Minna Hong

2019 Creative Access Fellow

Minna Hong

Minna Hong is many things to many people.

She sustained a spinal cord injury from a car accident in 1999 that changed the course of her life. She became a widow and a single mother of 2 young kids in an instant. After a painful 2 years of mourning her personal loss, she went to work. She worked as a SCI Peer Support manager at Shepherd Center for 18 years. She was very instrumental in creating a scientific evidence-based program to prove the efficacy of peer support through the PCORI Grant. This research changed the way rehabilitation hospitals view the peer support program. It became a standard practice to be recognized as a rehabilitation facility. She was the winner of the Hospital Hero Award by the GA Healthcare Association for her work.

Minna recently retired to pursue her passions: disability advocacy and her love of creating art. Her goal is to infuse the two in various mediums of artistic expression. This is her way of giving back to the community that has been so generous to her life’s journey. She is committed to creating a community where ALL are welcome at the table. Her hope is to close the current gap in access between those people who are marginalized by disability and those who are not.