"My mentor and friend Colleen Frazer was killed as her plane crashed into a Pennsylvania field - the plane that was hijacked and taken over by the passengers, avoiding a crash into Camp David. In 1988, I was a mouthy, red-headed receptionist at UCP of New Jersey. Colleen, the mouthy, red-headed Director of Advocacy for UCP of New Jersey, knew I was just the person to be her Assistant Director. For five years, we worked, laughed, plotted, side-by-side to change the public policy of the State of New Jersey - at the state and federal level. Colleen taught me everything that I know about disability rights, about inclusion and about parenting a child with a disability. She was less than 4 feet tall, with flaming red spiked hair - who commanded and demanded respect from all she encountered. I can still picture her swinging her cane wildly at anyone she saw as a threat to people with disabilities and their families.

"I can picture her on that plane - flaming red hair, cane flying - leading the charge - ' We are Americans - we rule our own destinies.'

"I wanted you all to know something about Colleen Frazer. Everything I know about disability, I owe to her mentoring - thank you Colleen - my hero to the end."

"I am so sorry to hear about Colleen. This entire week has been horrific, and I am so sorry that she was caught up in the terrorists' attack. She will be sorely missed."

Phyllis, CDDC

"I was so sorry to hear about the death of Colleen Frasier. Please accept my condolences to you and the rest of the Council."

Richard Olsen, NJIT

"We are all very sorry for your loss of Colleen on the UA flight. Please know that we have you in our thoughts and prayers during this horrific time."

"She was a powerful advocate for all the right things. What a terrible loss."

Ed Burke, CDDC

"I was stunned and saddened ..."

Walter Kalman
Former DD Council member

"It is such an awful thing to lose Colleen..."

"I am saddened but certain that Colleen was among those who hatched the plan that foiled those SOBs and averted further mayhem and destruction. She never sat still for injustice."

Bob Williams
Senior Policy Advisor, UCP

"I was also stunned and saddened by this horrible tragedy, not just for Colleen and her family but to all. I worked with Colleen at UCP of NJ. She ran her dept. of red heads like the engineer of a well-oiled machine, commanding respect from all she dealt with and for. She will be missed by all. She was truly a force to be reckoned with - as I am sure those highjackers found out!"

"Please know that you all are in our thoughts and prayers in the tragic loss of your friend and colleague, Colleen Fraser. You've put together a wonderful tribute to her ... and I appreciate the opportunity to learn more about her life and advocacy."

"All the members of NJCEARC (New Jersey Council of Executives of Associations for Retarded Citizens) express their sorrow at this tragic time. Our thoughts and prayers are with both Community Access Unlimited and the N.J.D.D. Council."

Al Ianacone, Chairperson
NJ Council of Executives of ARC

"On behalf of the Puget Sound Chapter of the Little People of America (LPA), we are making a donation to the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund in the name of Colleen Fraser. We did not know her personally, but her work on the behalf of those with disabilities inspired us all. She proved, even in death, a little person can be a hero."

"I only had the opportunity to meet Colleen on one of her numerous visits to our Campus, but she had quite a presence. I believe that everyone we meet in life is placed in our path for a good reason, and Colleen was placed in mine to remind me not to put off things. I had so wanted to get together for dinner with her and never got around to calling her. A wonderful opportunity missed. I was at her second memorial service and was quite impressed and touched by all of the respect and love people had for her. I can see that she will be quite missed but I can also see that she lit a torch that many will carry to light their own way as well as pass it along in her memory. God bless you Colleen, your star will shine for many years to come."

Maria Perez
Kean University

"Colleen L. Fraser was my best friend, and I will miss her terribly. But she was also a friend to many of us here today, and I know I am not alone in missing her.

She was a drafter of the Americans With Disabilities Act. She was a strong defender of the Americans With Disabilities Act. And we all know...if Heaven isn't accessible, it will be soon.

Colleen was a writer--a damn good writer. All of us have benefited from her testimonies, her speeches, and her writing, and will do so for generations to come.

Colleen was a loving sister. And she was a true sister-in-disability. She believed in the civil rights of all people with disabilities. So many of us worked with her to gain these rights.

Colleen loved books and art and music. Her favorite performers were Tony Bennett, K.D. Lang, and...The Community Access Chorus. Talk about diversity!

She was a super advocate, a pioneer in self-advocacy, a leader in independent living, and a great boss. Colleen was the kind of person who would give you her phone number and say, "Call me if I can help." Most likely you did, and she was there to help.

Colleen was a fighter for our right to vote as American citizens, and she is with us in spirit today.

She loved learning and knowledge and she shared it with so many of us. Colleen used her whole life, her fine mind, and her honest heart to better the lives of all of us. And we honor her by being here today.

She was our friend. She was a true friend. And we will miss her."

Kate Blisard
4th Statewide Disabilities Convention
Atlantic City, NJ

"As I teach the seventh class of Partners in Policymaking today about the importance of civic duty and involvement in the legislative process, my spirit and commitment will be unmatched from the past six years, but my heart will be crying and my sadness and emptiness will hopefully not overshadow the very reason why I need to do this today instead of being with all of you. I know that Colleen would have wanted me to be at Partners today. I know that she would have wanted these people to know the importance of understanding and participating in the process in order to make positive change. It is because of her we have Partners in Policymaking in New Jersey.

