ELWYN B. ROBINSON DEPARTMENT OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
CHESTER FRITZ LIBRARY
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA
GRAND FORKS, NORTH DAKOTA 58202
COLLECTION: OGL #1268
DATES: 1973-1993
SIZE: 5 linear feet
ACQUISITION: The Donald J. Winge Papers were deposited by Donald Winge on April 16, 1993 (Acc. #93-1867). Mark Hall, First National Bank Trust Department of Grand Forks, deposited the remainder of the papers on March 3, 1995 after the Winge estate was settled (Acc. #95-2010).
ACCESS: Open for inspectios under the rules and regulations of the Department of Special Collections.
Donald James Winge was born May 29, 1933 in Fargo, North Dakota. He spent his early childhood in Blanchard, North Dakota. His parents moved to Grand Forks in December 1940. Winge attended Belmont and Wilder public schools and 7th and 8th grades in Emerado, North Dakota. He graduated from Grand Forks Central High School May 29, 1951 and enrolled at the University of North Dakota that fall, majoring in Mechanical Engineering.
Muscular Dystrophy was diagnosed during the summer of 1949 while Winge was employed at the Grand Forks Municipal Airport, servicing crop spraying planes as well as private planes. He was told by doctors at the University of Minnesota hospital that he had six months and that he would be either dead or in a wheelchair. He proved them wrong.
In September of 1955, he was employed by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation at Minot as an engineering draftsman concerned with the Garrison Diversion. In January of 1957, he transferred to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at St. Louis, Missouri as an engineering draftsman concerned with the watershed of various area rivers.
Winge returned to Grand Forks in 1958 to have corrective orthopedic surgery on both feet. He applied for and was accepted as an engineering draftsman and photographer at the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Mines in Grand Forks. Winge received a Civil Service Disability retirement in July, 1973.
During his employment at The Bureau of Mines, Winge pursued his education at the University of North Dakota, changing his major to Industrial Technology. By going to night school, switching to part-time employment, using vacation time and correspondence study, he completed his course of study and graduated from UND, College of Human Resources and Development, Department of Industrial Technology with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1982. He applied and received acceptance into Graduate School at UND where he focused on the design, development and fabrication of devices to aid the elderly and handicapped.
Winge designed numerous items to aid him in performing his job, as well as other aids in daily living. Winge's major innovation was a Rocking Chair Platform for Wheelchairs for which he received U.S. Patent #4,768,497. The platform was the focus of his Master's study. It accepted any standard wheelchair and provided back and forth linear motion with stimulation. After experimenting with several rocking speeds, the platform was mechanically operated at 15 cycles per minute. This rate provided a back and forth, as well as, an up and down motion which not only reduced a person's heart rate but also helped blood circulation and respiration. Winge developed three working prototypes to produce a safe rocking chair.
In the developmental stages, all efforts were directed towards Winge's prime concern, the rocking motion. A ripple effect was developed accidentally by the mechanical vibration set up by the gear reduction drive motor. These vibrations were constant, stimulating the whole body. He also discovered that hard rubber tires transmitted more vibrations to the patient than pneumatic tires. By stimulating the lower extremities, the mechanical vibrations relaxed the body and helped the patient to sleep. Shown at the National Home Health Care Symposium in Atlanta, the New Frontier Rocker was marketed by Mar-Tec, Inc. of Omaha, Nebraska.
Winge served on the Governor's and Grand Forks Mayor's Committee on the Employment of the Handicapped. "Equal access" was Winge's major concern including the accessibility of all parts of Grand Forks to all of its disabled citizens. He was responsible for the extension of sidewalk curb cuts used in the downtown area into residential areas. He constantly monitored businesses and encouraged remodeling projects that met the needs of the disabled. To assist in identification of barriers to the handicapped, Winge developed an accessibility survey which addressed criteria pertinent to 36 different entities. Results were compiled from over 1,000 surveyed businesses and made available to both the disabled and the business community.
Along with other disabled members of the Grand Forks community, Winge was responsible for the inception of the Dial - A - Ride (Paratransit) in 1981. After 13 years of correspondence with the US Postal Service, he was responsible for the installation of a ramp at the local Post Office.
An outspoken representative for the disabled, Winge never hesitated to point out potential hazards to those responsible. If appropriate corrective measures were not implemented, he was not hesitant to seek the attention of city, county, state or federal officials. Further inaction often resulted in his contacting the local media.
