’s designed in a way that makes it digestible in phases.”
This approach included a “split-class” approach. “Providing information in the classroom then following with hands-on experience was a great way to understand,” said trainee and Lower Sioux Community member Steven Pendleton.
All Tribal participants graduated as MnDOT ADA Construction Cardholders. This, along with the many networking opportunities built into the training, makes these individuals well-placed to gain MnDOT work.
The program also facilitates relationship-building among Tribal governments, Tribal members, small business consultants and subcontractors, prime contractors and MnDOT offices. The program has been primarily funded through Advancing Equity, Civil Rights and the tribes. Other MnDOT offices that have supported this training include Consultant Services, districts offices (District 8 was this year’s partner), Minnesota Management and Budget, and Purchasing. Coordination with the Lower Sioux Indian Community was crucial to tailor the training and plan for success. Tribal representatives selected the locations, time, contractor, and participants.
“This is a true collaboration,” Heinkel noted. “All stakeholders worked together to layer resources and strategies to accomplish a common goal. When people with different experiences and resources work together, the participants benefit. We create access, the community benefits, and we build lasting relationships.”
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More information
For 2024, plans are for two Tribal ADA hands-on training programs. For more information, contact Mindy Heinkel or Adam Marks.
For information about other small business and workforce training programs, please visit www.mndot.gov/civilrights/training-programs.html
Photo captions:
(top) Lower Sioux Indian Community ADA training participants at work in front of the Elders Duplex. Photo by Adam Marks
(middle) Mindy Heinkel (right), interim director of Office of Advancing Equity, with participants in the Lower Sioux Indian Community training in ADA construction and inspection compliance. Photo by Emigdio Lopez-Sanders
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