We are delighted for Maren Hulden of Minneapolis to receive the first Paula F. Goldberg Champion for Children with Disabilities Award.

Maren Hulden is a Supervising Attorney at the Minnesota Disability Law Center, where she previously worked as an advocate with the Legal Services Advocacy Project. She is also the parent of a young son with a disability. Maren helps legislators and community members understand problems from both a systemic and human level, and has a deep understanding of the barriers to inclusion faced by children with disabilities and their families. Maren has been instrumental in helping pass legislation, including recovery education, inclusive childcare, and more.

Julia Page who nominated Maren for this award, said this about her: “She is one of the most effective advocates I have ever had the pleasure to work with. Maren is astute in her advocacy both in content knowledge and relationship building. Maren possesses a perfect combination of warmth, empathy, story-telling, and deep knowledge of data and policy. I truly think that she could work with anyone and get any goal accomplished. In addition to her vast knowledge as an attorney, her experience as an educator and mother of a young child with a disability give her a deep understanding of the barriers to inclusion that children with disabilities and their families face. Maren is constantly working to promote and protect the human rights of people who have disabilities, and she is deeply deserving of this award.”