“Honest, humorous, and deeply moving, Dan’s book challenges readers to look beyond labels and recognize the dignity, intelligence, and humanity in every person.”
Samuel Richard
DISABILITY-INCLUSION SPECIALIST
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Meet Dan Reed
Dan Reed is the author of Paid for the Privilege: Hearing the Voices of Autism, a candid memoir shaped by his unexpected transition from the business world into work with autistic adults and people with developmental disabilities. What began as an unfamiliar professional role became a lifelong commitment to dignity, inclusion, meaningful employment, and stronger community opportunities.
With more than thirty years of experience in disability services, Dan has served in leadership, consulting, marketing, fundraising, and program-development roles. His work has included positions with CHOICE Inc., Highland Friendship Club, and organizations supporting vocational opportunities, remote-support services, special education, autism advocacy, and independent living.
Dan has also contributed to numerous community and advisory boards, including the Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities, the Twin Cities Autism Society, the Autism National Committee, and the Saint Paul Mayor’s Council on Disabilities. His service has been recognized with the 2001 Distinguished Service Award from the Minnesota Council on Disabilities and the 1994 Outstanding Community Service Award from the Minnesota Vocational Association of Special Needs Personnel.
Beyond his writing and advocacy, Dan created and co-produced the award-winning documentary Born for the Stage and created the TPT documentary St. Paul’s Historic Hill: Salvaging St. Paul’s Gilded Past. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire in business marketing, he brings together professional experience, personal reflection, humor, and a deep belief in the value and potential of every person.
What Inspired the Story?
Dan Reed’s inspiration began with the people he met at Midway Training Services and the experiences that transformed his understanding of autism, communication, and disability. Their humor, determination, individuality, and desire to participate more fully in everyday life encouraged him to look beyond labels and question the assumptions that often shape how people with disabilities are treated.
Drawing on those relationships and his decades of work in disability services, Dan wrote Paid for the Privilege to preserve their stories, reflect on his own growth, and encourage readers to recognize the dignity, potential, and humanity of every person.