Winge was active in community affairs. He served as Boy Scout Troop 18 Committee Chairman and assisted the Scoutmaster when ever possible. He received an award from Troop 18 for his efforts as well as the Silver Beaver award from the Boy Scouts of America. He taught fifth grade Sunday school at the First Presbyterian Church for six years, and served as a Deacon of the Church.
Winge also owned Don's Cameras until 1988. To assist his photography interests, Winge devised a camera tripod for his three-wheeled electric scooter which allowed him to mount two cameras to photograph architectural barriers in the community which confront the disabled. He was nominated as the local Outstanding Handicapped Person of the Year in 1962, 1973, and 1980, as well as the local Outstanding Handicapped Federal Employee of the year in 1956, 1959, 1967, and 1970. He also helped with the Muscular Dystrophy Telethon and numerous other community projects. Donald Winge died October 2, 1993.
The Donald J. Winge Papers are arranged into five series.
SERIES I: Biographical Information and Personal Records. Incudes general correspondence; Winge's medical care, and qualified service provider papers; business papers concerning Don's Cameras.
SERIES II: Invention - Rocking Chair Platform. Includes Winge's Thesis, graduate papers, notes, drawings for the development of the rocking chair platform, patents, correspondence, financial records, testing, advertising and marketing, news clippings, and materials about other inventions for the handicapped.
SERIES III: Governor's Council on Human Resources. Includes Employment of Handicapped book complied by Winge while he was on the committee and his Employment of People with Disabilities book. The name of the committee was changed from Employment of the Handicapped to Employment of People with Disabilities in 1989. Both of these books contain correspondence, notes, and reports on the committee, and review of the protection and advocacy project.
SERIES IV: Mayor's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped. Includes minutes and a book complied by Winge which contains correspondence and reports on the committee. This series is divided into five subseries. Subseries A. Sub-Committee on Accessibility includes correspondence. Subseries B. Accessibility Survey includes a list of business who participated in the survey, the zone in which each business was placed, the original survey, summary of results, Winge's notes, and news clippings. Subseries C. Dial - A - Ride Committee includes bus transportation report, list of eligible riders, committee reports, financial records, contracts for vans, and correspondence. Subseries D. Barrier Free Design Award Committee. Includes rules and regulations, judging sheets, nominees, winners, expense sheets, guidelines for awards banquet, and correspondence. Subseries E. Miscellaneous Disabilities Issues includes materials regarding the Burlington Northern crossing, City Hall addition, Horticulture Therapy Participation Independence Park, emergency vehicle vs. local traffic at United Hospital, and miscellaneous news clippings and correspondence.
SERIES V: Includes award certificates, placques, and photographs.
SERIES I: BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION AND PERSONAL RECORDS
Box 1
Folder
SERIES II: INVENTION - ROCKING CHAIR PLATFORM
SERIES III: GOVERNOR'S COUNCIL ON HUMAN RESOURCES
Box 2
Folder
SERIES IV: MAYOR'S COMMITTEE ON EMPLOYMENT OF THE HANDICAPPED
Subseries A: SUB-COMMITTEE ON ACCESSIBILITY
Subseries B: ACCESSIBILITY SURVEY
BOX 3
Folder
Subseries C: DIAL - A - RIDE COMMITTEE
Box 4
Folder
Subseries D: BARRIER FREE DESIGN AWARD COMMITTEE
Subseries E: MISCELLANEOUS
SERIES V: AWARD CERTIFICATES, PLAQUES, AND PHOTOGRAPHS
Box 5
Folder
Unframed certificates:
from Muscular Dystrophy Association, Boy Scouts of America, American
Entrepreneurs' Association, National Rehabilitation Association, Lions Club, ND
Human Resources Council/ Committee on Employment of People with Disabilites,
Dept. of Interior, Bureau of Mines, International Conference on Rural
Rehabilitation Technologies, Entrepreneur's Credo
Loose Plaques
Outstanding Handicapped Citizen of Grand Forks, 1973 ; Forks Fighters Boxing
Club, 1981; UND, Class of 1983; Grand Forks Mayor's Committee, Employment of
the Handicapped, 1986; MDA, 1986; Special Olympics, 1986; Options, 1990;
Mayor's Committee, 1991-1992
Wrapped Plaques housed next to collection boxes
UND, BS Degree in Industrial Technology with Photo, 1982; UND, MS Degree with
Photo, 1986; Epsilon Pi Tau, 1985; Don Winge and Rocking Chair Platform, framed
photo
Oversize Cabinet
Folder
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