How can I convey to these eager learners the void we now have? The importance for each and every one of them to never give up; to never mistrust their sense of injustice. To always fight for what they believe in. To demand and get the respect and dignity they deserve. To do everything Colleen did, not only on Tuesday, September 11, 2001, but each and every day of her life.

We will always have Colleen’s example to speak about. The fact that we no longer have Colleen is entirely too hard to comprehend.

To my colleague, my constant reminder of why I do what I do, my teacher in so many ways and most of all my dear friend, I will always remember our many hours together: the planning, the frustration, the never ending optimism and enthusiasm, the laughing and the crying. Through changes in jobs, changes in our lives, changes in our men and changes in our hair. Through excruciating meetings, dealing with the "hopelessly clueless," and the ultimate reality of the work and the challenges that were always confronting us, I am so grateful that we always found time to laugh and appreciate one another and celebrate all that we have done.

I will miss you forever, and will never let anyone forget your work, your contribution and your mission. I only wish my voice could ever be as loud, as strong and as powerful as yours was to me and so many others."

"In New York and all over the country, we are hard hit by the infamous deeds perpetrated on 9/11. I Offer my condolences to the Fraser family and hold Colleen, as all the victims, in my heart ant thoughts."

"I met Colleen L. Fraser only once, but loved her and her ways. As a mother of a child with a chronic disability, I know that Colleen was always prepared to fight for all injustices to the disabled. As a firefighter's daughter and an American, my family and I will always remember all the innocent people who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks ... Our heartfelt condolences to the Fraser Family and all the victims of September 11, 2001."

Joan C. Ross

"I looked forward to having Colleen be a beacon for me as I develop a life long stalled by traumatic brain injury. I felt she would be a mentor, and perhaps even a friend. I saw her take stands that might have been unpopular and do so with assurance and conviction. I was robbed."

"... For the last five years, I have struggled, not with disability, but with weight and self-esteem issues. This year, I decided to change some things about my life. I started running - just a mile at first - then added more and more miles until I decided I could start training for the marathon.

I chose to run the St. George Marathon, located in the beautiful red desert of southern Utah. It was scheduled for October 6th. Then, during my highest mileage week, a 40-mile horror, the terrorists struck. At first, I didn't want to do my running schedule. After all, my approach to life has always been to withdraw when things got tough.

I decided that facing fears was going to be a duty for our entire country and that I was part of that country. I dedicated every mile, every step to the victims of the attacks, even though I didn't know a soul on the flights or in the towers or the Pentagon.

The day before the race, my family and I went to the race expo, where vendors displayed an array of the newest products to help improve performance. The place was pretty crowded, but one table in particular was packed with people. I gently elbowed my way to the table and a lady showed me a sheet of stickers with American flags. Each one had a name typed on it. The lady told me that they represented a victim of the hijacks and that I could choose any name I wanted to dedicate my run to.

I didn't know anyone, so I looked over the names, choosing a name at random. "Colleen Fraser." Then the lady showed me the information she had on Ms. Fraser. Not much. She was 51 years old and a chairperson on a committee for the disabled. Something hit me, maybe finally a personal up-close reaction to these heinous attacks and I almost started crying then and there. I stuck the name on my race number for the next day's race with new determination. I would run for Colleen Fraser and I would finish, even if it were painful.

In some sense, I believe part of Colleen ran with me that day, getting me up the endless hills of southern Utah and lifting my chin when it wanted to droop, forcing me to smile when I wanted to weep with the pain.

I have never met Colleen Fraser, but I know more about her now. I have read that she was a true fighter, a small figure, but a huge heart. I am sure her death was an immense loss to those who knew her. It was a loss to those who didn't know her as well, those who will never hear her voice raised in defense of those who have so few soldiers enlisted to their cause. I'm sure she was a true friend and a loving sister. I believe I felt some of her friendship on October 6, 2001, when I reached the crests of some of those hills. I will always hold that memory in my heart as one of my most cherished.

They say that when we die, the ones we have known and loved in life will meet us with outstretched arms. I have lost some very dear people in my life and hope to see them when that hour comes. I hope Colleen Fraser is among them.

Thank you, Colleen."

"My deepest sympathies are with you. Colleen helped me years ago to conceptualize and create the Morris County Office for the Disabled and had a major influence on the way we created the corresponding Advisory Board. Her thoughts and ideas resonated when we went on to restructure the Somerset County Office for the Disabled and Advisory Committee.

"I never knew of Colleen, like most that have posted here. I also am a Little Person and I also was in NYC the day of the attacks. By the grace of God, I happened to be on a flight leaving the city when the attacks occurred and was diverted to Toronto where, looking back, I was treated like a Queen. I would just like to send on my condolences for those who knew and loved her and to urge those of us still on earth to keep up the fight, whatever it may be."

"I remember the first time we spoke. I had sent Tim Cooke stronger language on accessible transportation to add to the draft (of the ADA) and you had said "who wrote this I want to talk to her" and we did talk for a heck of a long time. You said you heard I was a radical and "Hell on Wheels" and I said it was nice to meet another radical crip. We had not talked since the ADA days until I called you at the beginning of 2001 to ask about your conference on women with disabilities and health care because I want to hold a similar one here in Maine. You were busy and promised to call back (you never did!!) and I kept telling myself my project is a year away I would call you back. I never did. Raise hell in heaven my fellow red-headed sister!!!"